(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2] RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[5.50] PW[Kataoka Satoshi ]PB[Nie Weiping ]WR[8p]BR[9p]EV[2nd China-Japan win and continue tournament]RO[13]C[Liu XiaoGuang 9p Translated by Daniel Hu 4d In 2nd China-Japan Supergo, Ma Xiaochun came up and beat Kobayashi Satoru but immediately after was unfortunate to lose to Kataoka Satoshi, who used his endgame power got Ma Xiaochun to make mistakes, and won by 1.5. This situation was very hard to bear for our team, as we were only left with Nie Weiping, one player to block 5 strong Japanese players. Though it seems like a top player against a middle player, the situation was very tense. If he lost this game, then Japan would win 9-4. And then Japan could say things about China's win in the 1st Supergo, maybe dispute it or that sort. So this game put a lot of pressure on Nie Weiping. Kataoka Satoshi also wanted to win honour, so this was very tense. Let's see the tenseness in this game.]RE[B+Resign] ;B[pd]C[star point, Nie more often played the 3-4 before. This time he has preparation.] ;W[dp] ;B[pq] ;W[dd] ;B[fq] ;W[cn] ;B[dr]C[this fuseki, Nie prepared a lot beforehand] ;W[po]C[get white to approach.] ;B[pl]C[This two space pincer was what Nie wanted. He had focused research in this and had a high winning percentage.] (;W[mo]C[he avoided that variation and played here. I think this makes sense.] ;B[nq] ;W[lp] ;B[hp]C[This move shows a good global sense. If W plays round here, W connects up and gets solid. When B gets this, B can aim to attack W.] ;W[pi] ;B[nl]C[This aims to attack the white group the group below] ;W[op] ;B[oq] ;W[qf]C[but W gets this good point.] ;B[qe] ;W[pf] (;B[nd]C[This has less control of territory] ;W[fc]C[W plays fast, W settles all over the board.] (;B[ci]C[From a modern perspective this is a bit slow.] ;W[ck]C[now to modern eyes, C11 looks a bit soft, letting W get C9. It feels a bit illogical, letting such a thin group get a two space. Otherwise you could have attacked W. Now as W is solid here, naturally W's group at M4 becomes more solid too. at this point it's difficult for B. so we see C11 is a bit illogical, or he has been influenced by the tense atmosphere. This game was so important to them. Along with Kataoka 13 Japanese players came to Beijing. I think the anxiety of the players was no less than international tournament. I think C11 was a bit hasty.] (;B[rf]C[so he plays here] ;W[rg] ;B[re]C[But this feels so early. Especially after playing a move already on the left. White perhaps didn't realise. I think B was scared of 3-3. At this point, maybe Kataoka was unconscious.] (;W[kn]C[This was a bit slow. Only Kataoka's style would play here, he got scared.] ;B[nj] ;W[ng] ;B[bd]C[at this point, B got to grab this point. So B both protected against the 3-3 invasion and got this point. B should have gained from this. And managed to get out of the previous awkward situation.] (;W[cg]C[From the result this was not good] ;B[cc] ;W[dc] ;B[bf] ;W[cd]C[this was played just before the lunch break.] ;B[cb]C[After lunch black immediately played here. Of course you play here. Which ever side W tries to sacrifice feels like a loss, so white simply blocks] (;W[bg] ;B[be] ;W[df]C[though you cut off C11, you lost a big corner in sente.] (;B[kd]C[most importantly, B gets this good point. The game has totally changed. Initially C11 was misplaced, but after two or three exchanges, B got the top right corner, top left corner and got this good point. B's fuseki has gone well. B is not behind. It is easier to play black.] ;W[kk]C[obviously W needs to play this good point. Attacking B and building the centre.] (;B[mi]C[keeping to convention he plays here Nie just wants to make life here] ;W[ok] ;B[ol] ;W[lg] (;B[pj] ;W[oi] ;B[oj]C[this just lives. there is an iron eye and B just simply pokes at P6 or hanes at R11 for the other one playing so solidly, this must be totally alive] ;W[kh]C[W comes round and seals you in. Now W's centre is scary. But importantly, B has sente to play the good point.] ;B[mf] ;W[mg] ;B[dm] ;W[cm] ;B[hm]C[this is so big reducing the centre. It is very tiring to keep trying to seal the centre. It is also open at the top. ] (;W[oc]C[At this point Kataoka realised making the centre was hopeless. Perhaps he felt the game was not good for him. He played very tough here. B's biggest fear is losing his fundamental territory. B is not scared of you building the centre, and B naturally plays J17 to reduce and strengthen his area. So W enters and messes around your area.] (;B[od]C[the inside is a bit tricky. B just simply connects] ;W[nc]C[W directly wounding black.] (;B[lb]C[but B directly played here! As soon as he played here, everyone's was already so tense, but their feelings rose up to their throats. This move can be said very risky or dangerous, or very tough. This is not playing like the normal even variations. This is saying to kill white. But it is really very difficult to kill.] (;W[lc]C[This is asking to live even better. He was looking for higher standards of efficiency. I think when Nie played M18, he feared the game was not good, an how the simple variation left him with too little territory.] (;B[mb]C[But B realised that letting W get this point wasn't good.] (;W[kc] ;B[mc] ;W[ld]C[W cuts off a stone] ;B[kb]C[due to the N16 cutting point, B must crawl here.] ;W[jc]C[W gets the outside, B gets the territory. This looks like W cut you off from the centre. But the key thing now is that B has sente to play the good point.] ;B[dk]C[whatever you say about the top right, W's two stones have been lost inside. Despite you cutting off a stone, building up the centre, from territory, B didn't lose out.] ;W[dj] ;B[ek] ;W[cj]C[B has sente to reduce the centre. B is dominating this game. All the spectators thought B was doing well if he was calm for a moment and spent a move reducing the centre, but just at this moment, B played an unexpected move.] (;B[jb]C[This game was very important. If Nie lost, this competition would be finished. This game was very tense. He thought this was sente. This is a bit too much.] ;W[hk]C[once W got this key point, this move was too big. This is the key area of the game. If in a normal state, I'm sure he wouldn't miss this. Now it is a bit hard for B to find a move.] ;B[qi]C[B just played here. Making himself more solid, aiming for the centre later.] ;W[qh] ;B[ri]C[At this point Kataoka spent a long time thinking] (;W[gm]C[white thought capturing these was enough. He thought he was in a good position. But just because of this capture, this capture is awkward shape [I guess he planned to say therefore W got into a bad position\]] ;B[gn] ;W[fm] ;B[hl] ;W[gk] ;B[fn]C[painful] ;W[em]C[W's capture isn't very big.] ;B[ic]C[and B gets sente for this, to take great steps into the centre.] ;W[id] ;B[jd] (;W[ke] ;B[hd] ;W[ie] ;B[gc] ;W[he] ;B[ge] ;W[db] ;B[bb] ;W[gf]C[B came in a lot. W surrounded a lot. But the problem is the weaknesses in the centre.] ;B[gl] ;W[fl] (;B[jm]C[but like this B aims to pierce the centre. It is either a sense of attack or a feeling that B doesn't have enough territory if at K4] ;W[jq]C[but W gets this, both points and eyespace] ;B[iq] ;W[jp] ;B[np] ;W[on] ;B[no] ;W[nn] ;B[qn]C[very crude] ;W[qo] ;B[pn] ;W[oo] ;B[rq]C[ playing here perhaps playing here directly is better. This sequence is just about breaking W eyespace. It's not good for territory. If B wanted territory attaching at R5 is better] ;W[rn] ;B[rm] (;W[lr]C[W plays here. This is not a vital point A very ugly move. B's ability to dissolve his danger this game has in large part to do with this move.] ;B[mr]C[B's corner is much more stable, but W's eyespace hasn't much improved.] ;W[mm] ;B[ji]C[critically B gets to pierce through here. Because of this, B has an opportunity to reverse the game.] ;W[ij]C[You can only play here] ;B[ki] ;W[cq]C[The biggest move.] ;B[ii]C[continuing to loot these point.] (;W[gi]C[W loses his calmness] ;B[hi]C[at this point, it is hard for W to play now. letting B get this key point. Our spectators relaxed a bit.] (;W[en] ;B[gh] ;W[fi] ;B[cr]C[this concerns the life and death of B's group] ;W[rp] ;B[sn]C[this is necessary to protect the clamp.] ;W[so] ;B[ro] ;W[fo] ;B[hn] ;W[rn] ;B[sm] ;W[sq] ;B[rr] ;W[rh]C[W still tries to profit here - if you don't play here, B here is worth a lot. And now W aims at S9] ;B[ro] ;W[mq] ;B[ns] ;W[fd]C[W grabs this endgame.] ;B[ik]C[but Nie plays well] ;W[il] ;B[jk] ;W[jl] ;B[jj] ;W[km] ;B[fh]C[B cuts off W and again pushes deeper into W's area. B has to protect against F9 or G10 to kill] ;W[gj]C[B's profit is big] ;B[md]C[a bit of a probe] ;W[le] ;B[hg] ;W[br]C[endgame] ;B[bs] ;W[bq] ;B[jr] ;W[kr] ;B[ir]C[both points and threatening the eyespace for W] ;W[rn] ;B[mp] (;W[lq] ;B[ro] ;W[eq] ;B[er] ;W[fp] ;B[gp] ;W[rn] ;B[sg]C[protecting against S9 in sente.] ;W[sh] ;B[si]C[sente as Q12 is atari] ;W[sf] ;B[dh]C[B comes in again in sente. It's so big.] ;W[bi] ;B[ro] ;W[fr] ;B[gq] ;W[hb] ;B[hc] ;W[gb] ;B[ib] ;W[mk]C[threatening the M11 wedge.] ;B[ml] ;W[lk] ;B[jf]C[B plays more and more vigourously.] ;W[je] ;B[lh]C[very good sequence. From K11 piercing through. B pushed W all the way back to B11. B's territory is still B. You kept building, but it turned out so small. Originally such big potential. But when B was attacking W, B's territory control wasn't ideal, but W's M2 was very bad.] ;W[mh] ;B[li] (;W[jg] ;B[ni]C[painful] ;W[oh] ;B[sp] ;W[nk] ;B[pk]C[W had previously exchanged this. under normal play B has the advantage. but now W finds a bad ko threat.] ;W[qj] ;B[rj]C[now the ko is much smaller as B wouldn't be totally alive if W won the ko. W's move is due to time trouble. Now B is totally alive. The more the game goes on, the more relaxed B is.] ;W[so] ;B[ll] ;W[kl] ;B[sp] ;W[rk] ;B[qk] ;W[so] ;B[jn]C[sente] (;W[im] ;B[in] ;W[jo] ;B[sp] ;W[rc]C[W should have played this before the R10 ko threat. Now B claims the 2 points this threat sacrifices, not worrying about leaving extra ko threats. Since R10 made the ko smaller.] ;B[rd] ;W[so] ;B[lm] ;W[ln] ;B[sp] ;W[pc] (;B[nb] ;W[so] ;B[ko] ;W[kp] ;B[sp] ;W[ob] (;B[rb] (;W[so] ;B[nm] ;W[mn] ;B[sp] ;W[qc] ;B[sc] ;W[so] ;B[ei] ;W[ej] ;B[sp] ;W[sb] ;B[sa] ;W[so] ;B[fk] ;W[fj] ;B[sp] ;W[qb] ;B[pa]C[necessary to avoid having to fill in liberties] ;W[so] ;B[if] ;W[kf] ;B[sp] (;W[pe]C[but he played he, perhaps because of time trouble and lost focus.] ;B[qd] ;W[so] ;B[nf] ;W[of] ;B[sp] ;W[qa] ;B[oa]C[B+R B didn't even have to fill liberties. Nie finally won this game, and stopped Japan's plan of finishing the competition here.]) (;W[qa]C[W should have played this threat. Perhaps the game would still continue] ;B[sd])) (;W[sc] ;B[qc] ;W[qb] ;B[qd] ;W[ra] ;B[sb] ;W[sa] ;B[oa] (;W[pb] ;B[rb] ;W[sb] ;B[pa]C[this way W's liberties are very low. This sort of place, they can't have miscalculated.]) (;W[sb]C[[he seems to have missed this\]]))) (;B[sc]C[if here, B may still have to fill liberties.])) (;B[qp] ;W[sb]C[there are problems here])) (;W[rn] ;B[lo] ;W[mn] ;B[ko] ;W[jo] ;B[kp]C[dead])) (;W[ni]C[W doesn't even dare to play here] ;B[kg]C[B can live])) (;W[rk]C[you can fight this as W won't be alive] (;B[ro]) (;B[lq] ;W[qm] ;B[pm] ;W[ql] ;B[ro]))) (;W[gh] ;B[fk] ;W[en] ;B[gj]C[W is not alive with the big group on the bottom right.])) (;W[hi]C[much better] ;B[hh] (;W[gi]C[later W can cut at J12 this position is still close.]) (;W[ih]C[Impossible with the F9 cut aji]))) (;W[mr]C[if you really want to play locally here is the vital point]) (;W[kr]C[or even here is better. if you don't protect, ] ;B[] ;W[mr] ;B[nr] ;W[rp]C[this is awkward] ;B[qr] ;W[rl])) (;B[jp]C[a bit more calmly aiming at the thinness of W's position can also be considered I think if B had confidence in the position he can play here.] ;W[jm]C[maybe W will protect] ;B[do] (;W[eo] ;B[cp] ;W[co] ;B[dq] ;W[dn] ;B[bp]C[take the corner like this B leads on territory]) (;W[co] ;B[dn]))) (;W[hc] ;B[le]C[perhaps he was scared of this] ;W[ib] ;B[md] ;W[ic] ;B[kf])) (;W[ic]C[if he just calmly played here, W's position is quite good. The centre is so big.] (;B[ej]C[B can't enter]) (;B[fm]C[B can only protect] ;W[fj])) (;W[go]C[looking at it now, more aggressively capturing might be good, but it is very complicated.] ;B[ho] ;W[gm])) (;B[hj]C[the key area. This would be the best play. B has a lot of territory, and all white's moves to build the centre are not doing much.] ;W[jb]C[W isn't going to play here] ;B[hh])) (;W[mc]C[the meaning is W is dead here] ;B[kc]C[because of N14 poke, W can't escape.])) (;B[kc]C[if here B's outside is weaker.] ;W[mb] ;B[ld] ;W[mc] ;B[kb] ;W[qb] ;B[rc] ;W[rb] ;B[sb] ;W[na]C[this is W's dream. It is very good for W. B has cutting points now at N15.])) (;W[mb] ;B[lc] ;W[qb] (;B[rc] ;W[mc] ;B[md] ;W[na]C[seki] ;B[ob] ;W[rb] ;B[sb] ;W[ra] ;B[pb] ;W[pc] ;B[pa] ;W[qc] ;B[qd] ;W[oa]) (;B[mc] ;W[rc]))) (;B[mc]C[if just here] ;W[mb] (;B[lc] ;W[qb] ;B[rc] ;W[lb] ;B[kb] ;W[rb] ;B[la] ;W[na]C[W lives, and B's outside is weak, this is miserable. Your big camp has been wholly looted.] ;B[] ;W[jc] ;B[kc] ;W[le]) (;B[pb]C[I remember it was Fujisawa Shuko who said B can only play like this. Take you territory first] ;W[lc] ;B[md] ;W[kc] ;B[jd]C[let you push along to connect] ;W[ib]C[he thought this was even]))) (;B[nc]C[if you block] ;W[nb] ;B[mb] ;W[od] ;B[oe] ;W[ob]C[perhaps when W connects, B is in trouble. Yeah it's very hard to kill now.] (;B[pe] (;W[mc]C[white can still play S17]) (;W[rc])) (;B[pc] ;W[mc]))) (;W[gk] ;B[ic]C[trying the centre is not a way to win. B not only reduces it small on both sides, but makes points himself.])) (;B[ki]C[this shape is not good] ;W[lj] ;B[li] ;W[nk] ;B[mk] ;W[mj]C[this is messy])) (;B[lj]C[my current feeling is that maybe it should be here] ;W[kj] ;B[lh])) (;B[kc]C[My current feeling is that this is more stable and may be better.])) (;W[bc] ;B[bb] ;W[be] ;B[ac] ;W[ce]) (;W[be] ;B[ce] ;W[bc] ;B[ae] ;W[bb] ;B[de])) (;W[cd]C[this would be normal] ;B[be] ;W[bc] ;B[cf] ;W[lc])) (;W[cf]C[If it was a different player, not Kataoka's style, they would all player here. This is a very big move, making C11 look ugly and heavy. Just grabbing the big point first. Unless you can severely attack on the right. And I don't think you can kill, so it is just a matter of how much profit you can make.]) (;W[qp]C[if you are scared, at least play here] ;B[qq] ;W[rq] ;B[rr] ;W[ro] ;B[sq] ;W[cf])) (;B[bd]C[normally you would play here] ;W[cd] ;B[be] ;W[bc] ;B[cf] ;W[qc]C[but this is so painful. You have a lot of responses, but no direction to play.] (;B[pc]C[obviously you can't play here] ;W[re]) (;B[re]C[but if here] ;W[oc] ;B[od] ;W[nc]C[W lives a big corner. if you can't attack W's three stones below well, you can easily have a territory problem]))) (;B[cl]C[these days you would feel to play here. Normally to force here.] ;W[cq] ;B[cf]C[and aim to attack W with C2])) (;B[nc]C[you would expect this more nowadays for a better control of territory])) (;W[mp] ;B[oo]C[this is his speciality and his favourite.] ;W[on] ;B[no] ;W[pp] ;B[nq]))