Life In 19x19

finally, i think he made mistake of not taking that three stones
although i gave up some points in the middle his potental is restricted and my group is all alive and strong..
i think the game starts now..

Another unexpected move from MW. It's very big, but I'm not sure that it's urgent.

However, W is not relatively tick in the centre. This means that a W move at 91 is more than just territorial - it could develop an attack against my komuku stone. My conclusion is that 91 is the biggest move on the board. My first instinct as to play at Q4, making superb shape in the lower right. But I think the move played is bigger - I should still get something lower right, and I seem to have a territorial lead. There are some wekanesses around in my position, but nothing looks very severe for W.

drmwc wrote:However, W is not relatively tick in the centre. This means that a W move at 91 is more than just territorial - it could develop an attack against my komuku stone.

= W is now relatively thick. But komoku? you only just played your first 3-4. Do you mean mokuhahahasizhisi or whatever 5-3 is called.

Yes, that is what I meant.

It was one of my many typos...

i am not saying much because i am behind.
luckly my opponent missed his chance and gave me some hope on last ko....IMO. although my opponent is winning sofar but it is vague due to his initial cornoer formation. If he loses sente and let me attack both corner then he will lose the game for sure..
i am behind but not by much. i am sure i will get another chance before the end.

92 is a good move. I did not expect it. I have two choices in reply:

The first option is the most natural reply. If I do this, MW has two options.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

He can play on the side. If he does this, 3 is exceedingly big. Then 5 conects my only remaining weak stone to the corner.

I think this OK for B - W needs a spectactuarly good invasion at the top to get back into the game.


MW can also play into the corner:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc choice 1, W variant
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X b X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . . 9 a . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X 3 8 0 . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . . . 1 O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . 7 . X 2 . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . 5 4 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

7 above is the easisest move for me. Following this, a is very big but not actually sente for me. b is close to being my sente, but not quite sente yet. It threatens to take some points on the bottom, and weakens W's RHS group which has all sorts of strategic benefits.

I think I still have the lead, but the diagram above feels a bit flabby for B, so I don't really like it. So I may try a variation with 7:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc choice 1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X 3 0 . . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . . . 1 O 7 . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . 9 . X 2 . 8 . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . 5 4 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm9 continued
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X b X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . . 3 5 . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X X 2 4 . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . . . X O X 6 . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . 1 . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This is a slight improvement for me over the previous diagram, since I get to play 13 in sente. Next I'll probably play at b since keeping W weak helps to proetect the upper side. the 13-14 exchange helps in weakening W.

My second option is as below:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc choice 2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X . X . . . 4 . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . b O X 2 . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X 0 7 8 3 O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . a 6 9 X 1 5 . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Following B 1 above, it may revert to the first diagram shown if MW extends with 2 and I elect to soldily connect after this. I've shown a variant to the very first diagram where I take the corner with move 5, because it's very big. Following 10, I can play a or b. (I haven't decided which is best). The move at a requires careful counting of ko threats, but it the better move if it works!


W can of course avoid all this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc choice 2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X a . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X 7 X . . . 8 . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O b . 6 . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X 4 . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . 5 3 2 O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . . . X 1 . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Above, I give up a ponnuki to take the side an corner. 7 is solid - I may be able to play more vigourous move. Then 8 is very big. W would like to invade the top witht his move, but if I get to play at a I take W's territoy, and potentially get an attack both sides (note the cut at b).

I may also be able to play 5 at 6.


SO it's a complex position, and I don't yet know which move I lie the best.

This is forced after MW's previous move. It's unclear me what W' best continuation is -

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Any of a-e are possible, and I think I can handle all of them. The decision for me is if to extend at a in answer to e; or pull my stone out at b.

I eventually rejected th other line because:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B rejected
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X 3 . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . . . 1 O 7 . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . . 8 X 2 . 0 . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . 9 5 4 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bm11 rejected continutation
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . X . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O O . . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X X O . O O X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , X X . . X O O . O O . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X . X X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X X . X . . O . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . X O X X . X . X . . 9 . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . O . O . O O . . . 8 3 5 . |
$$ | . . . X O . O . . . . . . O X X 2 4 . |
$$ | . . O O X X . . O , X . 0 1 X O X 6 . |
$$ | . . O X . X . . . . . . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If white interjects the cut at 8 above, it leaves some annoying aji behind in my position. Obviously, 19 above is a mistake and I should give up the 2 stones (13 and 15) but it feels like I'm throwing away points.