(;GM[1]FF[4]SZ[19]AP[SmartGo:3.0.1]CA[shift_jis]
GN[2017.09.10_Redmond_Kyo_annotated]
PW[Michael Redmond ]WR[9P]
PB[Kyo Kagen]BR[4P]
AN[Michael Redmond 9P]
C[Redmond Reviews: Commentary by Michael Redmond 9P
Edited by Chris Garlock and Myron Souris
 
This game features a move influenced by my study of the AlphaGo games, as well as a losing move in which I pull out stones that I had previously decided to sacrifice. What was I thinking?

The game was played on August 31, and it was the final of the Meijin A section. My opponent was Kyo Kagen, Chinese name Hsu Chia Yuan. I have the White stones. Kyo was a 4P at the time, but the following week he was promoted to 7P for entering the S league of the Kisei tournament. S is the final 6-player round-robin that decides the challenger for the title. ]
MU[1];B[cp];W[qd];B[cc]
C[Playing a 3-3 point as the first move to a corner has become widely popular after the AlphaGo 50 game self-played series was disclosed. This is an interesting developement, as the only AlphaGo games in which it plays this move are a game against Ke Jie in the Wuchen match, and the Pair Go game also at the Wuchen event (maybe played by the human partner). What I think happened is that we were seeing AlphaGo play invasions at the 3-3 point when the opponent had a stone at the star point, and many people decided that if the 3-3 point is so good, why not play it as the first move to a corner?  ]
;W[pq];B[oc];W[eq];B[po]
C[At this time the right side of the board seems to be more important than the left, so my choice was whether to play in the LR or UR corner (see var). ]
(;W[pc]
C[As a local move at least, White 8 comes directly from my study of the 50 game series, plus a few games from the Master series, so I might say I am playing the AlphaGo moves now. ]
;B[od];W[qf]
C[White makes miai of the upper side and the LR corner (see var). ]
(;B[qq];W[jc];B[lc]TR[oc:od]
C[From the marked 2-stone wall, Black could not make a 3-space extension. White can be satisfied with this result. ]
;W[fd];B[df];W[qr];B[qp];W[or];B[pl]TR[qh]
C[Because White's group in the UR corner is solid, the right side is not greatly valuable, but Black must play an extension to avoid being attacked with a pincer. Black plays high with 19, creating a follow-up move at the marked point. Black is also looking to attack on the lower side (see var). ]
(;W[oo]TR[np]
C[With 20, I play more forcefully than the marked joseki move, hoping to gain a tempo. Since Black's extension on the right side is tight, White can afford to make it a bit stronger. ]
;B[on];W[pp];B[pn]TR[pl]
C[With the exchange to 23, I have strengthened my corner group with sente. Black has created a strong shape, but the value of Black's thickness is reduced by the fact that the marked stone is too close. Now the focus switches to the left side (see var). ]
(;W[ec]LB[hc:A][ce:B]
C[As the game develops, I am taking a lead in territory, and Black has thickness that gives him potential to fight strongly in the center. If Black gets to invade at A, he will be able to use his thickness to attack my group on the upper side. With 24 I forestall the invasion at A. White 24 also threatens to scoop out Black's territory with White B. ]
;B[di]TR[ec]
C[Black 25 answers the marked move indirectly. Black's UL corner is still a bit thin, but it will not completely fall apart. In this position Black 25 is a good move because it emphasises the left side, giving Black a strong position to prepare for the coming fight in the LL corner. ]
;W[do]LB[cb:A][qi:B]
C[White A will scoop out the UL corner territory. If White plays B, Black's right side territory will be open underneath. In other words, Black's territories have weak undersides, and White has potential to take a lead in territory.]
;B[dp];W[ep];B[eo]TR[di]
C[Black pushes through to cut, starting a fight. White has relatively low positions, while Black has relatively high and strong positions, giving him an advantage in a fight in the center. The marked stone (B25) was played to protect the UL corner, but had the  extra value of being close enough to make this fight feasible for Black. ]
;W[dn];B[fo];W[bo];B[bp];W[hq];B[co];W[cn];B[bn];W[bm];B[ao];W[dj]TR[cn:dn][do]
C[White seems to be gaining in territory as I get some on the lower side, and Black's left side is disappearing. Black's corner is alive. so the marked cutting stones are relatively light. White must avoid an intense fight, and is willing to make any kind of trade on the left side. So, I am in sabaki mode with the attachment at 40. ]
;B[ci];W[ej];B[hp];W[iq];B[no];W[qi];B[nq];W[rq];B[rp];W[sq];B[ph];W[pi]
TR[qh]
C[Locally it was safer to defend at the marked point with White 52. ];B[dl]
C[As my previous comments should show, my feeling for this game was that I had a slight lead in territory, and that I must avoid a fight in the center. When Black attacks at 53, this is a crucial point in the game where my intuitive grasp of the situation should have helped me to make the right decision (see var). ]
(;W[em]TR[cn:dn][do]
C[What was I thinking? All of my play in the lower left was based on the assumption that I should be ready to sacrifice the marked stones, and yet here I am pulling them out. The direction of play is bad, with a powerful Black wall waiting in the lower right. This was the losing move. ]
;B[el];W[fm];B[fl];W[gm];B[cm]
(;W[gl];B[gk];W[hk];B[hj];W[gj];B[fk];W[ij];B[hi];W[il];B[gq];W[gr];B[gp]
;W[fr];B[ip];W[jp];B[jo];W[kp];B[ko];W[in];B[jm];W[im];B[io]
C[With a weak group in the center, it will be difficult for White to gain any territory after this, and White's territories have become thin. ]
;W[fg]TR[dj:ej][gj]
C[White 82 strengthens the upper side territory and reaches out to the marked stones.  ]
;B[ih];W[ii];B[hh];W[dg];B[cg];W[ef];B[de];W[ei]
C[White 90 is big in territory, and gives me some potential to attack the Black stones in the center. ]
;B[kh];W[kj];B[jk];W[ik];B[jq]
C[This cut is troublesome (see 2 vars)]
(;W[cr]
C[White dodges away, sliding into the corner. ];B[jr];W[bq]TR[bn][ao][co:cp][bp][dp]
C[Black takes profit on the side while White takes the corner. The marked Black group is in danger now (see var). ]
(;B[cj];W[je]
C[With 100 White is trying to put pressure on the Black groups in this area. ]
;B[nh];W[og];B[oh];W[qh];B[id]
C[Black 105 was a sharp move, threatening to make trouble on the upper side (see var). ]
(;W[ic];B[he]TR[hc][jd]
C[Black threatens the two marked points. ];W[hf]
C[With 108 White challenges Black to a final fight. ];B[if];W[hg];B[jd];W[kd]
;B[kc];W[ig];B[jg];W[jf];B[ke];W[kf];B[ld];W[mf];B[hc];W[hb];B[li];W[bl]
;B[bk];W[fj];B[cl];W[mk];B[pg];W[pf];B[nf];W[ie];B[of];W[gc]TR[em]
C[The fight in the center has come to a peaceful end. After White 54 (marked) White has gained almost nothing, while Black has made some territory on the left and lower sides. As the endgame starts, Black has a solid lead. ]
;B[qg];W[rg];B[rf];W[re];B[hd];W[cb];B[bb];W[dc];B[cd];W[kb];B[lb];W[jb]
;B[qk];W[rj];B[dh];W[mg];B[ng];W[nj];B[ni];W[km];B[eg]
C[White resigns. ])
(;W[jd];B[gf];W[ee];B[gd]TR[id]
C[Black's marked stone gets in the way and this is troublesome for White. ]
))
(;B[kk];W[bl];B[ck];W[bk];B[cj];W[aq];B[ap];W[am];B[bj];W[an]
C[This is a step ko favoring White. ]))
(;W[kq];B[jr];W[ir];B[is];W[hr];B[kr];W[lr];B[lq];W[lp];B[mp];W[lo];B[ln]
;W[mq];B[mo]
C[Black captures the White stones. ])
(;W[lq];B[jr];W[ir];B[is];W[hr];B[nr];W[kr];B[ms];W[ls];B[lp];W[kq];B[rs]
;W[rr];B[ss];W[os];B[oq];W[pr];B[qs]
C[The bent 4 in the corner kills White's group. ]))
(;W[in];B[gq];W[gr];B[jo];W[io];B[gl];W[hm];B[ff]
C[White's territory still has bad aji, and the left side Black moyo is big. Black is winning. ]
))
(;W[cj];B[cm];W[ei]
C[White should simply cover on the side and curl around with 3. White has a small lead in territory, while Black still has potential to use his thickness to catch up. To be honest, I would prefer to play with Black in this position, but after the game Kyo claimed that this would be a win for White. Maybe it's about even. ]
))
(;W[do];B[co];W[dn];B[cm];W[ec]
C[Maybe I should have started by pressing in the LL corner, and then protected at 5. Compared to the game. this would have made for a more peaceful game. ]
))
(;W[ec];B[nq];W[op];B[mp];W[oo];B[hq]
C[When White plays away from the LR corner, Black 2 is the vital point. White's group on the right is not yet settled, and Black can take the initiative on the lower side. ]
))
(;B[kd];W[qo]
C[When the ladder favors White, Black cannot play the nadare joseki (var added). ]
(;B[qn];W[qp];B[pn];W[op]TR[qf]
C[The marked White stone reduces the value of the right side, making Black's next move difficult. ]
)
(;B[pp];W[qp];B[oq];W[pn];B[qq];W[pr];B[rq];W[or];B[nq];W[nr];B[mq];W[qm]
;B[mr];W[rr]
C[When Black plays the nadare and the ladder favors White, White can crawl once with 10 and capture the corner with 12. This is good for White. ]
)))
(;W[qo];B[qn];W[qp];B[pn];W[nq];B[qg];W[pe];B[og]
C[When White plays the joseki in the LR corner, the pincer at 6 and jumping at 8 has become the most popular move for Black, and this is the sequence I chose to avoid with my game move. ]
))

