Noel’s WAGC Games

Here are two of Noel’s games from Matsue.

The first game, against Hungary’s Pal Balogh, is particularly interesting, demonstrating the intense pressure Pal likes to exert on his opponents.

[sgf](;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[6.50]
PW[N Mitchell]PB[P Balogh]C[
40th WAGC Game 1.
No professional analysis received.

 ]
;B[dp]
;W[pp]
;B[dd]
;W[pd]
;B[qn]
;W[qk]
;B[nq]
;W[np]
;B[mp]
;W[no]
;B[oq]
;W[pq]
;B[pk]C[
Move 13 - I thought very interesting move, difficult to answer.]
;W[pj]
;B[oj]
;W[ql]
;B[pi]
;W[qj]
;B[nc]
;W[pf]
;B[mo]C[
21 - Black is doing well to keep sente and dictate the course of the game.]
;W[mn]
;B[ln]
;W[lm]
;B[kn]
;W[km]
;B[jn]
;W[mm]
;B[jm]
;W[cn]
;B[jk]C[
31 - powerful move playing for central control.]
;W[fq]
;B[cq]
;W[iq]
;B[dk]
;W[fo]
;B[mf]C[
37 - Black playing on a very large scale. Impressive.]
;W[ic]
;B[ni]C[
39 - Pal commented that he thought i should cut at P11 earlier, before he could get in this move.]
;W[lc]
;B[nn]C[
41 - big problem now for White in this shape. I couldn't really read it out. ]
;W[on]
;B[nm]
;W[om]
;B[nl]
;W[ol]
;B[ok]
;W[qm]
;B[mk]
;W[do]
;B[ep]
;W[gn]
;B[gc]
;W[ie]
;B[ge]
;W[pb]
;B[fr]C[
57 - excellent move and timely, I was about to force with D2, even on my previous move. Now Black can get a large corner and actually attack the white group.]
;W[gr]
;B[er]
;W[bp]C[
60- this move doesn't really work, as we shall see. Should be at B5.]
;B[co]
;W[dn]
;B[bo]
;W[bn]
;B[ao]
;W[an]
;B[cp]
;W[be]
;B[fm]
;W[fn]
;B[hp]C[
71 - very strong move, set up by the earlier 57. Now white has to scramble for shape.]
;W[gq]
;B[ho]
;W[gp]
;B[cd]
;W[lq]
;B[mq]
;W[ci]
;B[bk]
;W[ej]
;B[ek]
;W[fj]
;B[fk]
;W[gj]
;B[gk]
;W[bd]
;B[bc]
;W[cg]C[
88 - after this move I thought the game was still playable for white, but actually I have a lot of weak points other than the large secure right hand corner.]
;B[kr]
;W[jr]
;B[kq]
;W[hn]
;B[eo]
;W[en]
;B[hj]
;W[cl]
;B[dj]
;W[hq]
;B[jp]
;W[bl]
;B[bj]
;W[eh]
;B[di]
;W[dh]
;B[fh]
;W[fg]
;B[gh]
;W[gg]
;B[hh]
;W[gb]
;B[hb]
;W[hc]
;B[fb]
;W[gd]
;B[fc]
;W[fd]
;B[ib]
;W[jc]
;B[fe]
;W[hg]
;B[ig]
;W[he]
;B[ed]
;W[if]
;B[jg]
;W[md]C[
126 - white's last chance is here, to make a big corner. Playing R12 for example instead to take the side wouldn't be enough.]
;B[oe]
;W[od]
;B[pe]
;W[qe]
;B[qf]
;W[qd]
;B[of]
;W[qg]
;B[pg]
;W[rf]
;B[nd]
;W[ne]
;B[me]
;W[nb]
;B[mc]
;W[mb]
;B[ld]
;W[oc]
;B[md]
;W[jb]
;B[rg]C[
147 - Black starts a big Ko now. Both players are in Byo-yomi.]
;W[ac]
;B[bb]
;W[ei]
;B[hl]
;W[pf]
;B[jq]
;W[is]
;B[qf]
;W[kf]
;B[re]
;W[pf]
;B[pl]
;W[pm]
;B[qf]
;W[kg]
;B[sf]
;W[ji]C[
164 - mistake, should be at L12]
;B[kh]
;W[jh]
;B[ih]
;W[lh]
;B[ki]
;W[li]
;B[kj]
;W[mg]
;B[kc]
;W[lb]
;B[pr]C[
175 - really big point.]
;W[qr]
;B[or]
;W[rq]
;B[ri]
;W[lj]
;B[lk]
;W[sd]
;B[rd]
;W[rc]
;B[sl]
;W[rl]
;B[op]
;W[oo]
;B[sk]
;W[sm]
;B[rj]
;W[bi]C[
192 - the last big point.]
;B[ce]
;W[bf]
;B[eq]
;W[kb]
;B[ab]C[
197 - Black is more than fifteen points ahead now. No chance for white.

Pal had a good tournament finishing in 5th place.])
[/sgf]

The second game is against Michal Kralik, from Slovakia.

[sgf](;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[6.50]
PW[M Kralik]PB[N Mitchell]
;B[pd]C[
40th WAGC game 4th JUne 2019
Comments received from Michael Redmond 9-Dan

]
;W[dp]
;B[pq]
;W[dc]
;B[fq]
;W[dn]
;B[jp]
;W[qn]
;B[po]
;W[pn]
;B[qo]C[
11 - could be at P6 for maximum pressure.]
;W[on]
;B[np]C[
13 - should be a pincer - that's the point of blocking at R5.]
;W[qf]C[
14 - better as an extension around line 10 or 11. This move 14 just invites the pincer.]
;B[pj]
;W[nc]
;B[oe]
;W[qc]
;B[qd]
;W[rd]
;B[re]
;W[rc]
;B[qe]
;W[ob]
;B[de]
;W[cg]
;B[ef]
;W[fd]
;B[dh]
;W[ch]
;B[di]
;W[ci]
;B[dj]
;W[ck]
;B[dk]C[
35 - not really necessary and it eliminates some of the corner aji.]
;W[cl]
;B[qk]C[
37 - very good point to start the attack here.]
;W[mn]
;B[lo]
;W[mo]
;B[mp]
;W[ln]
;B[ko]
;W[eq]
;B[fp]
;W[hq]C[
46 - a little unusual. Black should ignore this and focus on the attack of the central group (take point 55 at N9 as planned). ]
;B[ho]
;W[fr]
;B[gr]C[
49 - this move and the next few could again be better played at N9.]
;W[er]
;B[gq]C[
51 - I like better at H2 actually if answering here.]
;W[gs]
;B[hs]
;W[fs]
;B[mk]C[
55 - this is  avery good attack now, key point.]
;W[nk]
;B[nj]
;W[nl]
;B[mj]
;W[ll]
;B[ml]C[
61 - maybe a bit greedy, white may not answer at N7. Better to simpley jump to K10 perhaps.]
;W[mm]
;B[km]
;W[kn]
;B[jn]
;W[kl]
;B[jm]
;W[lm]
;B[jk]C[
69 - now very risky situation for white!]
;W[pl]
;B[ql]C[
71 - betterat S7 probably, would leave White with only one eye locally.]
;W[qm]
;B[ro]C[
73 - there are chances to kill this group but it's not so easy. If black plays inside to keep to one eye then white has some moves on lower edge like S5 followed by R10 which will enable it to live. Black plays here to seal in the group in sente.]
;W[rn]
;B[rl]
;W[no]
;B[pk]
;W[ol]
;B[md]
;W[lc]
;B[hc]
;W[hd]
;B[id]
;W[ic]
;B[he]C[
85 - could atari at G16 instead and live along the edge, but black will focus on centre here.]
;W[gd]
;B[jc]
;W[ib]
;B[jb]
;W[hb]
;B[jd]
;W[hr]
;B[jr]
;W[is]
;B[fn]C[
95 - questionable move, not so important. The four stones of black are threatened but could be given up easiy. M16 looks like th emost important point in fact.]
;W[js]
;B[lr]
;W[ls]
;B[ms]
;W[ks]
;B[mr]
;W[jl]C[
102 - now white will try to break out here. Boht players are in byo-yomi now and make mistakes in subsequent moves.]
;B[il]C[
103 - this is risky and unnecessary - much better to extend to J9 to protect the large territory above and stop any white breakthrough. Probably Black will win then.]
;W[lj]
;B[kj]
;W[lk]
;B[li]
;W[oj]C[
106 - much better to cut at L11 first, then white can push out here.]
;B[ok]C[
107 - very bad, black collapses now. Should be at N11 and white can't get out.]
;W[ki]
;B[mi]
;W[jj]
;B[ik]
;W[kk]
;B[cc]
;W[cb]
;B[cd]
;W[bb]C[
116 - white is ahead now.

Final result - white wins by 10.5 points.])
[/sgf]
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