![Surprising First Round of 3rd European Professional Qualification](https://eurogofed.org/newsp/upload/40_baden-baden.png)
16 players are playing a double-knockout to decide who will be the 5th EGF Professional after Pavol Lisy, Ali Jabarin, Mateusz Surma and Ilya Shikshin
We had seen 8 very interesting games, 3 of them were broadcasted on KGS under accounts: EGFPro1, EGFPro2 and EGFPro3.
Results of 1st round:
Benjamin Drean Guenaizia beat Andrij Kravec by resignation.
Lukas Podpera beat Tanguy Le Calve by 3,5
Artem Kachanovskyi beat Zhao Pei by 5,5 (EGFPro3)
Thomas Debarre beat Jan Hora by 8,5 (EGFPro2)
Juri Kuronen beat Viktor Lin by 4,5
Dmitrij Surin beat Grigorii Fionin by 1,5
Cornel Burzo beat Lukas Kramer by resignation (EGFPro1)
Csaba Mero beat Dragos Bajenaru by 4,5
Results can also be found here http://eurogofed.org/proqualification/index_2016.html
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Benjamin-1.jpg)
The biggest surprise of Round 1 though is Benjamin Drean-Guenaizia (Nr.16 in rating) beating Andrij Kravec (Nr. 1 in rating) by resignation.
Benjamin (on the picture) was so nice, he recorded the game after it was finished.
Black: Andrij Kravec, 6 dan from Ukraine
White: Benjamin Drean-Guenaizia, 6 dan from France
Commentary by Pavol Lisy,1 dan professional.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali//Andrij-Ben0_1.png)
Andrii did not play the most common move here (hane at B9), but played like this.
As I got to know, this is an old joseki.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_2.png)
It resulted in a fight, where white could not capture any of Black stones.
But White could use the aji of the stones, so this outcome does not favour anyone.
As I got to know, this is an old joseki.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_2.png)
It resulted in a fight, where white could not capture any of Black stones.
But White could use the aji of the stones, so this outcome does not favour anyone.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali//Andrij-Ben0_3.png)
White got life and a few points on the left side, but I think White could do better here.
Black was slightly ahead after first joseki.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_4.png)
This is a key point and the game looks promising for Black.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali//Andrij-Ben0_5.png)
Black decided to tenuki the right side twice (at 1 and the last move).
He could do that, because if White tries to close the group, Black can live at A.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali//Andrij-Ben0_5.png)
Black decided to tenuki the right side twice (at 1 and the last move).
He could do that, because if White tries to close the group, Black can live at A.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_6.png)
White forced Black to make all those exchanges in the center, but the problem
was that if White would have connected his one stone with the other four, Black could
have cut the other three stones and remain connected with the right side group.
White had to come up with an idea... And he did.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali//Andrij-Ben0_7.png)
White's tesuji first looked like an overplay, but Black (and me too) did not find a good way to play. Black captured White's four stones, but White captured much more important four stones of Black that were cutting White's center group. In the last few moves, White gained a lot and got to be ahead.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_8.png)
Black still had a chance though, but even Black found a two-step ko on the left
he did not gain much with it as he did not have good threats.
White also played well in endgame.
Andrii resigned here, when he was behind about the amount of komi.
![](/newsp/userfiles/3rd Euro Pro Quali/Andrij-Ben0_8.png)
Black still had a chance though, but even Black found a two-step ko on the left
he did not gain much with it as he did not have good threats.
White also played well in endgame.
Andrii resigned here, when he was behind about the amount of komi.