The only other move I considered was the hane, which costs me five points but doesn't look much better than this one. Now White has to worry about finding himself in a position where he has to live in that corner by playing a minus zone.

Here comes the fun

I usually try to play as solidly as possible, so I was tempted to connect at D5, but I think that might be over-concentrated (creates a "super-stable" chain, a no-no according to Bruce Wilcox), and it lets White get a big corner. If White cuts me, it shouldn't be a problem, since I can live easily (I hope) on both sides.

I have a feeling I'm playing to the m and p points, which I think I'm doing way too hard. We'll see how this goes, I have a few plans but nothing all that clever sadly

I really hate to play such a slow move, but I just can't find any alternative that doesn't leave me with scary weaknesses. I even considered the kosumi to the plus zone on the left, but I just can't read any happy futures for me after White cuts at D5. At least now I am completely impervious to attack and I can focus on other things. And since I have 7 points "komi", I don't need to do anything fancy.

This type of solid, cautious move is typical for me. If it is bad and Graham manages to punish it, I'll consider it a valuable learning opportunity.

I will now try to play in the upper left as soon as possible.

Hopefully living in the corner without having to touch the nasty "m" points . Have 3 plus points in my grasp too, which is obviously nice. Looking at D9 and K3 if I can get them as well.

I thought about tenuki-ing to the upper left (maybe D9) to extend from my wall, but I think I should just be more patient. I expect after this move White will connect somehow, and then I will descend to the plus zone. 5 points really is a lot on such a small board!

I also need to start thinking about my strategy for the hidden stone. In general I think it's best to use it for a move that you would have wanted to play anyway. That way if your opponent finds it right away, you didn't lose anything. The trick will be to find a time when there is a point that I want to play but White doesn't.

If he takes the plus zone, I think I will play D9. As he's going to want to avoid C9 and at the same time stop me developing the top side. Hopefully I'll get it in sente and then wander off to the top and right hand side plus points.

I kinda expected topazg to take the plus zone here, and let the capture happen. couldn't he still live in sente?

This is a big move. Getting 5 points on the plus zone isn't like taking five points of territory; it's like capturing five stones. That is to say, the swing value is 10.

Incidentally, if I ever try to make territory in the upper left, White may be able to take the left plus zone in sente, which is one more reason why the upper left isn't as big as it looks.

One thing that's really interesting about this game, is that the plus points are really 3 point gote moves if they are inside your own territory, so they aren't all that big. If Black takes the point at the top, he gets 5 points, but he also loses 2 as I get a point of territory and the prisoner, and does so in gote. In which case, it seems much bigger to take all the big edge points, and the take the "p" points when 3 points gote is actually reasonably worth playing.

An interesting comparison:

If black were to effect this, it would be worth say 14 points in gote for black, minus the value of white's somewhat improved outward thickness:
(not saying this is a position that would ever happen... just placing down a small "successful invasion")

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 28, W: 17
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . W B B . |
$$ | . . . . . . @ W B . B |
$$ | . . m O . . . W m B B |
$$ | . . . . . . . . @ W W |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | p . . . . . . . . . p |
$$ | . X # X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . O O m X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . m O # . . X m . . |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Getting White to play the minus point in his own territory in sente somehow is worth 5 points in sente for black, which is only 2 points less than 14/2 = 7, and then add as well the value of any aji black creates this way.

A possible approach to this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 28, W: 17
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . @ . 2 . . |
$$ | . . m O . . . 1 4 3 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . @ . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | p . . . . . . . . . p |
$$ | . X # X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . O O m X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . m O # . . X m . . |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Of course White can resist and things become interesting:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 28, W: 17
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . @ . 2 . . |
$$ | . . m O . . 5 1 m 3 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 4 @ . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | p . . . . . . . . . p |
$$ | . X # X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . O O m X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . m O # . . X m . . |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

The pros seem to like to use the hidden stone in the late middle game or endgame, but I'd just like to see how using it a bit earlier might work out. I like the idea of making him worry early on and constantly question his moves until he finds my stone.

I'll probably find it as we fight in a big mess, then I'll use mine too ..

an intersection. Don't look in here!