(;GM[1]FF[4]SZ[19]AP[SmartGo:3.0.1]CA[utf-8]
GN[RR11-master31_Li_Qincheng-Master_kgs-comments-final]
PW[Li Qincheng]WR[9p]
PB[Master]BR[9p]
DT[2017-01-01]
PC[The KGS Go Server at http://www.gokgs.com/]
KM[6.5]
RE[B+Resign]
RU[Japanese]ST[2]
TM[60.0]TT[20]
C[Commentary by Michael Redmond 9P

Li Qincheng is a Chinese player who won the Asian TV Cup in 2016 at the age of 18, and was promoted to 9P after that. In this game Master plays a powerful fighting game, taking control early and chasing White's weak group around the board.]
MU[1];B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[nq]
C[This seems to be a favorite opening for Master, and was played in several of the 60 games (two vars added).  ]
(;W[qj];B[co];W[ck]
C[Two vars for Black's next move.]
(;B[ep]
C[Pressing at 9 is a move that Master plays a lot, and this reminds me of Honinbo Dosaku. Dosaku was a famous17th century player. As he was significantly stronger than any of his rivals, I would say that his true playing strength was never tested, and he could be called the strongest player in history. Among many other contributions to Go theory, he changed the opening by emphasizing the sides and center, and pressing at 9 was one of his favorite moves. ]
;W[eq];B[fp];W[gq];B[cf]
C[Two vars for White's move. ]
(;W[ce];B[df];W[fc]
C[Two vars for Black's move. ]
(;B[dj]
C[Using the LL corner Black group as thickness, Master presses from above. White can push or crawl (see var). ]
(;W[dk];B[ek]
C[Does White curl under, or try to move out into the center? (See var). ]
(;W[el];B[cj]
C[Black 21 is a vital point.];W[fk];B[ej]TR[ek]
C[ By playing the hane at 19 (marked), Black has created two cutting points in White's shape.]
;W[dm];B[gp];W[hq];B[hp];W[gm];B[fq];W[fr];B[iq]
C[Black gains on the lower side while attacking. ];W[ir];B[cq];W[dr];B[en]
C[Black is threatening to cut White in the center (see var). ]
(;W[dp];B[do];W[cp]
C[White 36~38 was premature. White was trying to attack the Black group by taking away it's base, but he underestimated the power of Black's next move. ]
;B[fl];W[fm];B[gl];W[hl];B[gk];W[em];B[hm];W[hn];B[im];W[in];B[jp]
C[Black protects the lower side with perfect timing (two vars for White's next move). ]
(;W[fn];B[jm];W[jn];B[km]
C[Black extends twice in the center before protecting underneath, thus continuing to attack the White group. ]
;W[kn];B[jr];W[lm];B[hk];W[ll];B[kk];W[no]TR[cj]
C[White needs the move at 60 to protect the cutting point. This gives Black an opportunity to protect the LR corner. ]
;B[lo];W[ln];B[pp];W[qf];B[nc]
C[A var for White's move shows that Black can invade the UL corner. ]
(;W[fe]
C[White 66 is a big move, securing the corner territory and reducing Black's center ( var shows that the corner is now White's territory). ]
(;B[mo]
C[Black has thick shape in the center, as well as a solid territory in the LR corner. ]
;W[qm];B[gc]
C[Black attaches to fix the upper side shape. This is the finishing stage, in which Master tries to simplify the position and head into the endgame. ]
;W[gd];B[hc];W[fb];B[hd];W[of];B[qe];W[rf];B[ge];W[fd];B[lk];W[mk];B[mj]
;W[nj];B[mi];W[nk];B[gf]TR[fl]
C[Having enough territory on the left and lower sides, Black is leading by the potential in the center and upper side. End of commentary. ]
;W[md];B[mc];W[kd];B[ne];W[ie];B[he];W[lf];B[mg];W[lg];B[me];W[ig];B[ng]
;W[ki];B[ii];W[hi];B[ij];W[ih];B[gh];W[jk];B[kl];W[id];B[re];W[ro];B[rp]
;W[hh];B[gi];W[jb]
(;B[bf];W[be];B[ae];W[ad];B[af];W[bc];B[ph];W[qi];B[nn];W[bo];B[bn];W[bp]
;B[sf];W[sg];B[se];W[rh];B[bk];W[bl];B[bj];W[cn];B[rn];W[qn];B[qo];W[rm]
;B[ff];W[lb];B[mb];W[sn];B[hr];W[gr];B[is];W[sp];B[rq];W[om];B[on];W[pn]
;B[mn];W[ji];B[jj];W[sq];B[sr];W[so];B[rr];W[al];B[pf];W[pg];B[pe];W[og]
;B[oh];W[qh];B[ld];W[ko];B[kp];W[kj];B[ik];W[lc];B[le];W[ke];B[lh];W[kh]
;B[ni];W[pi];B[oi];W[oj];B[ee];W[ed];B[gb])
(;B[be];W[bd];B[bf];W[oh];B[bc])
(;B[nm]))
(;B[cc];W[be];B[eb]TR[fe];W[fb];B[ec];W[ed]TR[fe];B[bb];W[ea]
(;B[bd];W[ca];B[ba];W[ac];B[ad];W[ab]
C[Dead.])
(;B[db];W[ac];B[ab];W[ca]
C[Dead.])))
(;W[qm];B[cc];W[be];B[eb];W[fb];B[ec];W[ed];B[bb];W[ea];B[db];W[ac];B[ab]
;W[ca];B[da];W[ba];B[fd]
(;W[ee];B[fe];W[ef];B[hc]
C[White' stones on the upper side are in trouble. ])
(;W[hc];B[ee]
C[The semeai favors Black. ])))
(;W[jn]
(;B[il];W[fn];B[jr];W[km];B[hk];W[kk]
C[White should force once with 1 before connecting at  3. White has good shape with 5 and 7, making this better than the game for White. Overall, Black is ahead already. ]
)
(;B[gn];W[hk];B[gj];W[jl]
C[White captures with geta (net). ]))
(;W[jm];B[il];W[hk];B[gj];W[ik];B[jl]
C[The ladder favors Black.]))
(;W[gj]
C[White should protect at 1. ];B[jr];W[dp];B[do];W[ip];B[jq];W[cp];B[jo]
;W[gh]LB[be:A][op:C][nq:B]
C[Strengthening the center group with 1 is important for White. The lower side and LL corner are miai. White A threatens the Black side group, and thus the UL corner territory becomes secure. The LL corner fight was good for Black locally, but the shimari at B has become inefficient, in that it would be better placed at C. In all, I think the game is about even. ]
))
(;W[cj];B[ej];W[cm];B[em];W[ch];B[dh];W[be]
C[White will easily make life, while Black build thickness in the center. This looks about even. ]
))
(;W[cj];B[di];W[dk];B[ek];W[el];B[fl];W[fk];B[ej];W[fm];B[gl];W[dm];B[en]
;W[em];B[gm];W[fn];B[gp];W[hq];B[gn];W[ci];B[dh];W[be]
C[White is alive on the side. ]))
(;B[ci];W[ek];B[ei];W[gk]LB[be:A]
C[White escapes to the center, and can hope to threaten the Black side group with A later to secure the UL corner territory. ]
))
(;W[ch]TR[ep:fp];B[cc];W[cd];B[dc];W[ed];B[bd];W[be];B[bc];W[ce];B[fc]TR[co][ep:fp]
C[Black has gained territory in the UR corner, but the marked stones can not be used efficiently as a wall. Overall, this is even. ]
))
(;B[fp]LB[nc:B][qf:A]
C[Master plays at 1 only when White has played the exchange of White A for Black B. This little mystery could be explained by my hypothesis that Master might be planning a ladder variation if White plays the fighting move...]
;W[do];B[dp];W[ep];B[cp];W[eq];B[eo];W[dn];B[cq];W[fq];B[fo];W[hq];B[cm]
(;W[dm];B[dl]LB[nc:B][qf:A]
C[...and in this var a Black stone at B is a ladder block, so it would be good for Black if White has already played the A-B exchange. If the ladder favors Black this is bad for White, so in actual play White will avoid this by changing at move 10 or 14. ]
(;W[cl];B[cn];W[el]LB[nc:A]
C[If the ladder favors White, this is good for White. This could explain why Master seems to be aiming to play this variation only when it has a stone at A. ]
)
(;W[cn];B[bn];W[bm];B[cl];W[bo];B[an];W[am];B[em];W[ao];B[bn];W[an];B[bl]
;W[cr];B[en];W[bn];B[bq];W[br];B[ap]
C[Black wins.]))
(;W[en];B[cn];W[fn];B[ho])))
(;W[qf]
C[The most common White move.];B[nc];W[qj];B[co];W[ck];B[fp]
C[When White plays a kakari and extension on the right side, Master continues as shown. In this particular board position Master played the Taisha in the LL every time, but never played this move in other board positions. ]
)
(;W[do]
C[When Master has White in this position, it plays the high shimari. ]))

