Life In 19x19

That's an interesting way for topazg to defend. I did not consider it.

Next, I plan to play the following forcing move. I need to make sure, though, that topazg has to descend and cannot uncork any tesuji instead. If so, the White stone would limit Black's territorial expansion in the area, strengthen some of the cutting points to the right, and help White stones live at the top, should that become a necessity.

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[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O 2 1 . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

In any case, I got more or less what I wanted out of the invasion in the top right. I got additional influence toward the center and I reduced Black's territory potential on top.

However, I struggle to decide how to proceed next. I could attack the stone in the bottom right with "a" or "b." I could reinforce my moyo and put pressure on Black's central stone with something like "c." I could also consider protecting some of the cutting points in the top right with "d," but I doubt I'll do that right now.

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[go]$$Wcm52
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . d O X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The sabaki top right is going to be a bit painful if kind of tenable, but I have a hard time imagining playing anything but A or Q9.

Loons wrote:I have a hard time imagining playing anything but A or Q9.

Oh, you mean Intrepid's (a) on the board, or Q9. I read that as "A9 or Q9".

Expected sequence:

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[go]$$Bc
$$--------------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ . . O . . . . O X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 2 . O . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . X . . . . . O . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . , . . . O . , . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------------[/go]

Jowa says don't run - he probably wasn't talking to me though

I've pretty much had sente since move , so, I guess, topazg has had enough. I got to think about how best to reply, but topazg's move seems rather risky. Among other things, I am considering to play a move such as this:

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[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . O . 1 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This move separates the two Black stones, denies the lower stone's base, and threatens to connect underneath. This is my "first feeling," but there must be other good options, as well.

1. Move 16

Perhaps my position was not quite as good as I thought it to be at the time. If instead of tenuki (which I think was a bad choice by topazg), he attached underneath, the following sequence would significantly reduce White's moyo, leave Black with two very big corners, and still let Black extend on top (or play wherever else he wished).

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[go]$$Wcm16
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , 8
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 4 . . 1 . . . . .
$$ | . . 2 O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 3 5 . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X .
$$ | . . 7 . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . 6 O O . . . . . . .
$$ | . X X , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -----------------------[/go]

2. Move 12

For this reason, it would likely have been better for me to take the corner on move . If next Black made a two-space extension, I could attack it from d9, giving me a decent amount of territory and good deal of cooperation between my stones.

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[go]$$Wcm12
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 1 1 . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 1 . O . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O O . . . . . . .
$$ | . X X , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -----------------------[/go]

That said, (like I mentioned previously in my post #42), I'm not really sure what the outcome would be in case of a diadiageima extension from Black.

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[go]$$Wcm12
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 1 1 . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 1 . O . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 2 , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O O . . . . . . .
$$ | . X X , . . . . . , .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -----------------------[/go]

3. Move 20

Perhaps I could have gotten a big advantage by cutting. If Black played in order to have access to the center, it looks like I could kill the corner.

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

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[go]$$Wcm9
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . 8 . . . . . . . . .
$$ | 7 6 . 5 O X X X . . .
$$ | . 3 1 4 O X O . . . .
$$ | . 2 . X X O O . . , X
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

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[go]$$Wcm17
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . X 1 . 2 . . . . . .
$$ | O X . O O X X X . . .
$$ | . O O X O X O . . . .
$$ | . X 3 X X O O . . , X
$$ | . 4 7 X O . . . . . .
$$ | . 5 6 X . . . . . . .
$$ | . 8 O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

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[go]$$Wcm25
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . X O . X . . . . . .
$$ | O X . O O X X X . . .
$$ | . O O X O X O . . . .
$$ | . X O X X O O . . , X
$$ | 4 X O X O . . . . . .
$$ | 1 O X X 3 . . . . . .
$$ | 2 X O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

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[go]$$Wcm29
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . X O . X . . . . . .
$$ | O X . O O X X X . . .
$$ | . O O X O X O . . . .
$$ | . X O X X O O . . , X
$$ | X X O X O . . . . . .
$$ | 2 1 X X O . . . . . .
$$ | X X O 3 . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

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[go]$$Bcm32
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . X O . X . . . . . .
$$ | O X . O O X X X . . .
$$ | a O O X O X O . . . .
$$ | . X O X X O O . . , X
$$ | X X O X O . . . . . .
$$ | X 1 X X O . . . . . .
$$ | X X O O . O . . . . .
$$ | . 2 . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

There's a ko at "a" but Black has no ko threats, so Black dies. Can anyone find an improvement for Black in the above diagrams?

4. Move 28

This move by me is a real howler. I clearly should have played like shown below. I mean, this is exactly the move I described in my post #20 of my game aginst EdLee, so what the hell was I thinking when I played ? That's why I mustn't blitz out moves: I start missing elementary continuations.

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[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . .
$$ | 3 X X X O X . .
$$ | . . 2 O X . . .
$$ | . . 1 . X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ -----------------[/go]

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[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . .
$$ | O X X X O X . .
$$ | . 5 X C X . . .
$$ | . . O 4 X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ -----------------[/go]

Presently, I am trying to read the following fight in more detail.

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[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . O 3 2 O . . . . . ? ? ? . O . . . |
$$ | . . 4 O 1 . . . . . . ? ? ? . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 5 . 7 . . . . ? ? ? . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . , . ? ? ? . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . ? ? ? . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This initiates a struggle between Black's invading group and the White stones above it. Eventually, the fight should extend all the way down to marked area.

I am spending time to analyze this now so that I might get a sense of how to respond to topazg's last move. Ideally, my play on the right should not only be good locally, but also good with regard to indirectly stopping Black's invasion shown above.

I'd like to know your response to the following. My reading is that White can make a heavy reduction to black's corner here, but this might still be a decent result for Black with some great outside strength. Who knows, though? I'm only 4 or 5k at the moment.

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[go]$$Wcm9
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . 2 . . O X X X . . .
$$ | . . 1 . O X O . . . .
$$ | . . . X X O O . . , X
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

Gotta give Intrepid some credit for following the spirit of Malkovich games. He thinks a lot!

I couldn't see anything that would save Black in either of the two variations below. What continuation did you have in mind?

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[go]$$Bcm10
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . 1 . . O X X X . . .
$$ | . . O 2 O X O . . . .
$$ | . . . X X O O . . , X
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm10
$$ -----------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . 3 4 2 O X X X . . .
$$ | . . O 1 O X O . . . .
$$ | . . . X X O O . . , X
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , .[/go]

I missed a liberty, it becomes ko again (I think; Long L shape), but this time with some local threats for Black to play with. However, White also gets a number of local threats, so it's not any better than your own reading. Lots of places to mess up, though.

Planned sequence:

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[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . . . . . 2 O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 1 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . 3 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

There's a problem with this way of protecting the cutting points. Specifically, the cut at O14 is not easy to deal with. Essentially all ladder are in Black's favor. Thus, a complicated fight would start after this variation.

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[go]$$Bc
$$ -----------------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ O X . O X B . . . O X X . . |
$$ . . . O . . . 2 O X X X . . |
$$ . . . . O . . . 1 W X . . . |
$$ O . . . . . . 3 . W W . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . 4 5 . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . , . . . . . B B . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . O . . B . . . . . O . . . |[/go]

However, my reading tells me that, although Black captures the three marked White stones, White gets much thickness (and territory) in the center, so the result should be good for White.

Of course, I could also choose to protect the cutting points with WO13, but that would give Black forcing moves at "a" and "b," which I'd rather not allow.

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[go]$$Wc
$$ -----------------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ . . . . O . . b . O X . . . |
$$ O . . . . . . . 1 . O . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . a . . . . |[/go]