That's very annoying timing. I'm not strong enough to block him underneath, so I'm going to have to settle for this. This probably puts me significantly behind at this point.

Well, that was a little unexpected. Not bad for me. White's stones are still weak, and if he doesn't keep playing on them, I can play at d7 and cause problems for white. Given that, white needs to play at or around d7 himself. after that, I probably get a move elsewhere.

Forced, but now I'm at least stable here. I've still gotta stabilize my right side group, and then I need to find a way to catch up.

Ok, So, what we need to do now is keep the center from turning into a large source of points for white.

I want to slip this peep in for later aji, and then we're going to follow up with some forcing plays in the center.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm77 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . 1 2 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . 7 . . 6 O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . 5 . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 3 O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . 4 O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This way leave's white's left group one eyed and needing to run again, and let's me further reduce the top. My goal is to continue to reduce so that my bottom territory becomes the largest thing in the game. The upper left corner is also large, and hard to reduce. We'll see how white procedes.

I think this might be an overplay. Not sure what to expect here; we'll see what he has in mind.

So I thought a lot about some alternatives to this move.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm71 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . X 8 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . a 9 O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This and A were the most likely alternatives, offering to pull the peep out. I'm not sure that it's worth it. The peep was to make white a little heavier here and add some aji to the top. Making my single stone heavier/more imoportant seems to be aji keshi. So instead, I'm going with my original plan of reducing the impact of the center.

I'm kinda sick of being pushed around. I'm fairly certain I can hane here without worry.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . 1 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 2 O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . W X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . 3 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . 4 W X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

The hane gives me the breathing room I need in order to move on to other things.

This is a pretty good play by white. It allows them to put pressure on my weak group, and make me more defensive, as well as to try to make more eyespace for their group. I could try to split it up by cross cutting, but I don't need to kill this group, I just need to keep my group alive. So, hane on the outside allows me to reduce the danger to my group, and keep the pressure on white. At this point, I want to get a move up top, to keep white's isolated stone dead, since the wall makes even more aji on that stone. Even without that, the largest territory on the board is my bottom side. If I can take sente out of the center, I'll probably play up top.

If he doesn't fix that cutting point, I can aim for that later.

I don't think I need to respond to this move by white. My group has eyespace, and a strong area to run to. White's group is still shakey on eyes. I do, on the other hand, need a move up top to keep some aji from being capatleized on, and greatly reducing my profit. Let's do a quick count.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm91 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . C C C C C C C . . . . . T T T T T T |
$$ | . O O . C C C C . . . . . T T T T T T |
$$ | . X X O . C C C . O . X T O T X T T T |
$$ | . . X , . O . . X O . X T T T X T T T |
$$ | T T . X . . . . . O . . X . X X T T T |
$$ | T T . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | C C . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | C C . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O C C C |
$$ | T X X X . X . . . . . X . O C C C C C |
$$ | T T T T T T T T T T T . . . C C C C C |
$$ | T T T T T T T T T T T . . . C C C C C |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It looks to me like white is about 20 points behind, if I keep my left side alive. So, keeping that in mind, from now on, the goal for white should be, Kill the left, and the goal for me should be, keep it alive. I don't see any easy way for white to kill, so that's why I feel like solidifying the top is a good move at this point.

Let's see if I'm terribly wrong.

He went for that a little sooner than I expected. No big, I think it's a bit slow right now with the seriousness of the other fights going on. And I still have big endgame at L18.

This turn is big for me to defend my group and it's sente because it threatens to enclose his right side group, which would be a bummer for him. It might give me potential to make something in the center later too. Aiming at E11 or something similar to enclose (or threaten to enclose) next.

This was the accepted risk of ignoring white's move. But remember, I don't have to make a profit out of these stones, just keep them alive. It looks like I'll be doing that fairly easily. So, unless my counting is way off, white needs to make 20 in the center, or somehow reduce the bottom by a huge amount. It's my job to keep those things from happening.

Sente feels so good! This threatens to seal in, and it's dangerous for him to push and cut because he'll be kinda short on liberties.

White is attempting to make territory out of the center. I think I can still disrupt and minimize this territory, both from below and above. First order of business is to poke out into the center from this group, to ensure that it doesn't get sealed in and in danger of dying. Losing this group would be as bad as losing the one on the left.

Don't know how I missed that. It's kinda annoying because of the J16 stone; I really owe a move there to neutralize that, but I hate spending two moves to respond to that one stone. I really want to hane directly here, but I'm too thin. If I just fall back at G16, I'm in trouble if he plays J15.

But I can do this first, although it unfortunately strengthens black. If he responds with some sort of connection, I can hane afterwards... Hopefully.

This is really the only available move. To play elsewhere negates my last play.

This way keeps me out in the center, and we'll see what white does next.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm81 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X X X a b c O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think I need to play one of these three moves; gotta figure out which works best.

Even though I feel comfortable in my group's life, let's take a look at some things that I think about when I am waiting for other people to move.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X 9 O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . 7 8 X X X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . 5 4 6 . . a . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X 2 O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . 3 X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

An agressive push on white's part reduces my eyespace, but after white defends, a move at A is enough to ensure my connection. Are there any tesuji that can attack my group more severely?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . 6 2 4 5 . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . 7 X 3 O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Black is ahead on liberties here.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O a . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X 5 O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . 2 4 X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Due to the weaknesses at A, black can afford to ignore most peeps on the apparant weak point of its group. White needs to defend these cuts to keep black from gaining undue advantage in the area.

White is unlikely to force black into making that wekness manifest.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . 2 3 . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . 4 X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . 5 6 X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . 7 O 0 . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . 8 9 , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . a . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The sequence through black at A is very bad for white.

I don't think there's a good play for white to strongly attack this group. So let's look at some of the things that white might do instead..

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm81 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 9 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . b . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . a . . . X . c . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Moves at A and B are what I'd expect. White can try to make close to 20 points in the center, if they can get the whole thing. Unfortunately, I think I have the chance to play either at or around A or B should white take one or the other.
C is an attack on my left side, and one I've thought about a lot.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X b 3 a . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . 2 . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

90 activates weak points at both A and B. The only way to defend both is with the ungainly shape of 81. Trying to defend one or the other cuts just gives up too much for my comfort.

So, really, white's only options are to try to make territory in the center, or.. well, there's one other thing, that I've avoided talking about, in case it makes it true..

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X a X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 2 . . b . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

90 here is a deep submarine invasion. The weaknesses at A and B make it.. possible. Not easy, but.. possible. We'll see if white is crazy enough to try it. I hope not, because I'm not so good at dealing with such things.

I think the proper answer for black is..

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm89 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . O . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , O O . . X O . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X . . . O . . X . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . X . X . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . X O X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . O O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . , O . . . . , O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O . . . . . . . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X 5 7 b . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . 3 . 4 6 X a O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 2 . c 8 9 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

After this, white gets to play a, black gets B, and white C makes black 97 dead. Black cries about his lost territory, and attacks the middle fiercly in order to make up for it.

But who knows, I may be missing a black tesuji, and I'm hoping white won't see the submarine until I can play a fix.

This is just a snapshot of things that run through my head while waiting for other people's moves...

I haven't had time to look at this as carefully as I intended, but I should be OK with this. There is some tricky aji, but I can't really afford to be overly cautious at this point in the game.