point"a" is my right. i dont think he has time to play that point.

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[go]$$Wcm81 Prisoners - W: 2, B: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O X X O . |
$$ | . . . . X X . . . . . . X X O X X O . |
$$ | . X X X O . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . X X X . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O O O . . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . 1 . O . X X . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . . O . O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . X O O . X . X X O . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . X a . . . . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

SENTE, MY BITCHES! Now I gotta decide what to do with it. I think I gotta B12 before I can attack that group in a serious way, but is it really sente? Maybe I can poke away at that group more strongly. If I get some more power out there then maybe I can get more serious about cutting at F5.

I looked at several moves to attack this group. The goal here is to build up a little power in the middle (and maybe take a little territory at the top if the opportunity presents), then see what I can do about the bottom white group.

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[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O X X O . |
$$ | . . . . X X . . . . . . X X O X X O . |
$$ | . X X X O . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . d . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . O b O . . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O . X c e . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . a X . . . . . . . . . . X . X X X . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O O O . . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . O . O . X X . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . . O . O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . X O O . X . X X O . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . . . . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I wanted to protect the connection underneath with a, which also removes a potential gote eye for the white group along the edge. But a itself is gote, and the connection underneath is only in ko. Since last I looked at this ko, I think I've gained some threats, so it's less ugly looking than before.

I also considered b, followed by forcing moves at c and/or d (not necessarily in that order). I'm pretty sure it's sente, but it's pretty aji keshi. Almost as bad as pushing through a bamboo joint.

So I figured, if c is forcing after having played b, is it forcing without playing b? I think it is, but it feels slow. So I looked at the jump at e, and it seems to be fine. Yeah, white could push and cut, but that gives me enough forcing moves that I think the result is favorable for black.

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[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . X X . . .
$$ | . X X X O . . . .
$$ | . . O 6 8 . . . .
$$ | . . O 5 O 7 . . .
$$ | . O . X 2 1 . . .
$$ | . . X . 3 4 0 . .
$$ | . X . . . 9 . . .
$$ | . O X X . . . . .
$$ | O . O . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bm11
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . X X . . .
$$ | . X X X O . . . .
$$ | . . O O O . . . .
$$ | . . O X O X . . .
$$ | . O . X O X . . .
$$ | . . X 3 X O O 4 .
$$ | . X . . 2 X 1 . .
$$ | . O X X . . . . .
$$ | O . O . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .[/go]

is needed to prevent a ladder, so he can't run away with . So I think the push and cut is unlikely.

what i played is probably an overplay but since i have ko to secure my life i will push my luck.
if i get some more points in the middle..i dont have to caputre any of his group to win.

I read this out... I'm so curious what is being written!

I think here is better than pushing first.

I'm still surprised he cut, but I can't see a reason not to proceed as planned...

This threatens to ladder the two white cutting stones. Meanwhile, my group is getting stronger and I'm hopefully getting enough influence to fight on the bottom. He can atari at E11, but he can't go anywhere with it while the ladder is in play. Next I push at D9 or maybe D8.

I can easily sacrifice the two black stones at F13 if it's to my advantage, but I will also consider running with them, which attacks two white groups. I just don't want them to get in a feud with my center group; I have to ascertain its status, perhaps find some sente forcing moves to stabilize it.

seems like he is willing to give me that 2 stone.. thank you.
he will not be able to stablize that group easily. he is in big trouble. lucky for him that he only have 1 group to save.

But here are my thoughts:

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[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y O Y Y O . |
$$ | . . . . X X . . . . . . Y Y O Y Y O . |
$$ | . X X X W . . . . , . . . O Y Y O . . |
$$ | . . W . W . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . W . W # . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . W . B W # . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . B . B @ @ @ . . . . . X . X X X . |
$$ | . B . . . B B . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . Q B B . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | Q . Q a . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . Q . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . B . b . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . Q Q Q . . . . . c O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . P . P . X X . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . . O . O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . X P P . X . X X O . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . . . . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

These are the groups in play. Geeze, looks like I've made things more complicated than I know what to do with. Having sente for this long and having things work out how I expect is dizzying.

OK, a top priority is stabilizing . is connected to in ko, but is not alive. Keeping that weak is a BFD. Likewise is still weak, but can run to the right, which is a big white welcoming committee, save my one stone poking out. That makes pretty important, I think. Probably more important than I think. At least, I think so. And I can't just casually jump up with them, the squeeze will be an issue. Maybe sacrificing them is correct if I can get territory at the top in exchange.

Also, is easily alive, but I may have forcing moves against it. Pushing at a feels forcing, cause the atari might be tricky for white. It's also the lifeline for and . Speaking of , I really want to cut that off, but it's not clear that I can do that easily. Even if the cut at b works, he can try running to the right too. If I cut at b, can I actually cut again if he plays c? It may be better to make threatening moves there to reinforce my center before making use of .

Also, I've got in the back of my mind. Yeah, locally, it's unconditionally alive. But there are sente moves against it, and they may affect the upcoming fighting.

Right now, I've still got the lead, though I think I've squandered about 4 handicap stones worth by now. I do have a lot more solid territory. If I can avoid letting my groups die, can get some of the top side territory, and turn most of the middle into dame, preventing much white territory, I should still be able to win. I'm quite dismayed that I may end up with six or seven groups on the board.

MUST KEEP SENTE. MUST KEEP SENTE. MUST KEEP SENTE.

Your reading was pretty accurate here. I'm very curious to learn why you think this result is favorable for Black. I'm not saying it is not. I'm not passing any judgment at all. Just curious to see your thinking.

Well, I felt like if white wanted to capture those two stones it would be gote, and I would get enough going in the center to attack the bottom white group. If white didn't take those stones, I could pull them out, and they would be attacking just by running between two weak groups.

The more I look at it, the less I like it. I don't think cutting at F5 actually works for me. I need to cut on the other side also, and I don't think I can keep both cuts working at the same time. And I really think I underestimated the value of white taking those stones.

So, given the situation I'm in, I'm going to just worry about settling the larger group for now. I think this move is sente, though there are too many responses for me to analyze. But if white does take gote to, e.g. net the two black stones, I'll try to make territory at the top by threating to pull them out.

In a way, I'm guilty of lazyness. I looked at that one point jump, read out the cut, and didn't consider the consequences very thoroughly. I just figured it was good enough that white would not cut. Of course, white is going to cut in a handicap game, even if it's risky, because it's a handicap game and white benefits from complications. I didn't give enough considerations to other moves which maybe also would have given me a result I found satisfactory without allowing a cut.

I'm not quite sure why, but I like this move VERY much.

trying to make sure he doesnt live to easily

I have to connect, right? If I don't connect, I lose an eye and the two black stones lose all their value. Well, in fact, I really want to do this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B white 4 connects
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O X X O . |
$$ | . . . . X X . . . . . . X X O X X O . |
$$ | . X X X O . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . O X . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O . X O X . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . X 2 X O O O . . . . . X . X X X . |
$$ | . X . 3 W X X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X 1 . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . X . X . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O O O 5 . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . O . O . X X . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . . O . O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . X O O . X . X X O . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . . . . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I'm going to have to do some more reading to see if this really works. My last move was a threat, and if I don't follow up, what kind of coward am I?

(famous last words)

"You gotta go where you want to go,
Do what you want to do."

--- The Mamas and Papas