I'm not your opponent, but I'd say take the time you need, and play when you can. I'm sure your opponent understands.
I am your opponent, and would say roughly the same thing. Go in the first place is meant to be a passtime, not an obligation. It's good if you still see benefit in playing, but of course feel free to take this game as lightly as you wish.
The Internet has made possible some very specialized modes of social interaction, such as this webforum. I'm not really familiar with the gravity of your father's death, but I hope that you and your family are well.
Thank you. I wasn't worried about you not understanding. I just wanted to let you know.
But I really have enjoyed the game. The day that my dad actually died, I ran into a friend at a coffee shop and played go. It felt very calming, so I was glad that go has that affect on my life. I've been enjoying this game very much and I hope to continue learning from it. But sometimes I might take awhile to reply, that's all.
[go]$$Wcm61 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O . X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . 5 . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
This is much in line with some of my earlier (predictive) variations. It's the bottom group that needs help now. If I nobi instead, or (even worse) press, Black will use a knight's move or something to attack me on the bottom and quickly become strong that way. I won't be making territory in the process of defending, and I'll still have the cut. So why would I want to directly help the cutting stone, if the cutting is not immediately meaningful?
As to the particular move I chose, note a couple of things. First, it prepares fairly well to take territory if I get to block later. Second, it breaks the ladder. Third, playing loose and at a distance from Black makes it a bit less comfortable in this case for Black to play kikashi from above, which is the area that I'm most concerned about.
[go]$$Wcm61 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O . X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X b . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O c . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . a . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
a threatens to take a good amount of territory and to force him into bad shape. b threatens to capture the cutting stone in a net and if he stones that, I can come back and play a. I went with a directly because him getting it does a lot of good for him. My cutting stone still has a lot of aji after this anyway. And I think I'd prefer him not playing here and then I capture the cutting stone.
Not sure if it's right, but that's what I decided to go with.
I also considered the driving tesuji with c, but I don't think it gains me all that much.
[go]$$Wcm61 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O . X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Now I guess I jump out and avoid being covered. There's little that I can do to attack the group right now. I'm still interested in moving those three stones in the center, which is part of why I'm avoiding the cover.
[go]$$Wcm61 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O . X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I was kind of hoping that his jumping out would allow for me to naturally capture his cutting stones, so that's my feel for how to make my moves flow naturally. You know, I'm feeling kind of good about this game.
I also considered extending the newly formed black cutting stone, but decided that stone isn't so important at this point. I also think that the driving tesuji might have been interesting, but I feel that I have that and capturing one of the cutting stones as miai.
[go]$$Wcm61 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O . X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X 9 . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Seems like now is an interesting time to play kikashi. I'm feeling pretty interested in nobi to capture the cutting stone now, as it starts to make it possible to attack the black group, and is a solid defense for me. If Black avoids the fight by blocking on the bottom, allowing me to connect my three stones later, then I'll feel more comfortable with the defensive-looking nobi.
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Ah, sorry about that, P-cake. You are correct that things got temporarily busy over the past few days. Additionally, I've only recently regained electrical power.
Also, I tend to be cautious taking gote like this.
$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X b X @ a . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . e . X X O f . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . c O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X b X @ a . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . e . X X O f . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . c O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
This move is thinking very carefully about the aji Black left at or a). There was no other way to capture my cutting stone - I was a bit quick to think about b) for Black instead - but nonetheless I have the aji and there's nothing I can do to attack the group on the left, not with that presently irremovable eye-making move there, for example. c) would be answered by d), basically, and I'm really no better for attacking. e) really wants f) in place first, to even begin to work, but f) is a touch too small to take in gote. So, I'm just going to fix the weakness on the right since it's a big point that's been lingering since the opening.
This is the first time I've taken a pure gote in quite a while, this game. Let's see what Black wants to do next...
Last edited by parliament on Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . 2 . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
He took care of his invasion point which has been a thorn in his side for a long time, but he can only cover one weakness at a time, so I'm going to use this opportunity to attack his weak group. I'm sure that we're both still eyeballing the cutting stones in the middle as well.
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . X . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X 3 . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Both Black's move and mine have a natural feel as a continuation. He pressured me with a checking extension, and now here I'm securing my base, obviously, but also this helps make the aji on the left more interesting.
$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . b . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . X . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . 3 X . . a . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . b . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . X . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . 3 X . . a . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
It's not so easy to resist. I thought about probing like this to maybe separate the black stone but it feels like bad timing, really. I don't want to hurt my potential to invade at a) as long as the hole at b) is open for Black.
[go]$$Wcm71 In the lids: B- W- $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . O O . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . O X O . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . | $$ | . X X X O O . . X O . O . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . X X O X X . O . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . X O . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X O X X . X . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . O . O . . . . X . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O O . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . X X X O X . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . X O O . . O . X . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . X . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
This was the toughest move that I've had to decide on in this game. This move is profit oriented. It gives me about 16 points of territory in capturing those two stones and his group remains relatively weak. I count about 25 points of territory in this area. I think I should have about another 25 points in the area where his three cutting stones in the top right center are located. I think he has about 60 points of territory if he gets more along the right side. I still have the bottom right and he still has some semi-weak groups. I think I'm in good shape.
I think if I felt behind, I would go for a more severe attack on his group, but this move also makes me more comfortable with plays that remove his base and threaten to kill later.
Anyhow, I feel like I've been playing alright in this game. I also would love to hear what stronger players would play in this position.
The game looks really hard for White :/. It's hard to messy things up at the bottom because White's bottom group isn't exactly the strongest group in the world either. Even D12 isn't as strong as it looks (depending on who gets H9).
W- 
or a). There was no other way to capture my cutting stone - I was a bit quick to think about b) for Black instead - but nonetheless I have the aji and there's nothing I can do to attack the group on the left, not with that presently irremovable eye-making move there, for example. c) would be answered by d), basically, and I'm really no better for attacking. e) really wants f) in place first, to even begin to work, but f) is a touch too small to take in gote. So, I'm just going to fix the weakness on the right since it's a big point that's been lingering since the opening.