(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[0.00]
PW[Yin Hang 4p]PB[Luo Xihe 9p]EV[23rd Tianyuan main tournament]C[Wu xinyu 6p

Translated by Daniel Hu 4d

We all know how good it feels to win a game by killing a dragon. And in pro games this is often seen.

There are things we are particular about regarding dragon killing. It's just like, when you go sample tea, we are selective about the water, the tea type, the surroundings.

So pay attention to a few things.

Firstly the rules. Different competitions have different time controls from slow competitions at 3 hours each downwards. At different time controls, players will use different sorts of moves and the time will impact on the player's emotions. In fast games, the moves will not be so tight.

We can also pay attention to player's styles. Consider two of the top players in China. Gu Li and Kong Jie. Their styles are totally different, and how they go about killing a group will be different.

So when you watch a game, understanding these factors behind the go will help you appreciate the game better. So when you sample a game, you get more of a taste.

So let's look at this game

]
;B[]
;AW[dc][cd][ce][ee][df][ef][gf][bg][bh][ch][dh][eh][ci][di][gi][fj][hj][ek][gk][qk][cl][dl][el][fl][bm][em][en][qn][cp][dp][dq][fq][cr][dr]AB[fc][ic][oc][qd][de][bf][cf][ag][cg][ah][fh][gh][bi][ei][fi][ii][qi][bj][cj][dj][ej][dm][bn][cn][fn][co][eo][bp][qp][bq][cq][oq][br]C[Luo Xihe is a familiar name, but Yin Hang not so much.

He is China's first life and death problem creator. He is an unusual talent. His problems are very hard.

Given that he can create life and death problems, that means his calculation must be very strong.

At the moment, clearly the central B dragon is not alive, but if W rushes to cut. Though it is a ko, W doesn't have any good threats, and B has local threats. Also, if you lose the ko, your own group is not that strong]
(;W[hh]C[W doesn't dare to cut immediately. But we must notice that B's bottom left is not locally alive after A5. Obviously, killing now is not likely as it is hard to seal in B after D5, so let's see how Yin Hang deals with this situation])
(;W[id]C[the meaning of this is quite clear. Due to B's centre being unsettled, B cannot apply force here. Next, B played a move that's very hard to think of.

We say Luo Xihe's style is very different to most, and the way he thinks about where he plays is very different.]
(;B[jc]C[just a retreat would a normal way to play. But he probably thought W can continue getting moves here, and create ko threats]
;W[hc]
;B[hb]
;W[hh]
;B[hi]
;W[hg]
;B[gj]
;W[gb]
;B[gi]C[after all connecting the ko is still not valuable in terms of territory]
;W[do]
;B[bs]
;W[ib]C[so W can gain quite a bit in territory])
(;B[do]C[Luo Xihe played a strange move, but one that's quite easy to understand here.

I'll simply not respond at the top. I'll protect my problems on the bottom left, remove the ko threats here, and make the ko heavy for W.

Also, later B can powerfully attack the bottom W group with H3, forcing W to protect awkwardly.

So this move looks strange, but it is a strong counter move, with severe follow ups]
(;W[hh]C[now W can't lose this ko and hence can't fight this ko.]
;B[hi]
;W[hg]
;B[gj]
;W[jc]
;B[gi]C[W's centre group is now is serious danger especially as the bottom group is weak])
(;W[jc]C[given that W has attach, the hane is forced, to profit here.]
;B[hc]
;W[jd]
(;B[eb]C[B can probably live here but ]
;W[db]
;B[jb]
;W[kb]
;B[ia]C[since B has M18, this can live, but it's hard to bear.

Also, it is heavy and you make W solid, so W has a lot of severe ko threats to start the ko.]
;W[hh]
;B[hi]
;W[hg]
;B[gj]
;W[gb]C[W has endless ko threats here.])
(;B[hi]C[B says that even ignoring the forcing moves if W kills, since B is now solid and W's eyespace is reduced, B may counter attack severely on the lower side]
(;W[ib]
;B[hq]C[B may go from being in the defendant state to the prosecution.])
(;W[ij]C[of course, W understood B's intention and defends his group by attacking B]
(;B[ji]C[if B just answers]
;W[jj]
;B[ki]
;W[kj]
;B[li]
;W[ib]C[This is W's plan])
(;B[jj]C[but B plays tough. Both sides are unyielding, and this has does make sense. This fight is very important.]
(;W[jk]C[W doesn't want to respond]
;B[kk]C[B may keep unrelentingly pushing W back.])
(;W[ji]C[so both sides get into a tangle here]
;B[jh]
;W[ki]
;B[jk]C[next W can't think of fighting the ko any more as after B captures, W cannot bear the central stones being captured.]
(;W[iq]
;B[gj]
;W[lq]
;B[hk]
(;W[gi]
;B[ik]
;W[gj]
;B[gl]
;W[fk]
;B[gm])
(;W[hl]
;B[ik]))
(;W[gj]C[so W quickly exchanges the connection]
;B[hg]
;W[kh]C[Now the white group at J10 doesn't need to worry. Living will be painful, but B needs to worry about his own group first. Killing W is impossible.]
;B[he]C[B jumps, leaving a weakness on purpose]
(;W[hf]C[if you push through]
;B[if]
;W[ie]
;B[ge]
;W[ff]
;B[jf]C[W's stones are cut off in return and B's shape in the centre is protected.

This would be a very favourable turn around for B]
;W[ib]C[even if W can kill B here, if B can get strong on the outside, B can start attacking all W's weak groups]
;B[le]
;W[lc]
(;B[hq]
;W[gp]
;B[gm])
(;B[im])
(;B[mj]))
(;W[jg]C[make self solid]
;B[ge]
;W[ff]
;B[hf]C[This fight is very provocative. B had two weak groups that suddenly joined up. But though they joined up, They still don't have enough eyespace. In fact, W is preparing to kill.]
;W[ib]
;B[hb]
;W[jb]C[on the left B has no eye, so he needs to make life on the top. But clearly  the space is very small. But at the moment there is an uncertain factor, which is the white corner's life and death.]
;B[eb]
;W[db]
;B[ed]C[threatening the corner's eyespace.]
;W[dd]C[this is clearly the deciding fight of the game. If B lives, W doesn't only lose points, but all his groups will be weak.

If B dies, there's no much to say either.

So the game has turned into a life and death problem. Let's see how strong the talented life and death problem creator's calculation is.]
(;B[ec]C[this is B's strongest resistance]
;W[fe]
;B[ak]C[this is a good move to get a ko for an extra liberty.]
;W[bl]
;B[ai]
(;W[bk]C[when W fills B liberties, W will have to fight a ko at A10.]
;B[fd]
;W[ih]
;B[hh]
;W[hd]
;B[gd]
;W[gb]
;B[bc]
;W[ae]
;B[af]
;W[ad]
;B[ba]C[locally W is in trouble])
(;W[gb]C[however W has this good move! W can break this eye instead.]
(;B[gc]C[If connect, W breaks the eyes in sente]
;W[bb]C[B just needs to live, B can only make one eye]
;B[bk]
;W[ha])
(;B[ga]C[therefore B has to keep the eye but now]
;W[bk]
;B[fd]
;W[hd]
;B[gd]
;W[bb]C[B can't make the two eyes (without sacrificing J10). So B is in trouble here. But this is still the strongest resistance])))
(;B[gb]C[But in the game Luo Xihe's calculation wasn't very deep, and he played here]
(;W[fd]
;B[jf]
;W[kf]
;B[je]
;W[ke]
;B[ig]
;W[ih]
;B[ie]C[B can still make an eye here.]
;W[hh]
;B[gg])
(;W[ih]C[W captures to prevent B's emergency eye here]
(;B[ec]C[obviously B can live now, but losing the central 3 stones means B's moves at K9 and K10 are wasted]
;W[hh]
;B[gg]C[the outside is unbearable to look at. When W gets so solid, B's groups all become weak (R11, B2) and W's become strong. W will have complete control of the rest of the board])
(;B[hh]C[this definitely has to connect]
;W[fd]
;B[ec]
;W[gd]
;B[hd]
;W[fe]
(;B[ak]C[this is better. The liberties may be the same, but there is an extra ko for W to fight.])
(;B[bk]C[this was imprecise from Luo Xihe]
;W[bl]
;B[ai]
;W[ak]
;B[bc]C[this is the last hope for B. Note that compared to a previous variation W has an extra liberty at G17.

In a capture race, extra liberty matters.]
;W[ae]
;B[bb]
;W[cb]
;B[af]
;W[ad]
(;B[ba]C[this doesn't work]
;W[ab]C[W can win the capture race by 1 liberty]
(;B[ac]
;W[bd]
;B[dg]
;W[eg]
;B[gc]
;W[ca]
;B[fg]
;W[cc]
;B[gg]
;W[de]
;B[be]
;W[aa])
(;B[be]
;W[bd]
;B[da]
;W[ca]
;B[ea]
;W[ac]C[seki]))
(;B[ac]C[only move]
;W[ba]
;B[ca]
;W[da]
(;B[gc]
;W[aa]C[otherwise this is fake seki - seki in the corner, but B's dragon is dead.])
(;B[aa]C[B has to strain and throw in here himself.]
;W[dg]C[double ko threat, very precise]
;B[fg]
;W[ab]C[locally this is a 3 step ko favourable to W, so if W loses the ko, he can get 5 moves on the outside, for example]
;B[ea]C[B doesn't want to take the ko, and have to find a ko threat. But  now a very interesting shape occurs]
(;W[go]
;B[gc]
;W[fo]
;B[gg]
;W[de]
;B[be]
;W[bd]
;B[ea]
;W[ao]
;B[aa]
;W[pq]
;B[ca]
;W[pp]
;B[cc]
;W[qg]C[even if B wins the ko, B is far behind in this game])
(;W[aa]C[W played here. This is very strange reality. Locally W has become completely alive!

The final move is very interesting and funny.

At this point Luo Xihe resigned.

The young player Yin Hang showed his unique skill in life and death and calculation]
;B[ca]
;W[aa]
(;B[gc]
;W[ba]C[seki])
(;B[ba]
;W[bd]
;B[be]
;W[de]
;B[gc]
;W[cc]C[W wins by 1 liberty]
;B[gg]
;W[ab]))))))))))))))))))