Life In 19x19

Helps me, weakens him.

As I mentioned, I was looking at this move and liking what I saw. It's well-placed to reduce black's growing framework, even if I end up sacrificing C12. The peep at F13 is interesting, but I'm going to need to link up and get some liberties, first. Ideally, it would be nice to shut out the corner first as well, but I can only do one thing at a time. If black defends around C7, I intend to jump out with my group, to better clear his sector lines. I'm not out of the woods, but he'll have to reinforce before he can attack strongly.

Magicwand says, "One stone is aji"... So I'll approach on the top, first.

Kirby wrote:

$$Bcm1 Prisoners: W=0, B=0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Prisoners: W=0, B=0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Magicwand says, "One stone is aji"... So I'll approach on the top, first.

The stone on the left side is the weakest group on the board, the white group almost around it is the second weakest. The three white stones on top are not weak. The four black stones below that could become weak again when the white group on the left becomes strong.

I guess it has become clear that I think the black move is bad.

Okay, I'm considering a few options. I shall name them 'The Peek', 'The Split', and 'Thenuki'

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[go]$$Wcm1 The Peek
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 9 6 8 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X 2 X 5 7 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Peeking threatens to cut, and it's starting to look like I could safely cut black off here. Black can get some eyespace in the corner, but I don't see it being enough for two eyes. Since this is intriguing, let's read a bit deeper.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 The Peek part two
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 2 O O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O 1 X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 5 . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This atari seems not to work, because white gets out. Let's check out what happens if he starts differently.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 The Peek part 2b
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 4 O O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O 3 X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 1 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 8 5 6 . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X 9 O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Okay, this seems to work for black because of the tesuji at 1. I think that's similar to one from early in Davies' Tesuji, but I'll try one more time to find a way around it.

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[go]$$Bcm1 The Peek part 2c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 2 O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I don't think I have enough liberties to go much of anywhere with this. Perhaps black 3 would be the slide, but either will probably turn out fine for black. So I just barely can't peep.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 The Diagonal
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 8 . 6 7 2 3 . B . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O 4 O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 . 1 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If I try to attack black's newest stone, I think it lets him push at the weaknesses of my group to rip it apart. Same for if I tenuki (somehow black is getting the big points while I keep running and defending). Okay, not somehow. He's attacking my weak spots. Perhaps I have to play something passive, like walling off my corner...

Wait. I think that if I defend the corner with C16, it is in sente. If black were to tenuki, I would do the peep and win with diagram 2c, because I would have enough liberties to outlast. So I can defend the corner in sente. It means that black will attack from the outside (to make my sequence not work). I will block and presumably end in sente because of my new stability. He will have prevented the peep, but then I can tenuki safely to somewhere like D7 (I'll have to read again to see where specifically) or R15, or L3. So after all that, I'm doing none of the above, and defending my corner. Hopefully in sente.

I don't want him to connect under... I also let him get too muchon the top... Oh well.

Okay, I think this move for him was suboptimal. That, however, does not at all mean that I'll be able to punish him for it. He's defending his connection while threatening mine a bit. However, my plan was just to defend my corner in sente, and I pretty much got that. I just have to decide how to treat his response. Either I can say 'that is small' and tenuki, or I can defend my connection in response. The original threat to cut him off remains, so he would have just forced me to defend my stone... in gote. I know Kirby is much stronger than I am, so my criticisms ring hollow. But hopefully I can exploit his weaker moves to last longer before he forces me to resign.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Option 1: let him force me to defend, and aim to cut or attack C9
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This looks fine to me. If he defends C9 I can cut via the peep. If he does something defensive for his running group, like a double bamboo joint, I can turn to attack C9.

Actually... option 2 was to tenuki to attack C9. However, he has just enough space to run that I'd rather defend here first. All I have to do is prove that the cut still works, and I'll have a plan.

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[go]$$Wcm1 Does the cut really work?
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O . O 9 , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 8 6 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X 2 X 5 7 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

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[go]$$Bcm1 Looks like not
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 2 9 . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O 1 O O 7 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X X 3 4 8 . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X X X O O 5 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O X 6 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So I'm going to have to think about this a bit longer. If I can find a way to cut, I'm going to play D11.

Okay, the cut seems to not work directly. It seems a little like it might be taking gote unecessarily, but the move still feels good to me. If I get a single stone around K16, the cut suddenly works fine. So I'll play this move now, which stabilizes my group just enough that it makes various attacks sente. He can only defend one side or the other, so I hope to be able to attack him after this, even if it means ignoring what he does next. Let's see, but I would LOVE to take C9, because it would give me solid territory in the heart of where he wanted his moyo. So I'm sure he'll defend, but I'm getting more and more solid as well.

I want to defend on the left, now. I thought about:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Prisoners: W=0, B=0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O . O . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . B , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But it seems too small scale. I got my move in on top, which is good enough for me right now.

Not sure if this move is the right way to do it, but I am convinced it is sente against the peep/cut. If I get to capture those four stones, I get a fairly large area of pure territory. If he responds wrong, I kill the big tail of the group. If he responds correctly, I should get to take more of the top. He did what I expected, so I feel like I should go forwards with the rest of the plan. As an aside, he could try to run the top part out instead of capping at H13, but then his group is still weak and he is forcing me to capture stones in the middle.

My group on the left is kind of weak. I can't let him push my stone around too much here, though.

Well, I looked, and my analysis for the cut seems to read correctly now that I have L16. Unless I am horribly mistaken, J17 does not protect him against my sequence. Let's go for it.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Prisoners: W=0, B=0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 8 9 X X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O 7 O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 3 6 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X B X 2 4 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O W 1 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners: W=0, B=0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 4 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 O X X X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O X O 1 O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Crap, there's my misread

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[go]$$Bcm1 But this seems fine
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X X a . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . O 6 O 8 O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 3 7 9 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X B X 2 4 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O W 1 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I hate to let the fish slip loose at this point, but I just proved I can't capture the group unless he messes up. However, if I toothpaste him out (probably a bad idea, but if it is, it's for reasons beyond me)... it fixes my weaknesses at the top in sente, letting me capture his top stones for solid fourth-line territory. My group in the middle will either eat the loose stones or attack them as it escapes. Once it's safe, it'll have great thickness to attack the bottom and his loose left side. Hopefully I didn't misread anything else, and this is good enough.

If you H13, I

If you H15, I

First, threaten the top, then connect.