(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[6.50]
GN[Monday Go Meditation - Game 41]PW[BenGoZen]PB[Black]WR[7k]BR[7k]DT[2013-12-17]CP[online-go.com]RE[W+Resign]
;B[pd]
;W[dd]C[As White, particularly with komi, always remember that a cross-fuseki is always to your advantage; so I encourage you to play in the horizontally opposing corner more often. =)]
;B[pq]C[Black is showing preference towards the bottom and hinting at a possible Chinese opening. So White's next move must keep all of that in mind.]
;W[dp]C[Since I've studied the Chinese Opening quite a bit, I knew that ninrensei (2 star formation) was a possible counter fuseki. I happen to like it best because it's the most flexible.]
;B[qk]C[As predicted, Black goes for the low Chinese Opening.]
;W[gq]C[Here I choose a move out of Lee Sedol's book. The large knight move serves as a corner enclosure while negating the power of the bottom. It's a little looser though, so when playing this move, do not be too attached to the corner and realize that there is more weakness since it is a two spaced jump.]
;B[cj]C[This move is bad for Black. The reason I say this is that it does nothing to work with the rest of Black's formation. Sure, Black splits the left side, but his Chinese Opening is now one move less efficient. The biggest area right now is the top.]
;W[nc]C[So naturally I approach Black's corner.]
;B[pf]C[This response is good in relation to the low Chinese since it is high while the R9 is low on the third line.]
;W[ch]C[The tenuki might surprise you, but realize that any move I would make at the top would be in gote. In addition, the O17 stone is a probing stone that still has many ways to be utilized. Finally, I did not want to give a Black in choosing what direction he would settle in.]
;B[cm]C[This two space extension seems normal for Black to establish a base, but...]
;W[co]TR[cj][cm]C[White gets an easy follow up to start securing the corner while continuing to put pressure on the marked Black group.]
;B[em]C[Black strengthens his group.]
;W[jd]C[I go ahead and build the top.]
;B[cc]C[Black's invasion here is probably well timed.]
;W[dc]C[I block on the wider side.]
;B[cd]
;W[ce]
;B[be]
;W[bf]C[I decide to double hane here because I have support with the C12 stone.]
;B[bd]C[This was a bit passive for Black and gives him poor shape.]
;W[df]C[Since White did not atari, I made shape. and sealed Black in.]
;B[db]
;W[eb]
;B[cb]
;W[fc]C[I finish off the sequence in good shape.]
;B[lp]C[Black tries to expand his Chinese opening, but it's a little late now and the bottom is already de-valued due to my G3 stone.]
;W[pj]LB[po:A]C[I decide on the shoulder hit. An invasion at A would have created a weak group and given Black an easy target.]
;B[qj]
;W[pi]
;B[qi]
;W[ph]C[Though it seems a little low, this was the best I could come up wih to keep my shape while building some thickness for possible territory in the center.]
;B[qg]LB[qh:A]C[Thought this diagonal keeps the groups connected, I think the extension at A would be more solid.]
;W[qh]C[I naturally push through to expose the shape's weakness.]
;B[rh]
;W[pk]C[The turn for Black at Q9 would be big, but I decided to extend to expand my influence in the center.]
;B[ql]
;W[ej]C[I decide to launch an attack on the marked Black group while hoping to build the center.]
;B[dk]
;W[ne]C[This one-point jump expands my top.]
;B[hh]C[Black sees what I'm going for and decides to invade.]
;W[hj]C[Fight where one is strongest! So I cut off the H12 stone so I could start putting my thickness and 4th line stones to use!]
;B[he]C[Black makes a light two point jump.]
;W[jh]C[I decide to take away any easy shape points for Black.]
;B[ee]
;W[de]C[Though it's bad hsape, I decide that it's best if I keep all my groups connected because I would like to maximize my ability to harrass the surrounded stones.]
;B[gi]C[Black threatens to escape.]
;W[gj]C[I naturally block.]
;B[ii]LB[hi:A]C[This is bad shape. I believe that if Black wanted to play here, he should have done so at the beginning. The reason I dislike this move in this situation is because there's a weakness at A.]
;W[jk]C[This is the proper response since it continues to force Black to run towards White's thickness.]
;B[ji]C[Black continues to try and break out.]
;W[kh]C[Extend for solid shape while keeping Black under pressure.]
;B[ki]
;W[lk]C[Cutting off Black's path to run.]
;B[jf]
;W[ig]C[Taking away the shape point.]
;B[lh]C[Nice hane by Black.]
;W[kg]C[Though an empty triangle, the only option if White wants to escape.]
;B[lg]
;W[kf]
;B[lj]C[Black tries to make eye shape.]
;W[mk]C[I extend solidly to seal Black in.]
;B[og]C[Black tries to connect his groups.]
;W[mi]C[First I start with a peep.]
;B[li]
;W[ng]C[And then I cut him off!]
;B[nf]
;W[mf]
;B[of]
;W[mg]
;B[if]
;W[lf]C[I connect to save the weakness of a push and cut.]
;B[hg]
;W[fg]C[Taking away Black's shape point.]
;B[fi]
;W[fj]C[Connect solidly to avoid aji of pushing and cutting.]
;B[ff]C[Black still trying to create eyes.]
;W[eg]C[I pulled back solidly.]
;B[id]
;W[je]C[I play this move to form a little territory in the M16 area while removing another eye.]
;B[jc]
;W[hc]C[Play on the vital point.]
;B[ic]
;W[hb]C[Descend to reduce the chances of Black making an eye on the top.]
;B[ib]
;W[di]C[This move might surprise you, but I thought that Black would only have one eye at most, so I connected all my groups up.]
;B[lc]
;W[kb]C[Taking away Black's eye potential.]
;B[kc]
;W[md]LB[me:A]C[Preventing the cut at A.]
;B[mb]
;W[nb]
;B[na]
;W[oa]
;B[ma]
;W[pb]
;B[ha]
;W[ka]C[I take reduce the eye space to one eye.]
;B[gd]C[Black expands his eye space.]
;W[fd]
;B[fe]
;W[hd]
;B[gg]LB[ie:A][ke:B]C[And Black miraculously makes life. White cannot play at A because of the atari at B.]
;W[bk]TR[cj][dk][cm][em]C[I was pretty dejected since I was pretty sure the group was going to die, but nonetheless I had build up a bit of power, so I decided to harrass the marked Black group.]
;B[bj]
;W[bm]C[Trying to make something work....]
;B[bn]
;W[cl]
;B[cn]
;W[dl]
;B[el]
;W[bo]
;B[am]
;W[al]C[Trying to start a ko.]
;B[an]C[No luck.]
;W[ao]C[I seal off the corner.]
;B[dm]C[Black removes any possibility of a ko.]
;W[po]C[So now I try to invade the corner and gain compensation, because I felt that my attack at the top didn't yield me very much While Black has a decent amount of territory.]
;B[qo]
;W[pp]TR[lp]C[I choose this direction because I wanted to complicate things and possibly cut off the marked stone.]
;B[qp]
;W[oq]
;B[op]C[Black wants to fight!]
;W[qq]
;B[nq]C[I was shocked to see Black counter atari.]
;W[pr]C[Simple decision!]
;B[np]
;W[nr]C[I settle the group down.]
;B[mr]
;W[qn]C[I hane here because I think I can take a bit of the right side.]
;B[rn]
;W[rm]
;B[qm]
;W[pn]
;B[ro]TR[lp][np][op][nq][mr]C[But then Black shows that I wasn't quite right. On the upside, I gained a bit of thickness to attack the marked group.]
;W[kr]C[So now begins my super aggressive attack.]
;B[kq]
;W[jr]
;B[hq]LB[hr:A]C[When Black attaches here, I'm pretty sure he wanted me to hane and connect at A, but I had a better idea.]
;W[ip]TR[hq]C[This move cuts off the marked stone and keeps the N2 group weak.]
;B[hp]
;W[iq]C[Permanently cutting off the stones.]
;B[hr]TR[ip][iq][jr][kr]C[Black cuts off my marked stones.]
;W[io]TR[lp][np][op][kq][nq][mr]C[I solidly extend to continue to weaken the marked Black group.]
;B[ns]
;W[or]
;B[mn]
;W[kn]C[Taking Black's shape point.]
;B[pm]
;W[om]
;B[on]C[Black trying to counter attack the corner.]
;W[oo]
;B[nn]
;W[nm]
;B[rq]
;W[rr]C[I now need to settle my group or else it'll die.]
;B[sr]
;W[os]
;B[ms]
;W[qs]
;B[rs]C[Ko was the best I could come up with for the life of my group.]
;W[lr]C[I thought this was good at the time, but this burns a ko threat.]
;B[mq]
;W[ss]
;B[no]
;W[pq]
;B[rs]
;W[mc]TR[ha][ma][na][ib][mb][ic][jc][kc][lc][gd][id][ee][fe][he][ff][if][jf][gg][hg][lg][hh][lh][fi][gi][ii][ji][ki][li][lj]C[Fortunately I have this huge marked Black group that has a number of ko threats!]
;B[lb]
;W[ss]
;B[jq]
;W[ir]
;B[rs]
;W[ld]
;B[ie]
;W[ss]
;B[km]C[This did not seem like a threat to me. ]
;W[sq]C[So I ended the ko!]
;B[mm]
;W[nl]
;B[jn]C[When Black plays this hane, I am like, uh oh....]
;W[ko]
;B[jo]
;W[jp]
;B[im]TR[kn][ko]C[I'm shocked when Black doesn't cut off my marked stones.]
;W[kp]C[So I go ahead and connect now.]
;B[ln]
;W[gm]C[Sever the connection.]
;B[hn]C[Now begins an epic battle on the bottom for life.]
;W[gn]C[I rise to the occassion and accept his challenge!]
;B[ho]
;W[in]
;B[jm]
;W[lq]C[Since Black is not alive yet, I thought I would go ahead and gain liberties since I'm pretty sure I can win the capturing race.]
;B[is]C[What capturing race you say? Just you wait and see....]
;W[js]
;B[ls]
;W[hs]
;B[gr]
;W[hm]C[Now that the groups are cut off, the semeai begins!]
;B[lo]
;W[gp]
;B[fq]
;W[fp]
;B[eq]
;W[dr]C[Preventing Black from gaining more liberties.]
;B[ks]
;W[go]LB[fr:A]C[Sente which threatens the atari at A.]
;B[fr]
;W[gs]
;B[kq]
;W[er]
;B[fs]
;W[dq]
;B[is]
;W[hs]
;B[gs]
;W[ep]C[Another ko!]
;B[is]C[Though it's in his favor though, since I must find the first ko threat.]
;W[gf]TR[ha][ma][na][ib][lb][mb][ic][jc][kc][lc][gd][id][ee][fe][he][ie][ff][if][jf][gg][hg][lg][hh][lh][fi][gi][ii][ji][ki][li][lj]C[Fortunately the top marked group is still plenty compensation!]
;B[ge]
;W[hs]
;B[ll]C[This move threatens to connect and save the group.]
;W[es]C[But he would do it in gote, so I was happy to settle the ko and take a big capture along with a nice sizeable piece of corner territory.]
;B[kk]C[See? Lives in gote. Hehe.]
;W[qc]C[Now I can bust through Black's corner.]
;B[oh]
;W[ni]C[Strengthening my connections.]
;B[qd]
;W[rp]LB[so:A]C[Threatening the atari at A.]
;B[rl]
;W[rf]C[This hits the vital point of the shape, while leaving a lot of aji which you'll see later.]
;B[rd]C[Black cuts off the stone.]
;W[rc]C[I decide to take corner profit.]
;B[sc]C[This move is sente if you want to keep the corner, but it's important to find moves that resist your opponent so you are not following him around.]
;W[bi]LB[aj:A]C[Threatening the connection at A.]
;B[aj]
;W[ae]TR[cb][db][cc][bd][cd][be]C[I was pretty sure I could call the life of the corner marked group in question, so I go ahead and reduce it in sente.]
;B[ac]
;W[da]
;B[bb]TR[rf]C[At this point, I'm trying to come up with a way to make use of the marked stone aji.]
;W[od]C[So I play this seemingly innocent diagonal to make an eye and prepare for possible aji.]
;B[pc]
;W[oc]
;B[rb]
;W[qb]
;B[qa]
;W[jj]LB[kj:A]C[Threaten to cut at A.]
;B[kj]
;W[ml]C[Saw potential issues here, so I connected.]
;B[hl]C[Here start a bunch of little endgame.]
;W[gl]
;B[ij]
;W[hk]
;B[kd]
;W[ke]
;B[ik]
;W[il]
;B[jl]
;W[ga]LB[hl:A]C[Ko at A is not big. It is not worth taking gote for 0.5 points.]
;B[ia]
;W[gc]
;B[ed]
;W[ec]
;B[mj]
;W[nj]
;B[ai]
;W[ah]
;B[ci]
;W[bh]
;B[ek]
;W[dj]LB[ck:A]C[Sente connection that threatens the cut at A.]
;B[ck]
;W[pl]LB[rf:A]C[Trying to expand my points while still eyeing the aji of A.]
;B[oi]
;W[oj]
;B[ad]
;W[af]
;B[ca]
;W[ea]
;B[eh]
;W[dh]
;B[ih]
;W[jg]
;B[en]
;W[rg]LB[qf:B][ri:A]C[After some careful reading, I cut. White has miai: A or B. Either way, Black is going to lose stones. And with that Black resigns.])
