(;
PW[Kobayashi Koichi]
WR[9P]
PB[Michael Redmond]
BR[9P]
EV[Meijin A Section]
RO[1]
DT[2017-07-20]
KM[6.5]
RE[B+]
C[Meijin A Section
White:  Kobayashi Koichi 9P
Black:  Michael Redmond 9P
Commentary:  Michael Redmond

I have Black in this Meijin A-League game against the legendary Kobayashi Koichi 9P.  I am surprised at my own unwillingness to play the moves that I am seeing in the self-played AlphaGo games.  I believe that my intense study of Alphago has sharpened my reading skills and improved my positional judgement in the middle game.]
MU[1];
B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[co];W[oq]
C[This board position came up in the AlphaGo self-played series, but I chose a different move.  See the variation to Black's next move.]
(;
B[lp]
(;
W[qj]
C[See the variation.];
B[pq];W[qg];B[cf];W[fc];B[nc]
C[Playing once at the upper left (marked) before playing here in the top right, I am expecting White to attack on the left side.]
TR[cf]
(;
W[fp]
C[This move is a shape that AlphaGo has been playing in the self-played games.];
B[ck];W[op];B[qn];W[jq]
C[In this opening I have not tried to imitate AlphaGo's style, as I don't feel that I fully understand some of it's moves.]
(;
B[bd]
C[When Black plays here, White does not need to answer immediately in the corner, and that leaves some uncertainty as to how the left side will turn out.  Both AlphaGo and DeepZen seem to dislike this move.

Maybe I am a bit stubborn in the upper left corner, where I choose this human move in a case where I actually agree with the move that AlphaGo has been playing.  See the variation.];
W[ic]
(;
B[pi]
C[An attempt to surround the upper right corner efficiently.  See the variation.]
(;
W[rh]
C[White's move takes a local loss, but prevents me from protecting the corner with good shape.];
B[lr]
C[After White's move the value of a move in the upper right corner decreases, so I switch to the lower side.];
W[pm]
C[This move looks loose, but White has a plan for when Black attacks.]
(;
B[qm]
C[Black crawls once to make the attachment effective.  See the variations.]
(;
W[po]
(;
B[pn]
C[Black cannot afford to answer White's peep.  See the variation.];
W[on];B[om];W[qo];B[ro];W[pl];B[nn];W[oo];B[ql]
TR[rn]
C[Black's move protects against the marked cut, but White still has some aji in the corner.];
W[nm];B[ol];W[pk];B[nl];W[mq];B[kq]
C[This move gives me some extra potential on the left.  See the variation for White's next move.]
(;
W[mm];B[mn];W[lm];B[mk]
(;
W[mo]
C[Vulgar looking, but the only way out.  See the variation.];
B[ln];W[lo];B[kn];W[ko];B[km];W[rn];B[rp];W[qk];B[rm];W[rl];B[sn];W[jo];B[qe];W[rf]
C[The fight in the lower right ends with White taking side territory and Black getting a good position in the center.

Black being able to force with the previous move is a big bonus.  Also, the lower side has a good deal of aji, as the variation to Black's next move shows.]
(;
B[cq];W[cr];B[bq];W[dp];B[dn]
TR[cq]
C[The marked play is big in territory, and I am eyeing the invasion at A.  The left side and center are the next important areas, and I start by protecting the side with this game move.]
LB[hq:A];
W[dk]
C[The lower left area has become Black's territory, so this move is a good opportunity for White to try to force from above.]
(;
B[dj];W[cl];B[dl];W[ek];B[el];W[cj];B[bk]
(;
W[bj]
C[The variation shows that the ladder favors Black.];
B[bl];W[cg];B[dc];W[cc];B[cd];W[db];B[de];W[ec];B[dg];W[dh];B[ch];W[di];B[bg];W[fk]
C[White succeeds in erasing the left side, while I have the initiative to start an attack.];
B[hq];W[iq];B[fi];W[cm];B[bm];W[gi];B[ho]
TR[fi]
C[There is some reasoning behind my switching back and forth with the marked play and this game play.  I was a bit uneasy that White might find a way to counter-attack after this move, so I established a forcing move at A to help me in any fighting on the lower side.]
LB[fl:A];
W[hr];B[gh];W[gj];B[fh];W[im]
TR[ej]
C[The center and lower side are more important than the left side (marked point), so this move is a well-timed attack.];
B[gm];W[kk];B[jl];W[jj];B[ll]
(;
W[gl]
C[With this move White is trying to connect the center and lower side, and threaten Black's center group by cutting it off.  However, this move gives White no territorial gain, and I doubt it's value.  See the variation.];
B[hl];W[il];B[hm];W[ik];B[mi]
C[Black settles the center group.  And this move is actually fairly valuable, by reducing White's potential in this area.];
W[fj];B[hk];W[hj];B[ii];W[ij];B[kc]
C[In the sequence from the marked play (move 106), White gains no territory.  Black has played two large points, viz., this and the marked move.  Black has a slight advantage now.]
TR[mi][gl];
W[fm];B[fn];W[gn]
C[The tesuji to cut Black.]
(;
B[fo];W[em];B[dm]
C[Black is willing to sacrifice four stones to the right.]
(;
W[hp];B[go];W[nj];B[mj];W[oh];B[re];W[mc];B[mb];W[nd];B[oc];W[mg];B[ki];W[in];B[pr];W[or];B[os];W[ns];B[ps];W[mr];B[hn];W[hh];B[nh];W[ng];B[oi];W[ni];B[mh];W[oj];B[og];W[ph];B[lg];W[of];B[gp];W[gq];B[br]
C[With the sequence from the marked play (move 145) I lost some points but gained sente and simplified the game by settling Black's center group.  Black has taken the big points on the sides with this move and A, so I can afford to give some points back in the center.]
TR[nh]
LB[re:A];
W[se];B[sd];W[sf];B[rc];W[ji];B[jh];W[jg];B[kh];W[ff];B[hg];W[gg];B[ih];W[hi];B[eg];W[fg]
C[This forcing move enables White to capture the single stone.];
B[eh];W[ig];B[hf];W[he]
C[The tesuji to capture 2 stones.]
(;
B[ib]
C[See the variation.];
W[hc];B[jc];W[md];B[lc];W[bc];B[hb]
C[Threatens the escape of the 2 center stones.]
(;
W[ad]
C[See the variation.];
B[ae];W[fl];B[do];W[ac];B[bi]
(;
W[dr]
C[Now Black can save the 2 center stones, but see the variation.];
B[if];W[jf];B[ie];W[je];B[id];W[jd];B[hd];W[gc];B[fe];W[ge];B[ef]
C[White resigns.]
)
    (;
    W[if];B[gb];W[dr];B[aj];W[ej];B[ce];W[rk];B[fb];W[ee];B[ef];W[gf];B[gc];W[gd];B[id];W[hd];B[mf];W[nf];B[me];W[ne];B[pf];W[pg];B[ep];W[fq];B[cs]
    C[Black is winning by about 12 or 13 points before komi, so actually I have a comfortable lead.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[dr];B[if];W[jf];B[ie];W[je];B[id];W[jd];B[hd];W[gc];B[fe];W[ge];B[ef]
    C[Black wins.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[if];W[jf];B[ie];W[je];B[id];W[jd];B[hd];W[ge]
    C[Black dies.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[hn];B[go];W[gk];B[do];W[gq]
    C[White's gain here is less than 10 pts, and ...];
    B[pg]
    C[... Black has sente to play this large move.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[go];W[en];B[fl];W[dm]
    C[White wins.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[fj]
    C[Instead, White should now return to the left side.];
    B[il];W[hh];B[hg];W[ig];B[hf];W[ih];B[kc];W[mi]
    C[A close game.  White's final move here gives White some potential for territory in the center, and puts some pressure on Black's group.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[ci];B[di];W[dh];B[fk];W[ej];B[ei];W[fj];B[eh];W[gj];B[ch]
    C[White collapses.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[cj];W[dl];B[cl];W[dm];B[cm];W[en]
    C[The whole left side will probably become Black's territory, but is low and not big.  White should be happy with this wall on the outside.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[jr];W[iq];B[ir];W[hr];B[mr];W[nr];B[mp];W[no];B[ks];W[ll]
    LB[no:A]
    C[Black can live on the side, but White's move at A sets up to escape in the center.  So Black cannot play this sequence yet.  But White must be careful when playing toward the center.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[qq]
    C[This tesuji in the corner will not succeed.];
    B[qr];W[rq];B[rp];W[pr];B[pp];W[rr];B[or];W[qs];B[qk];W[pj];B[rj];W[qi];B[nr];W[mp];B[ln];W[mr];B[jr];W[nq];B[km]
    C[White grabs the corner territory, but loses too much elsewhere.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[jp]
    C[White has no time to answer here.];
    B[jr];W[ir];B[ln];W[qq];B[qr];W[rq];B[rp];W[pr];B[pp];W[rr];B[or];W[qs];B[nr]
    LB[qq:A]
    C[Black wins.  White A is the tesuji in the corner, but doesn't work in this case.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[qo];W[pl]
    C[Now White has good shape.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[pl];B[oo]
    (;
    W[no];B[on]
    C[Black did not sacrifice anything to split White with good shape, so this result is good for Black.]
    )
        (;
        W[po];B[pn];W[pp];B[qq];W[on];B[no]
        TR[pl][qm]
        C[The marked exchange makes this result good for Black.]
        )
    )
)
    (;
    B[oo];W[po];B[pn];W[pp];B[qo];W[qq];B[rq];W[pr];B[rr];W[no];B[on];W[mq];B[lq];W[nn]
    C[White takes a chunk out of Black's corner territory, and can still fight strongly on the lower side.]
    )
    (;
    B[pn];W[on];B[om];W[nn];B[pl];W[nm];B[ol];W[kq];B[lq];W[ko]
    LB[pm:A]
    C[White sacrifices the stone at A for a very strong attack on the lower side.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[qi];B[qf];W[rf];B[re]
    TR[pi][qi]
    C[With the marked exchange, Black can play this hane to surround the corner.]
    (;
    W[pf];B[qe]
    C[Now the corner is safe, and White has a weak shape with 2 cutting points.  This result is good for Black.]
    )
        (;
        W[qe];B[pf];W[rd];B[rg];W[se];B[qh];W[pe];B[pg];W[od];B[oc];W[pc];B[pb];W[qd];B[pj]
        C[The corner and the upper side are miai, and Black has a good position on the right side.]
        )
    )
)
    (;
    B[qe]
    C[The simple move for Black is to protect the upper right corner.];
    W[om]
    LB[qc:A]
    C[When Black plays the kosumi in the upper right, White can play away.  Black still has some bad aji at A, and I was not satisfied with this result.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[cd]
    C[I believe AlphaGo would play this attachment.  Compared to the game, this move has a more immediate impact on White's stones and forces White to choose how to settle the shape.];
    W[cc];B[bc]
    LB[ce:A][dc:B]
    C[Common choices for White's next move would be A or B.  In either case the position on the left side would be simplified in the following sequence.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[ck];B[ep];W[eq];B[fp];W[gq];B[ci]
    LB[ck:A]
    C[When White plays a pincer at A, Black can press on the lower left corner to create a strong group, and then attack on the left side.]
    )
    (;
    W[ce];B[ck];W[df];B[fq]
    LB[ce:A]
    C[When White plays A in an attempt to make Black heavy, Black can play away to fight strongly in the lower left corner.]
    )
)
    (;
    W[ck]
    C[As White, AlphaGo played this pincer against Ke Jie in game 19 of the Master series.]
    )
)
    (;
    B[pq]
    C[AlphaGo's move.];
    W[op];B[pn];W[lp];B[ep];W[eq];B[fp];W[gq];B[cc]
    C[This sequence comes from the 2017 AlphaGo self-played series, game 20.  I remembered this, but did not want to imitate when I did not understand the moves sufficiently.

Something similar to Black's play on the lower side showed up in the Master series also, in game 17 against Lian Xiao 7P, and I made a video commentary that can be found at the AGA Youtube channel.]
    )
)

