Both players fought hard today each in their own respective style. Cho U who is known for his very sharp style and management of weak groups sought out an early territorial lead giving white large thickness. Takao Shinji's style is to often play a patient, thick game -- learned from his teacher Fujisawa Shuko (Hideyuki).
Takao's thickness in the lower left of the board gave Cho U difficulty in finding a proper invasion point. Cho created a ko which seemed as though if he won could produce enough territory win. Takao chose to ignore a ko threat and won a capturing race -- which left Cho U empty handed after the ko fight, forcing a black resignation.
A great game by both. Cho U's innovative fuseki seemed to produce the type of game he was looking for, but Takao's style worked brilliantly. The patience paid off, and he seized a golden opportunity backed by deep reading to win.
Congratulations!
The series which started with four alternating wins for black, has now produced two wins by white. Game 7 will be in one week.
Here are some little quick comments with the kifu below.
(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[6.50]
PW[Takao Shinji]PB[Cho U]
;B[pd]
;W[dc]
;B[qp]
;W[dp]
;B[lq]LB[kq:A][qq:B]TR[op]C[Cho U's exlusive opening as black in this championship series.
This move is very intersting because it discourages an approach on the corner around the marked point--as white would have a hard time settling if he plays directly into black's pincer. It is more territorially tight than a 'mini' chinese move at A. There are not many games with this opening as there are with mini-chinese or traditional Chinese. In some pro examples, white doesn't approach at all, but waits until later in the midgame and dives into the corner at B.
The main idea here, it to play even tighter than the mini chinese, and discourage an approach.]
;W[fq]C[White defends the bottom from further black development there]
;B[ce]C[Black approachs near and low, the most territorially valuable approach.]
;W[ci]C[This three space pincer is ideal for white's formation in the lower left.]
;B[fc]C[This very near counterpincer is somewhat rare, but it generally means that black wants to develop topside influence to work with his 4-4 stone. Here though black has a very interesting plan.]
;W[ed]C[This is most normal for moving out and keeping black separated.]
(;B[cb]LB[fd:A]C[This move in the corner might have been pre-planned. I have never seen it. It would be normal to expect black to push up at A to build a wall of influence towards the right side.]
;W[cc]C[White blocks this way to keep black low on the 2nd and 3rd line up top and white will hope to naturally develop the left side.]
;B[db]
;W[ec]
;B[eb]
;W[fd]
;B[gc]
;W[gd]
;B[hc]
;W[ie]
;B[dh]C[Cho moves his lone stone, seeking to make white's wall ineffective. In this series, Cho U has shown a great ability to manage weak groups.]
;W[di]
;B[eh]
;W[ei]
;B[fh]
;W[gj]
;B[hh]C[Here it seems hard to judge how this early fight will end up. White is making large potential in the lower left (but black can easily disrupt it later). Black is taking territory at the top side and moving out here is pretty safe since white must worry about his top side group's safety.
Its too early to tell, but I slightly prefer black here.]
;W[bg]C[This is valuable, seeks link up or separate the lone black stone.]
;B[df]LB[be:A]C[Black stays connected while preventing White's connection at A.]
;W[hd]
;B[ic]
;W[ke]
;B[jh]
;W[ii]
;B[kg]C[Nice shape, maintains connection and moves further out, pressuring white.]
;W[me]
;B[fi]
;W[fj]
;B[ek]
;W[ej]LB[bo:A][bp:B]TR[ek]C[It seems as though the 'peep' will aid the future invasion around A or B, but the fight up top must be resolved first.]
;B[og]TR[mg]C[A suprising move for sure! White cannot simply jump to the marked point because he would have some connection issues.
This move is very clever, making some potential on the right, helping the weak group, and white still needs to find a way to settle his topside group.]
;W[ng]C[I imagine that touching this stone is the best way for white to keep black's center group separated and under attack. Generally though this type of play will allow black to get stronger on the right side.
It seems though black will still have his center weak group, but will take an advantage in territory. I think the game is going in black's style and favors him.]
;B[nf]
;W[mf]
;B[mg]
;W[nh]
;B[mh]
;W[ni]
;B[mi]
;W[nj]
;B[of]
;W[mj]
;B[lj]
;W[ki]
;B[li]
;W[lk]
;B[kj]
;W[kk]
;B[ji]
;W[ij]
;B[ih]C[After this skirmish, black is safe in the center and has some potential in the upper right. White is still unsettled.
But it is not all bad for White. His influence is very strong on the lower side of the board. He can still make a considerable framework or even provoke a fight by invading the lower 'micro-chinese' formation later.]
;W[nd]C[The only move to keep black's potential smaller and help white make some eye space along the top side]
;B[kc]C[Steals some eyespace and makes territory]
;W[gf]C[Makes 1 eye for sure, but gote.]
;B[ld]C[The vital point
]
;W[kf]LB[bd:A]C[This maintains connection. White mostly secure on the top. The move around A is a potential eye or another potential eye in the center.]
;B[mk]C[And day 1 ends with this fierce cut.
Black seeks to strike first by cutting before white uses his influence to make a fight on the bottom edge.
This will be a very exciting game. It isn't over for white by a long shot, but black has been dictating the flow from the beginning and therefore I think he is leading.
I am hoping white can strike in Day 2 because every go player hopes for a game 7, and also I went by Shinji in Japan so we share the same name :D
]
;W[pi]C[Day 1's sealed move. This move was opened and played after the previous days moves had been layed out to recreate the board from day one.
This gives white breathing room while preventing black territory along the right, and even cramping the upper four slightly.]
;B[jf]
;W[je]
;B[od]C[Black is not only looking to force white to make two eyes, he is trying to secure his corner in process.
Pro's have such good form!]
;W[nc]
;B[ob]
;W[oc]
;B[pc]
;W[nb]LB[jb:A][kb:D][lb:C][jc:B][lc:E]C[White's group is now almost entirely secure.
White even has the forces of white a, black b, white c, etc..
for added security]
;B[ml]C[Time to attend to the very important cutting stone.]
;W[pl]C[Basically the only move for base, threating cutting stones and making a base on the right side]
;B[qh]C[Territorially valuable while depriving white of a base for now.]
;W[qi]
;B[pb]
;W[be]
;B[bf]
;W[cg]
;B[bd]
;W[de]C[Great tesuji. ]
;B[ee]
;W[cd]
;B[dd]
;W[jb]
;B[jc]
;W[de]
;B[cf]
;W[ef]
;B[dg]
;W[bc]
;B[ae]
;W[lb]
;B[kb]
;W[lc]C[Now the top side fight is 100% settled.]
;B[qn]C[Although white's formation on the left needs to be invaded. Black first must protect this corner, and keep the white group under pressure.]
;W[om]
;B[nn]
;W[po]
;B[qo]
;W[lm]
;B[mm]
;W[ln]LB[rh:A]TR[nn]C[I really enjoyed white's play here. Black played the marked stone as a 'sealing in' move with the aim of invading the right. But it seems as though white can make two eyes on the right (because the hane at A is still available).
White's lower left + center moyo is very large.
]
;B[np]
;W[rh]C[Now all that is left is to see how black invades the left.]
;B[cn]C[It is hard to find a good invasion point. It must be deep, because, if black just reduces the center and white keeps the left side, I figured white is ahead by about 10. However, if white goes very low into the corner white might have enough on the outside.
In general, white has a 'thick' style which is slightly different from large moyo style of someone like Takamiya. White creates very thick positions which turn to large territory or give the opponent very difficult decisions to make. Seems like white has made the game even now. But black has a talent for handling weak groups.
Doing a very rough count from here, if black invades and lives here, he will be ahead in points (but not by a large margin--maybe 5-8 points). It depends on how this ends and who starts endgame in sente. ]
;W[co]TR[cn]C[This move seems very obvious to keep black heavy. This is why a good invasion point was difficult to find.]
;B[cl]C[Clever.]
;W[dn]C[Black will create a ko, but does he have enough threats?]
;B[dm]
;W[bn]
;B[bm]
;W[cm]
;B[kd]
;W[fe]
;B[cn]
;W[oo]
;B[no]
;W[cm]
;B[bi]
;W[em]C[A must for white. ]
;B[cn]
;W[pq]
;B[on]
;W[cm]
;B[qg]
;W[rg]
;B[rf]
;W[pn]
;B[pp]
;W[qm]
;B[cn]
;W[qf]C[White seems to have more threats than B. ]
;B[qe]
;W[cm]
;B[ok]
;W[dl]C[Very daring for both. Black must assure a kill. White assures a win now if the group survives because black will have recieved no compensation for losing the ko.]
;B[rj]
;W[ri]
;B[rk]
;W[rm]
;B[pk]
;W[nk]
;B[ol]
;W[qk]
;B[qj]
;W[nl]
;B[nm]
;W[pm]
;B[pj]
;W[rl]
;B[op]
;W[sk]C[This hane assures white the win in this race.]
;B[sj]
;W[oj]
;B[sl]
;W[si]
;B[ql]
;W[sm]C[White now has captured the black stones on the right. Seems as though Whtie has won!]
;B[ch]C[Black follows through on his first ignored ko threat.]
;W[bj]
;B[iq]C[Black cannot afford to capture the white two on the right because the bottom extension is so large for both.]
;W[bh]C[Black now lost the ko, the group on the right and didn't get to even follow through on his first ignored threat. White's territory is about 12 points more than black''s.]
;B[gq]
;W[fr]
;B[jm]
;W[gi]
;B[gh]
;W[km]C[Black resigns.
Congrats Takao! Great play. Game 7 later this month!])
(;B[fd]
;W[ef]
;B[fe]
;W[ee]
;B[gg]LB[cb:B][bc:A]TR[ce]C[A straight forward way of building influence on the topside, and the marked stone has plenty of potential around A or B to live later or reduce white's territory.]))
