My first thought when looking at this problem is that this must be a dead shape problem. A few shapes jump to mind:
$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X X X . . . .
$$ | . . W X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X X X . . . .
$$ | . . W X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X O . . . . .
$$ | W W . X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X O . . . . .
$$ | W W . X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X O . . . . .
$$ | . W . X O . O . .
$$ | . O . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . W X O . . . . .
$$ | . W . X O . O . .
$$ | . O . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
So then I implement the logical side, how do I get to these positions?
$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . b X O . . . . .
$$ | . . a X O . O . .
$$ | . O . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . b X O . . . . .
$$ | . . a X O . O . .
$$ | . O . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
The marked points are sente, probably one of those, lets start with "a"
$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 2 X O 4 . . . .
$$ | 5 3 1 X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 2 X O 4 . . . .
$$ | 5 3 1 X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
uh-oh, that's a seki
lets try the other one
$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 1 X O . . . . .
$$ | a 3 2 X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W White to play and kill.
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 1 X O . . . . .
$$ | a 3 2 X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
now "a" is interesting for black, keeps me from making that second shape I showed above, so what happens if he takes it?
$$B
$$ +------------------
$$ | . O X O . . . . .
$$ | 1 O X X O . O . .
$$ | 2 O a X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ +------------------
$$ | . O X O . . . . .
$$ | 1 O X X O . O . .
$$ | 2 O a X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
and now "a" has a shortage of liberties
But wait, need to check one more, what if black doesn't connect to my atari?
$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 1 X O 2 . . . .
$$ | 3 . . X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ +------------------
$$ | . 1 X O 2 . . . .
$$ | 3 . . X O . O . .
$$ | . W . X O . . . .
$$ | X X X X O . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]
this also leads to the second shape. Nakade, black is dead
So my approach IS logical, but only after my intuition suggests important patterns. All of my sequences try to use or approach these "lighthouses"