topazg, I'll be travelling during the next two weeks, and it's unlikely I'll have time to make moves during that time. Hence, should you fancy taking 14 days to think over your next move, let nothing stop you from doing so.
$$Wcm70 Prisoners: :w1: :b100:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 1 . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[go]$$Wcm70 Prisoners: :w1: :b100:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 1 . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I briefly looked at a few alternatives, but the simple descent seems easily best. Killing the group outright (with something akin to "a") seems impossible. I also looked at moves like "b" with the intent to give easy life to the group below in exchange for additional strength against the two Black stones above. However, the simple descent should be sufficient against the two stones above, while there is more benefit still to be had from attacking the Black group below.
$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . O . O . a . |
$$ . . . . . . X b . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . O . O X X . |
$$ . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . O . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------
[go]$$Wcm70 Prisoners: :w1: :b100:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X . X O X O . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . O X . O X X . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . O . . . . O X X X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . c O X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . O . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . B B . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 1 . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . X . 6 . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . b . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . 4 . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . a . . . O 2 |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Now "a" makes a serious cutting threat of the shape points at "b". I can't take first happily because White will just extend at the bottom, which is big, and much though I don't like to get sealed in, White hasn't got any points at my central stone is at least somewhat supported by
Next, I want to cut at "c" if I can, hopefully either settling the marked Black stones or taking a large territory at the top.
topazg is playing with fire. The idea behind his move, I believe, is to reduce my territory in sente (I have to respond if I want to deny Black easy life). However, don't I get to play the following eye-space-reducing move in sente?
$$Wc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O . |
$$ . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . O . O X X . |
$$ . . . . . O O X 1 |
$$ . . . . . . . O X |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------
[go]$$Wcm72 Prisoners: :w1: :b100:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . 1 . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . . O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
All right, here we go! One of the two marked groups will die--and if neither of them do, I will get sufficient compensation elsewhere ... or so I think.
$$Wc
$$ -------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ X O . . . O X . . |
$$ X . . . O X X . . |
$$ . . . O X X X . . |
$$ . . . . O X . . . |
$$ . . . . O O X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . # # . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O . |
$$ . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . . . . . B . . |
$$ . . . . . B . 1 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . O . O X X . |
$$ . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . O X |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------
I can probably exchange for before jumping, but I should think about it some more. Also, I need to make sure that I don't need to exchange "a" for "b"--an exchange I'd rather avoid.
$$Wc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O . |
$$ . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . . . a . X O . |
$$ . . . X . X . O . |
$$ . . . b . X . 2 . |
$$ . 3 . O . O X X . |
$$ . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 O X |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------
[go]$$Wc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O . |
$$ . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . . . a . X O . |
$$ . . . X . X . O . |
$$ . . . b . X . 2 . |
$$ . 3 . O . O X X . |
$$ . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 O X |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------[/go]
Overall, it's rather clear that things have gone horrible wrong for Black on the right side. Black was already slightly behind beforehand, so now Black's position must be dire indeed. Barring a catastrophic error, I expect to win handily.
Ontological imperative holds that my losses occurred only in imagination.
I just sent topazg a private message, telling him that he's being missed on this forum. Hopefully he comes back to us. Also, I sure wouldn't mind getting this game going again.
Ontological imperative holds that my losses occurred only in imagination.
[go]$$Wcm76 Prisoners: :w1: :b100:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . 2 O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . 1 O X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb and sacrifice my whole group, and then count.
I don't like running with something so sad looking, and if I make something on the bottom (instead of running away and giving him the bottom) it's going to be not too unacceptable as an exchange.
If things look really bad afterwards, I can resign happily enough - I've been away for long enough I've lost any emotional investment in this game, so I'd rather just make it interesting and then see if it's worth continuing with
White group in the bottom-right is pretty strong, so I can cut without needing to worry about that group. However, I suspect that topazg's plan is to use the cut to play a few forcing moves and then hit me with a tesuji at P8.
$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O 0 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . 1 2 . X . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . X O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[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 X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . O 0 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . 1 2 . X . . . |
$$ | O X X X O X . . . , . . X O . O X X . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
So far, I can't find any lines where this "tesuji" actually works (as long as I play correctly, that is). I better make sure I'm not misreading here, though, as my making a big misread is topazg's only chance at a comback, as far as I can see.
Ontological imperative holds that my losses occurred only in imagination.
first happily because White will just extend at the bottom, which is big, and much though I don't like to get sealed in, White hasn't got any points at my central stone is at least somewhat supported by 
for 
before jumping, but I should think about it some more. Also, I need to make sure that I don't need to exchange "a" for "b"--an exchange I'd rather avoid.
I'll need to think about the position a little bit, refresh my memory.