wtf?

Playing on general principles here. I don't think white can't finish the top left corner in one move, so that area does not seem urgent. The bottom right is pretty much played out. The two black hoshi stones are not well suited to making an enclosure. So, I go for an empty side. My bottom left stone is closer to white's strength, and therefore a little weaker, so I play over there as opposed to the top.

Black's game is in its death throes.

Is F3 better than C6 as an approach move for white? I would have probably played C6, because F3 seems too close to white's influence here.

Perhaps there's something I can learn from this. Could someone elaborate?

I could learn a lot from this as well.

I think that C-06 is generally better. It isn't so much that F-03 is too close to White's thickness. After all, it is a 4 space extension. But, assuming that Black replies with F-03 or so, his further prospects on the bottom side are limited.

Thanks, Bill. I can see that. Maybe I call stuff influence too much instead of gathering rational explanations for moves.

The right side looks unimportant, so if white wants to play the standard joseki that ends poking his head out at R14, I will be happy.

i might play F4 in this situation. i think that is something to think about.
i like it better than c6.

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[go]$$c No good
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$$ | . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . O . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O . a . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Whatever happens, I don't want to let white enclose me with 2. So it seems my options are to play 2 myself, or maybe a, or cut. Can I cut?

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[go]$$c This doesn't look too bad.
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X 3 O . 8 . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 2 1 4 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O 5 6 0 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 9 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

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[go]$$c This doesn't look too bad cont.
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X O 2 O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . O X O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

The white corner looks big, but there may be a little aji there. Also black gets some strength to balance white's in the bottom right, so the 5-5 stone will be hard to use.

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[go]$$c Still OK
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X 3 O 8 6 9 . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 2 1 4 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O 5 7 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

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[go]$$c Just fine
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X 3 O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 2 1 4 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O 5 7 8 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 9 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

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[go]$$c Hmmm
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X O 5 6 8 . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . O X O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O 1 2 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

What happens if I don't cut?

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[go]$$c I don't like this
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 2 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O . 1 . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Putting white on the run doesn't help me, since white has thickness, plus this helps him get work from the 5-5 stone.

So I guess cut it is.

Just your feeling, or do you have a reason?

I wonder what he has in mind. Surely he was prepared for the cut when he played the knight move.

I guess you decided agaist the double atari at P17 because you are going for influence to counter white's influence, right?

Yes. Also allowing white a ponnuki there feels very bad.

O14 -> Q17

He's actually following one of my read-out lines. Go figure.

One thing I think really distinguishes stronger players, is that their evaluation of a position is superior. Here what I expected is playing out - but maybe Solomon's judgement on the the result is superior. We'll see.

if sol didnt play 5-5 point we would be in better shape.
i dont know why anyone is willing to play 5-5 point.
it is in joseki book but it doent belong there in my opinion.
there is a reason why professinals dont play such move.