I was also thinking about extending below, however Q4 is probably an important shape point for w. After the following sequence, it would be too easy to w to get the lower group alive:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm67
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , . . 7 . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . . X . . O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X O O X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X 5 6 4 O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O 9 X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . 8 . 2 3 . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 0 . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

With my actual move, a similar sequence could follow, however I would not need an extra move in order to prevent an eye at P4. Thus it might get a bit more tough for the w group (it will live anyway at the end, I guess...). A good news is that my lower right side gets solidified in that process.

Here it goes. May this sacrifice not be in vain...

If you play N6 I will play N9 (it's then the only move anyway...).

I have a hard time deciding, but I think white can just trade with A or B and still have potential on the bottom.

My opponent has now given me an interesting choice. And I think I need to sacrifice these two cutting stones. And then play something like this jump.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , a . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . . X O 1 O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X 2 . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

I will have to think on this, as I may also want to directly kill black's cutting stone with a ladder at 'a' or something else. By the end of the day, I will decide.

So yeah, I'm saving these stones and giving up the two. Next up will probably be some sort of jump from my 4 stone wall here. My goal is to make as many points as possible in the center if black reduces from the outside or, if black lives in the center, to make points above and below that life.

Two guesses:
- I really have no choice here
- My was suboptimal

Recently, I have been trying to get back into a style of playing more solidly. My overly aggressive tendencies got me into this mess. Perhaps proper moves like this will allow me to get out. After all, this is a cutting stone. If you can capture a cutting stone, why should you not? My two stones there are huge for reducing black in the center and this move should prevent my wall from becoming weak. Now I can simply focus on attacking black in the center and helping my lower group live.

In the meantime I had the hallucination that on tengen simply captures L9 in a net. However on a second glance, it doesn't work. Finally, we have reached the 'ladder variation' which I mentioned before, therefore I play a ladder breaker which at the same time threatens to enter the white top side.

I figured a ladder breaker was coming next, and I had no intention of doing anything but taking. I don't want to mess with any sort of fuss or shenanigans.

A ladder breaker like this is not like a ko threat. I can deal with the consequences of whatever black does next on top. This move is too big to be ignored and removes all aji from these stones. I can now focus on playing moves to help the bottom group live, attack the group above, and even possibly split black on the left with the newfound strength of this center group.

It seems very unlikely to me that W's stones on the bottom can live, even with the first move.

After the center exchange it's worthwhile to have a look at points. The lower-right w group seems pretty dead now, at least I cannot find a convincing resurrection, even if I try hard (wishful thinking, you know...). If I'm correct, the lower right side is 50 points for black. Together with the right side (16-18 points) and the left invasion (~10 points) this is more than 75 points. White also has about 50 points at whole upper-left, 15 points lower left and 6.5 points of komi - in summary the current scores seem somehow balanced. Therefore - if the lower group is REALLY dead, I don't need to think about drastic operations (if it is not dead, I have a problem, though ).

Of course it is tempting to invade into the white area at (a) right away. However white got a nice center wall with a ponnuki, and if he manages to cut off my G14 stones I could end up in big trouble.

The move M14 helps to stay connected with my right group (which BTW also may need a bit of attention due to the presence of the white wall) while still maintaining the option to reduce white e.g. via (a) or (c).

The connection to the bottom is a bit more difficult since white can play (d) in Sente (unless I'm ready to sacrifice my left invasion group, which I'm not).

I'm not going to show and deeper variations here, since giving reliable forecasts in this position is way beyond my reading capabilities

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm70 Captured:
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . c . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . a . . O . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . b . 4 . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , 3 . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . 5 . O 1 O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . d . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X 2 . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

There is a fundamental principle that I am applying here: "Keep your stones connected and your opponent's stones disconnected." This move loosely aims at connecting to my wall, but it definitely aims at keeping black from connecting to his right-side group.

Things can get tricky here. Both the attachment above and below are possible for black, but from what I have read black can't stop me from disconnecting here. Instead, I need to be concerned about what sort of aji is left behind and whether black can make enough shape here to live. Thankfully, a stick is not a good shape for eyes. I just need to make sure black doesn't get much better than a stick here.

Do I think I can kill this? Not if black plays it right, but if I do somehow manage to kill this center group I don't see how I'll lose.

I will show the most interesting variation I read:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 4 . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O 0 3 7 5 . X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . 9 8 2 1 . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X . X 6 O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

This is ugly and messy with us each trying to cut the other apart. My groups have liberty issues, but I think they can at least stay strong enough to let me cut off the bulk of black's group. I'd imagine that, with this variation, I will lose something on the top side, but will gain in the center.

After white blocks I plan to wedge at O16. After a sequence like in the following, white should save his O14 stones via a-b-c sequence (b is needed to prevent w from entering right side). After that I can play d and hope that - given the weakness around N16 - this is enough to make live.

White does not need to play the atari and can instead save the N14 stones right away. Anyway, I'll get some extra time to play a move like (d) to either capture a w stone or build enough strength. It's difficult to find a precise conclusion, OTOH it will be game deciding. But that's how many of my games tend to end up...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm79 Captured:
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . d O . . 2 1 3 X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . 6 4 X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X 7 X 5 O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . c b . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

Thoughts on schawipp's previous move: Unexpected as has been the case for most of this game. I don't think encouraging me to connect and cut his stones off is a good idea, but perhaps I have misread something about this move.
Reason for playing my move: Keep my stones connected and my opponent's stones disconnected. I have no other reason.

As planned - I have no greater insights than in my last comment, yet...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm80 Captured:
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . 3 1 X 2 X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

So now my opponent disconnects me. Well, then I have to disconnect my opponent.

I don't think black would wedge just to let me capture and make a ponnuki, so I'm going to assume he saves. Hence the trigger.

Next, I expect black will play some sort of a jump that makes shape while threatening my 2 stones. Thankfully, I have my wall to run to.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . 1 O X X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X . X . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . 2 . 3 . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

Again, I don't expect to kill black, but I do hope I can gain profit by attacking. Running my cutting stones is important not because I expect black to die, but because after this fight is over a wall there will let me reduce the right.

On first glance, N12 looks most reasonable, however there is a very good chance that it fails miserably:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm83 Captured:
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . O O X X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 7 X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X . X 6 O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . 0 3 4 . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . 1 2 9 . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . 8 5 . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

... and then ...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm93 Captured: Black resigns here
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . O O X X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . 0 9 7 X X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X 6 X O O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . 8 4 2 O X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . 5 3 1 X O X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . O X . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

After some more examination the key seems to avoid the atari at N14. The situation is quite complex but at least I seem to have some chances...

At first, I scoffed at this move by black. Yet it is one that I must respect. I don't think it was the best move possible, but it does prevent me from jumping and it does take away a possibly useful atari at N14.

So, since my opponent is solidly connecting, I must run solidly. This is the slowest possible running move, but I can see no other option. This variation does not appeal to me:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Doomed to failure...
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . O . X O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . O . O O X X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . X . X X O 5 X 8 . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . 4 2 3 7 . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . 1 6 . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . O . . . . . , O . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . X O . X . . . . O . O O O O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O X X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . . X X O . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . . . . X X X . O X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . X O O . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O , . X . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

This starts as I planned so far...