(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[KifuLL:games]SZ[19]GN[16th Pandanet Go European Team Championship | Finals - Prokop Jan vs Ovsiienko Vsevolod]EV[16th Pandanet Go European Team Championship | Finals]RO[3]DT[2026-08-03,2026-08-04]PC[Ankara, Türkiye]PB[Prokop Jan]PW[Ovsiienko Vsevolod]BR[6d]WR[6d]RU[Japanese rules]KM[6.5]C[This game is the third board of the encounter between Czechia and Ukraine in the last round of the 16th Pandanet Go European Team Championship - Final stage. Vsevolod Ovsiienko 6d (White) is a youth talent from Ukraine, several time Ukrainian and European Youth Champion. Jan Prokop 6d (Black) is one of Czechia's top players, he has been Czech Champion in the past and runner up several times in the last years. The "PGETC" is a tournament played online over the year on the Pandanet Go Server (IGS) with 4 players representing their country per match. The Finals gather the best 4 teams of the A League. In 2026, it was Czechia, Ukraine, France and Germany. We will be totally neutral in this guided game! Let's go!]RE[W+R]GC[Black: EGD PIN 10433654 · CZ · Club Imba · GoR 2618 White: EGD PIN 17633902 · UA · Club Kyiv · GoR 2601];B[cp]C[The fight begins.];W[pd];B[qp];W[cd];B[ec];W[de];B[hc]C[No pincer, nothing? It seems the fighting spirit is gone...];W[oq];B[fq];W[po];B[qo];W[pn];B[qm];W[dp]C[Aha! Cool move! The idea is to question Black about their intention: do they want to keep the corner? Fight? Do something on the left? And then, White can also consider how to play next with their stones. Black has 2 main variations, (a) and (b).](;B[dq];W[co];B[ep]C[Black goes for the very simple variation.];W[do];B[bp];W[cq]C[The cut helps White later. A trap would be to capture with C2, offering White a very enjoyable free descending move in B5! (b) is another way to play.](;B[bq];W[eo];B[fo];W[fn]C[Many players may want to play double hane, but this will give Black a bad shape](;B[go];W[gn]C[Here also, Black may want to play hane, but because of the corner aji, it's not a good idea...](;B[ho](;W[cr];B[br];W[hn]C[Alright, so now can we play hane with Black? Well, it's still not a good idea because the aji in the corner is still here. For example...](;B[io];W[dj]C[This is joseki! If you think "what, but Black got so much cash?", it's true but there is a bit of aji for later thanks to the stones in C2, and White gets a beautiful wall.](;B[qf];W[kq]C[White rushed to that point: if Black would play around there first, they would consolidate their territory on the lower side while making the P3 chain of stones feel uncomfortable. So, now, White is happy to settle.];B[nc]C["How did White dare ignore the kakari at R14?! Double pincer!"];W[nd];B[md];W[ne];B[oc];W[pc];B[pg];W[qe]C[Keima at S15 is also a good option for White.];B[re];W[pf];B[rf]C[Black protects the cutting points.];W[og]C[Atari at P14 (Q15 connect, Q12 extend) is possible, but in the game, Black didn't play it to keep options on the group later. Wise and better!];B[ph];W[oh];B[pi]C[Hane at P11 is a bit better, adding more pressure to the White stones. But, White could cut and start a fight. Black preferred to play safely.];W[kd]C[Counter-attack!];B[le];W[lb]C[Nice move to remove the life base of the Black group.];B[mc];W[id]LB[jb:A]C[Black must play A here to weaken the White stones and be fully stabilized on the left.];B[hd]LB[ic:A]C[In the same idea, White shall play A here to be stronger.];W[he];B[ge];W[ic]C[Finally! White is slightly ahead now.];B[lg]C[Black feels oppressed and goes out. White has to handle two groups, but they are more or less safe.];W[hf]C[Going out party.];B[oi]C[Black encloses White, helping the M13 stones. Or at least, wishes to do so.];W[rd]C[White settles the stones. Or at least...];B[rc]C[...wished to do so. Oops, Black is greedy?! But this Black move is tricky. It feels like White could resist with (b) or (c), but...](;W[pb]C[It's a powerful move, you will understand later.];B[sd];W[mh];B[lh];W[mg];B[li];W[nj]C[White is running?];B[ni];W[mi];B[mj]C[Black is committed, what to say.];W[lj]C[The chances this ends well are like...0.4%.];B[mk];W[oa]C[White connects with pure style.];B[jf];W[mf];B[lf];W[lk];B[hb];W[ib];B[ee]C[Black got afraid for their group there but...];W[ih]C[Someone is not alive.](;B[jh]C[Turns out this move is a big mistake. Black shall play K11 and try to resist (better).];W[gf];B[ii]C[Yep, White shall have played there first.];W[ef];B[cb]C[Black adds a move in order to get a feeling of relative safety there. There shall be a better way.];W[hi];B[ij];W[hj]C[Playing here is at the same time natural and too nice. Natural, because pushing Black outside lets White close a big territory on the left. Too nice because L10 instead would be extremely painful to endure for Black.];B[ff]C[Black tries to solve his upper problem by fixing the shape and creating cutting points in White's shape.];W[fg];B[fe];W[kj]C[Booooom! That's terribly painful.];B[ig];W[hh];B[eg];W[jm]C[White declares that Black will die anyway, so the top-left loss is not a big deal.];B[df];W[ch];B[bg]C[At this stage, White has a very big lead, about 20 points. The center is dead!];W[pm];B[ql];W[pl]C[Now White is just playing safely, trying to reduce the Black's area.];B[ml];W[lm];B[pk];W[ok];B[kc]C[Last try...];W[lc];B[ld];W[kb];B[qq];W[hr];B[kn]C[Black aims at trying something with the White group, it's the only chance to reverse the game. So, using the aji with the central group first.];W[km];B[mq]C[Then trying to divide White.];W[er]C[The aji we talked about in the first moves awakens!];B[eq];W[fr];B[dr](;W[nq]C[That's too much, just living with M2 is enough.];B[jr];W[jq];B[kr];W[lq];B[lr];W[mp];B[ir];W[iq];B[hq];W[gq];B[hp];W[mr];B[is];W[bh];B[cg];W[dh];B[fh];W[gg];B[eh];W[ei];B[bn]C[Black jumps efficiently into the White's territory!];W[cm]C[This is a standard answer to such move. White is really fine.];B[bm];W[cl]C[Alright, that's the last comment of this Guided Game review! White could block here at B8, but Vsevolod knows he is far ahead, so no need to take risks. The game goes on for a bit, but the disaster on the top was too big. Vsevolod eventually wins by resign, and the team of Ukraine wins the match against Czechia 3-1. Ukraine is the European Team Champion 2026! This game was a complicated fight all along. White managed very well to attack the Black central stones, which perhaps Black didn't expect to be so successful. Well done!];B[nk];W[ol];B[oj];W[qk];B[pj];W[ag];B[af];W[ah];B[bf];W[bo];B[ao];W[bl];B[qd];W[pe];B[mm];W[mn];B[pp];W[gr];B[es];W[pr];B[qr];W[ha];B[ga];W[ia];B[gb];W[rb];B[sb];W[qc];B[ra];W[qb];B[in];W[im];B[ko];W[op];B[nn];W[no];B[nm];W[qs];B[rs];W[ps];B[sr];W[rd];B[ll];W[kl];B[qd];W[ls];B[fs];W[rd];B[ke];W[if];B[qd];W[fi];B[jd];W[ie]C[Wow, you went through the full game and yose, nice! That's exactly how you can improve your yose skills! Keep it going and you will get stronger in no time!])(;W[lr];B[mr];W[mm]C[The 3 stones are captures and White is fine at the bottom, it's game over.]))(;B[ji];W[ml];B[nk];W[jk];B[ik]C[Something like this, although it is unclear what will follow. But otherwise, Black is surely doomed for eternity.]))(;W[sd];B[qc];W[qd];B[pb]C[Black is connected and steals the corner!])(;W[sc];B[qc];W[qb];B[rb]C[White can also try this, but here you can't defend Q18 and R16...Except if you are ready to play a crazy ko (spoiler alert - you are not ready).];W[ra];B[pb];W[pa]C[But often it's not a good idea for White.]))(;B[cl];W[dm]C[AI suggests this probing move from Black. Hm, it's very annoying, isn't it? Think about it for a moment, that's how you will improve. White could also answer kosumi at E9, by the way. But that one is more interesting.];B[];W[]C[You didn't think, you just clicked...];B[];W[]C[Yep, so, the idea is quite amusing...](;B[dl]C[If you push...];W[el]C[Blocking of course...];B[bo]C[Black just connects...];W[ek]C[And White fixes the shape. Then Black can play elsewhere. Can we consider it removes the aji in the corner?])(;B[cj]C[If you play here, it leads to a very mind-blowing sequence.];W[ci];B[di];W[ch];B[dl];W[ej];B[fl];W[em];B[el];W[hl];B[fj]C[Did you see that one coming?];W[bj];B[fi];W[hj];B[eg];W[ck];B[ee]C[That's an AI sequence, maybe not the best, but it is interesting. Here, White and Black get out at the same time. Sure, Black ruined some of White's potential, but White got solid points on the left and the sente.])))(;B[in];W[io];B[jo]C[If Black tries to capture White...];W[ip];B[jp];W[dr];B[eq];W[gq]C[White has a very nice tesuji to attack black's shape. For exemple if Black ignores and play atari...];B[iq];W[fr];B[hp]C[White gives the two stone?!];W[er];B[fp];W[bo]C[White doesn't even have to save the two stones and can capture the corner! You may think the capture of the two stones compensates for the corner, but here no, the corner is way too big. AI gives White 16 points ahead here.]))(;W[hn]))(;B[hn];W[cr];B[br]C[White can activate the corner aji. If Black doesn't want to give B5 in sente they shoud block with B2, but...];W[ho]C[White cuts! And Black is now in trouble. For exemple, if they try to directly capture White...];B[io];W[hp];B[ip];W[dr];B[eq];W[gq];B[fp];W[in];B[hm];W[iq]C[White can capture the two stones in a ladder, or if Black saves them, White plays F2 and captures the 7 stones.](;B[er];W[jo])(;B[jq];W[fr])))(;B[gn];W[go];B[fp];W[fm];B[ho];W[gm];B[hn]LB[hq:A][iq:B]C[White has a very good shape and a lot of aji with A or B]))(;B[bo];W[cm];B[cr];W[dj]C[Another way.]))(;B[do]C[This is the most difficult one...White has to play hane in the corner, otherwise this is better for Black](;W[cq]C[And now this is very complicated...If you are not afraid of looong joseki let's check two "main" variations!];B[dq];W[ep];B[eq];W[co];B[bp];W[dn];B[eo];W[fp];B[cn];W[gq];B[gr](;W[fo]C[White plays this atari in order to play the double hane at H2.];B[bo];W[hr];B[hq];W[gp];B[fr];W[iq]C[This is joseki. White gets a very nice shape, capturing H3, but Black keeps a big corner in sente and will have a ladder breaker later. Be careful, white needs a favorable ladder in order to play this variation!])(;W[hr]C[White can also directly play the double hane...];B[gp]C[Black will shout "Whaaat?! There is a double atari! Thank you for the game!"];W[fo]C[But White escapes with an atari as well!];B[hq];W[bo];B[bn];W[en];B[ao];W[do];B[cl]C[Aaaand... this is joseki! Althougt it may look too good for Black, it's ok for White because they already has an eye, and there is a loooot of aji in the corner.]))(;W[ep];B[cq]C[This is better for Black because White is heavy.])))