(;EV[27th Meijin Final]RO[Game 5]DT[2002-10-23,24]PB[Cho Chikun]PW[Yoda Norimoto]SZ[19]PC[Yokohama]BR[9d]WR[9d]KM[5.5]US[JBvR]SO[Asahi.com]RE[W+R]C[Norimoto Yoda is one of a handful who holds a top title, and it took a lot of hard work to get there. He turned pro at the age of 14, took his first title before he turned 20 and has been at the top of the go world ever since. However, the top titles eluded him for a long time, until he dethroned Cho Chikun three years ago to take the Meijin title. He has held it ever since. 

This year, he was challenged again by Cho Chikun, who recently won his 65th title, breaking the record of 64 wins set by Eio Sakata almost 20 years ago. 

The Meijin title is one of only three that are played over two days, and has a time limit of eight hours per person. The players' mental endurance is severely tested. 

\[Game comments based on various sources, but mainly on Rob van Zeijst's column in the Yomiuri on-line\]];B[qd]C[This is the fifth and final game of the best-of-seven Meijin title match. Yoda is White. ];W[dd];B[pq]
;W[oc]C[Leading to a very common modern varation of the Shusaku opening.

One of the most instructive parts of this game is how Yoda handles the sacrifice of stones that have become unimportant. ];B[dp]C[Hostilities have already started with white 4. In the previous encounter between Yoda and Cho with this fuseki, 2001-7-05, 49th Oza, Yoda lost. Cho has a very good score with this Shusaku type opening.  ];W[po]C[The usual move.];B[qo]LB[ld:a]C[This is an unorthodox move, that has been tried out a couple of times in professional games before. See for instance Cho Hun-hyeon vs Yi Ch'angho in 1992-09-16, 36th Kuksu Final Game 2. 

Until now Cho has always played the "normal" move a. ];W[qn];B[qp];W[pn];B[md]LB[nq:a][pf:b][qf:c][qg:d]C[In the few pro games with this fuseki, they all continue with a.  After that White will press with b, c, or d.  It is understandable that Cho wants to improve on that and keep the initiative. However, now his corner gets sealed in.]
;W[oe];B[pf];W[oq];B[or];W[pp];B[qr];W[nq];B[nr];W[lq];B[pc];W[pi]C[White does not really want to save his two stones, so he limits the damage on the right side with this move and later on will try to do the same on the upperside.];B[of];W[pb]LB[mc:a]C[Necessary preparation for a move at a.]
;B[pk]C[A probe (yose-miru), to determine the strategy after move 28. At this stage White has no other move than the reply.];W[ok]C[Interestingly, Yoda thought that black had played his previous move in order to increase the number of ko threats.  But there is no ko in sight yet! That is how deep professionals read. There is a ko in one of the many sequences that are possible in the upper right. We will show that variation later. 

Both players took a lot of time to read out the complicated situation, so the game progressed very slowly.];B[qb];W[mc];B[lc];W[ld];B[me]C[The next move was Yoda's seal moved.  He avoids variation 2 that leads to the ko we mentioned earlier.]
(;W[kc]C[White 32 is almost the only move that comes to mind, while black's next move is forced. Since White was almost certain what move Black would make, he had the luxury of being able to study his follow-up moves that evening. 

This move and the sequence that follows is highly unusual for a top professional. The official game commentator went so far as to say that, if he had seen the same move in a game between amateurs, he would have wanted to stop watching.  

But, as we have seen in the previous variation, the alternative gave Black a better position.];B[lb];W[kb];B[mb]C[There is a ladder involved (variation 2). White should have played a ladder block (varation 3). What Yoda plays is vulgar, but probably the result of his analysis the night before.]
(;W[ke];B[jd];W[kd];B[nc];W[fc]C[In general, White's play up to this move was badly received by commentators. 
];B[ol]C[Black aims at containing White's influence];W[oj];B[ql];W[nl];B[om];W[nm];B[on]
;W[no]C[Black seems to be in trouble.];B[qi];W[qh];B[qj];W[ph];B[nn]C[Black is now able to cut, but white has also strengthened himself enough.];W[mn];B[mm];W[oo]C[Forces Black to seek life first.];B[ri];W[qf];B[rk]
;W[pe]C[Clever moves.];B[mo];W[ln];B[lo];W[nf];B[ob]C[This should have been at a, making more territory and also taking away a liberty of the white sones, which might be useful later.]LB[od:a];W[jp]C[Yoda sacrifices the two stones. An excellent strategy, these stones have lost their significance and consequently can be abandoned.];B[jo];W[ip];B[km];W[fq]
;B[er];W[fr];B[eq];W[fp]C[Black's following move was too small -- see the variation]
(;B[ml]C[This more or less completes the capture and threatens to take two more stones, but the white group above is still in no danger and white seizes the initiative on the next move.];W[cn];B[bo];W[ci]C[The game is close now.];B[if];W[ce]C[White ignores the threat of Black's previous move and secures the corner.  This is actually quite a dangerous move. See variation 2.]
(;B[bn];W[hd];B[ck];W[ei];B[ng];W[og];B[mf];W[pg];B[id];W[hc];B[kf];W[es];B[nh]
;W[rg];B[ds];W[fs];B[dr];W[mr]C[Even though Black missed a decisive chance, most top pros analyzing the game still thought Black was leading.];B[je];W[gf];B[bi];W[bj];B[cj];W[ch]C[To gain sente.];B[bh]
;W[bg];B[bk];W[hh];B[jb];W[jc];B[ic];W[ib];B[hb];W[ja];B[gb];W[jg];B[jf];W[fb]
;B[la];W[ka];B[ia];W[ha];B[ga];W[fa]C[A two-step "flower viewing"  ko for black. Nevertheless, white comes out ahead of it...];B[ia];W[kp]C[White plays at a point that was black's ko threat. ];B[jb]C[Black is reluctant to give in, (maybe he should have done that).];W[kn];B[nk];W[jn]
;B[le]C[A furikawari, but white has an excellent follow-up to create more moyo.];W[do];B[co];W[ep];B[dn];W[eo];B[cp];W[em];B[cm];W[il];B[gk];W[fl]C[Even at this point, black is not completely lost.  Black can reduce the upper moyo somewhat.]
;B[fi];W[fh];B[eh];W[di];B[gh];W[fg];B[gi];W[hg];B[dg]LB[im:a]C[But this move is wrong. After white's answer it becomes mochikomi (loss of the stone without compensation).

It should have been at a.];W[ek];B[ik];W[jk]
;B[ij];W[gg];B[cg];W[bf];B[jj];W[rn];B[im];W[rq];B[qq];W[rp]C[After white 164, Black can live in the lower right corner, but the score on the board is about even, which means White will win the game by a slim margin equaling the komi  On seeing white's move, Cho resigns, giving Yoda his third Meijin title in a row. 

])
(;B[ng];W[og];B[mf];W[pg];B[ic]LB[nh:a][rg:b]C[As Black can exchange a for white b, the white group in the upper part is in a lot of danger. Even if it doesn't die,  the thickness Black has built will come in handy during the battle to come. Black should have played like this.
]))
(;B[cn]C[Black should have played here. There is no need to be afraid that white escapes. ];W[kn];B[jn];W[lm];B[ll];W[ml];B[ko];W[mm];B[lk];W[kl];B[jm];W[mk];B[mj]
;W[nk]C[This big dango would have been terrible for White. ]))
(;W[nc];B[kd];W[le];B[lf];W[ke];B[jd];W[nb];B[kf];W[je];B[ie];W[jf]LB[dn:a][fp:b]C[This alternative is full of tesujis. The result is decided by the ladder. In the game, the ladder is bad for White, meaning White cannot play this immediately. Instead, he could have played a ladder block at A in Diagram 1. Black will have to answer in the upper right corner, giving White an extra move to make a double approach at B. The result is reasonable for both players. ]
)
(;W[dn]C[So white should have played this ladder block. See the previous variation for the ladder.];B[nc];W[fp]C[Reasonable for both.]))
(;W[pd]C[Leading to a ko that Black cannot afford to lose.];B[qc];W[le];B[nc];W[mb];B[nb];W[lb];B[kc];W[nd];B[ne]C[Here it is.];W[ob];B[od]
;W[rq]C[But black will ignore the threat.];B[pe];W[qq];B[ic]LB[jq:a][mr:b]C[This situation is good for black. He has more secure territory and more thickness than white. Later on black a forces white to play b, otherwise the corner will come back to life. ]))