I did not see this move coming. I feel like a pincer would have been better. The left is big for white because of the shimari. This is a likely result.

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[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 1 O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This gives me a stable group on the left, which would have been big for white. I'm wondering if white might play 4 as a pincer on my group. If he does, then I'll need to consider how I can attack the group on top. Kogo's has no variations where white 4 attacks my group. I'm going to assume that the reason for this is that I have a severe attack on the top, or that I have an easy way to live and then attack the pincering stone. I'll consider that after I see white's response.

Whole board wise, I need to find a way to get sente and play something on the right to prevent myself from being kept low.

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

This is the sequence I wanted. We'll now see what white wants to play.

I feel like white might play this. I have to respond to protect my extension. Then white could try to build something off of his shimari. I feel like 3 here is forced. If not, I'll probably shoulder hit his stone to keep him low. After 3, I'll probably play on the right to make a framework and keep myself from being kept low. I'll need to find a good spot to play there, though.

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[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . 1 . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

By the looks of things, I will have all kinds of forcing moves over here. I like this position mostly because I have no clue what a good black response will be.... bad huh?

I decided to forgo extending from the bottom left... for now at least. I can make some big moves up here. I have a few points in mind - but not many sequences. This move really does go against my natural tendency to play the simple shoulder hit/capping moves. At this point - I feel those are too soft and potentially wasteful of my potential leverage along the right side of the board. This move can aim at a few things by attacking his shimari if he protects the right group, or by simply limiting his development - in sente.

It's important, at least, that I chose the 4th line. I think I can begin to tread lightly in this area. We'll see what develops.

I figure I'm not giving enough detail on my original plan or this one for that matter, so I will try again.

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[go]$$c Move 26
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , 2 . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This was it, but giving Black too many forcing moves on the left - it's really really bad.

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[go]$$c Move 26
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W 4 1 . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Maybe? I think there's a lot of options. A lot of moves that I'm eying.

Hello, and welcome to the middlegame. This move acts to prevent me from getting the framework I've wanted on the right. However, I feel like it's a little too deep. I would have played this in order to keep black low on the right.

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[go]$$c Variation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Now I chose my move as it definitely feels sente to me. If white tenukis, I can play this hane, which results in my group getting out and getting influence. Now white has to live on the side, or run somewhere.

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[go]$$c Varation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Thus, white won't tenuki my move. If white hanes, I will counter-hane. He cannot then cut, as this variation gives a very nice wall after I sacrifice my stones.

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[go]$$Wc Variation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . 2 3 5 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If white hanes and then extends, I will do this, and get thickness facing his lone stone.

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[go]$$c Variation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . 5 3 , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 1 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If white extends initially, I see this happening. I dare white to try to cut the knights move. And now his lone stone is under attack.

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[go]$$c Variation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . 3 . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Well, I simply need to get on top of things because I do not like this at all. I expect Black to push up and make me vvvery unhappy for playing Q12.

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[go]$$c Move 27
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 3 . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 W O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

And here, I will have to contemplate as I feel that continuing along this path will surely be painful. I've given my opponent something to attack so now what? Live, sacrifice, or run? I'm out of my comfort zone with a group this deep in his framework... it's too good for black to have this target to attack. We'll see if he plays this way then decide.

Just as planned ...

Warning: Loons is not good at go

But if I get myself into this situation I will try and live with the lonely stone. I'm not that worried about bottom right's L&D... I think he can live small in the corner at least.

I am going to make a really bizarre and ambiguous diagram

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[go]$$Wc Move 29
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . 1 . 1 X 1 . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . X 1 , . 3 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 X X 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O 1 2 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I will peep/probe with this kind of stuff until I can live.

O16 here might actually even be an ok move

Question for other players about this diagram. I know this didn't happen in the game, but doesn't this give white too much influence in the lower left? This looks really big to me (see my rank ). Or is this offset by blacks ability to make a move to strengthen his group on the upper right? Did I just answer my own question? ...

I think it's ok for black, because he can probably reduce that territory pretty significantly. Even if he can't, the large knight's move enclosure should be invadable.

I get that the large knight tends to be imminently invadable. However, if you were to start an invasion here, where would you start? With a large knight's from the star, I see the 3-3. But I'm typically clueless about other sorts of corner invasions, so I'm curious what you'd recommend.

It looks like he made the keima before pushing up once more. I think I can create and use some aji dealing with this. This isn't as bad as it could be BUT he will take a good amount of profit.

I was typing something up, but then I looked at Sensei's, and they had much better sequences than I could have come up with.
http://senseis.xmp.net/?LargeKnightSMoveEnclosure

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[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a 2 X 1 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If White wants to play anyway, he should not exchange for first, because he has eliminated the continuation of white 'a'. By the way, since the ladder is good for White, he can play at 'b'. Work out the continuation of 'a' for yourself, or look it up.

The problem with is that now has only a single purpose, running out, and only one continuation, pressing down on (or attacking) the right side black stone, which Black can now simply defend with one move.