Time to create some more aji and exploid the minus zones to my advantage (hopefully).

This is more like a probe than anything else. I just want to see what black wants here.
Depending on how black responds, I either get a lot of aji, a lot of hidden move options, or black gets to play on the minus zone(s). maybe even a combination of those.
I might be able to get a tiny bit better result on the board if I do not play this move, but I think all the nastiness will more than make up for that.

Some variations are below:



I don't see any variation that is going to end in a disaster for me, so this move should really give black something to think about.

Aggressive. But I think I'm okay.
If he insists on cutting, I'll sacrifice part of my group. He'll have to take at least two of the minus zones.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B:7, W:15
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 9 m O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . 8 X m O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O 4 X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p 7 X O 2 , . . . . p |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 O 6 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m 5 . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Only move.

I think this was aji keshi for black. I now have to defend, while in other variations there could be a really nasty cut there (hidden move aji ect.)
So, I think I should be happy with this move.

Probably a,b or c next all of which I discussed in my previous post (with a different move order). (I would play a, taking the penalty, but removing a lot of aji, maybe getting the plus point as compensation.)

Why does black makes such a mess of this... he is playing like he is 15 points behind...
He puts the whole left at risk. I can't imagine he has read out every possibility.
The best variation I can find for black is like this:

I can also still play "Batoo style"

I hope this plays out well for me.

Atari? Connect! Well this one was obvious.
If he splits me now, I will sacrifice part of the group and live with the rest:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Score - B:13, W:10
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . m O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . . X 5 O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O 1 X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p 4 X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . . B X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O 3 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m 2 6 . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Maybe I can play at the plus zone. That would be an added bonus.

If he extends at the bottom, I will connect at the minus zone and live comfortably with third-line territory:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Score - B:6, W:18
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 2 O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . . X m O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O m X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p . X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . . B X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m 1 . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

following my previous thoughts.

he now has to play a minus zone.
I will keep sente. I think I will use my hidden move soon.

if black plays as below...?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B:10, W:18
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . m O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . . X m O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O m X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p B X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

This move feels right! It makes my territory on the left 100% solid and the only forcing move he has exchanges a minus zone, so it's no loss. If my 3 stones on the right are enough to counter the influence of his wall, then I am certainly not behind right now.

One move I thought about was here to avoid the minus zone, but it is has problems:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B:10, W:18
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 1 2 O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . 3 X m O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O 5 X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p . X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Note that I cannot play at because he'd play at to cut me off. Even if that means that he'll take 3 minus zones, he kills my entire left side, which would be very big.
is also forced, because after he threatens to cut me off again. Since that means it's sente, this is worth more than the minus zone white has to take to start it, so I wouldn't want to play this way.

One more thing: I'm a bit worried about his hidden move. If he plays it at any time it could be at C6 or D7 threatening to cut me off, so he might bluff me into playing there, when his hidden move is in fact somewhere else completely. I must make sure that I can play D7 in sente, that means I need to make sure that E9 is a big enough follow-up.

he did play a minus point but... I think he played the wrong one .
I can't see black living on both sides after this cut.

some variations







In short. I see no way out.
Maybe he can use his hidden move in a nasty way, but I have a scan + a move.
So I get to eliminate two variations. I don't think black has much chance, unless I missed something.

Maybe I missed something. I did not spend too much time reading out all variations.
If black gets away with this, then I lost a lot of great hidden move aji options.

Only move! Did I miss something? Can he capture my group? As far as I see, I capture his stones first, unless he plays a clever hidden move. I guess he wants to take the plus zone in sente!?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Score - B:6, W:14
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . 6 5 7 . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 2 X O m X . . m . . |
$$ | 8 1 X B O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p 3 X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . 4 X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . m O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

He did not really have a choice at the last move,
I will just go along with what I put in the previous hidden section.
I did not do any new reading.

:( I misread it. I only looked at the upper side ... stupid me!
I can only hope that he plays this way now, which allows me to get at least some points out of it.
Or I use my hidden move in a clever way possibly at

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Score - B:7, W:13
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O 8 X . . m . . |
$$ | 6 4 X X O . . . X . . |
$$ | 3 O O X O . . . . . . |
$$ | 2 O X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | 1 B X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . 7 X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 5 O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

edit: Here's what the problem is! In order to save the bottom, I'd have to play this way:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B:2, W:14
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O m X . . m . . |
$$ | . 4 X X O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O X O . . . . . . |
$$ | p O X O O , . . . . p |
$$ | . 2 X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 1 O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

But after I can no longer save the top!

This is looking good for me.

The following looks to be the only possible outcome


After this variation I get to keep sente which is great, because I can then use my hidden move.
I can threaten to capture the top with it, but more likely I'm going to split up the right somehow,
getting a head start on that part of the board.

Yes, this is the better reply than immediately going for the kill on the bottom! I might even have to be careful not to get destroyed on the top too. However this move should be playable.

see my previous post

*sigh* I don't think I have any other choice. At least I get the plus zone in sente.

Time for my hidden move.
I learned this timing from the other batoo game I played.
At this stage of the game I can hide my hidden move very well. (lots of options)
This will give me a good chance of getting an advantage with it.
If I wait too long black will get too solid, giving the hidden move much less chance of success.

Now I used my hidden move and my opponent did not, I have to make sure to keep my groups solid.
There is no danger on the left which is great. His move removed all that aji.

I'm not going to post my hidden move, so spectators can guess for them self where I played it.

it is not a good time for a hidden because black only has one threat..
only hidden move i see are...a,b,c. and all can be cured by "d". which is the only move black can play for next move.
basically black lost his weapon for nothing.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B:2, W:18
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . a c . p . . . . . |
$$ | . b X O d . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O B X . . m . . |
$$ | X O X X O . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O X O . . . . . . |
$$ | X O . O O , . . . . p |
$$ | O . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . O . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . . m . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]