Life In 19x19

MHO provides new possibilities with his latest move. He is playing so fast and loose that it is possible to threaten to split him. Previously, it was a binary situation: either his group would be alive or dead. Now we have the third possibility of me threatening to split his group, and him accepting the offer, allowing me to kill part while the rest runs.

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[go]$$Wc 'A' threatens to work with '1' to split.\n'B' and 'c' are miai, I think.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . 1 . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X a X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . 2 . O O b . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . c . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

I'm tending toward '1' above because letting him have that point with '2 and '4' below looks bad for me.

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

As noted previously, if he gets this point, he is very close to two eyes. I'll settle for capturing 2/3 of his group and letting the rest run. I can still chase them.

Okay, I feel like I can't save all of that, and the three stones that look easiest to save might not be big enough. Regardless, this is huge for points, and just might be sente. I'm not happy with how I've been playing this game for a while, so I'd like to turn things on its head a bit. If I can, I intend to try to begin an attack on the bottom group. I don't know yet if I'll have to trade something for it, or if I can manage to stabilize the bottom middle stones with other threats. When it comes down to it though, I think I may need these points.

If he is going to go territory grabbing, he should have played the dual sente move at G11 first, then grabbed the corner:

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

I'm going to take it before he notices that it is sente for him.
Now sente is uncertain. I'm threatening 'a'. He is threatening 'b', but I can live, and if I get too strong around 'c' while defending, he is in trouble in the middle.

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

There is a proverb that says 'A play on the border of two territories is worth twice as much.' My move not only encompasses territory for me, but it threatens to invade his. It has value as an offensive move that enlarges my territory, and as a defensive move that reduces his. So it is worth twice as much.
If he had played there himself, he would have gotten the double benefit - in sente.

See http://senseis.xmp.net/?JunctionLine

Decided I should start my attack from the outside. This threatens to make a base with my other weak group, as well as threatening to enclose the bottom white group. White will probably start running, most likely with something like K6. If W tries to just live locally, I have nasty moves like H2 and monkey jumps from the left, so it will not necessarily be easy. If white DOES run, I will have to decide whether to enclose, live, or try to separate, based on which running move he chooses.

My first inclination was to run out with a move like 1. The problem is that he then replies with 2. Now 'a' and 'b' are starting to look weak:

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

...so I have to reply with 3. He will play 4 without thinking twice. I probably will have to play 5 so that he does not. He will not miss the natural move at 6.

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[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . a O O b . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 5 3 . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 6 4 2 O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 1 . X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

At this point I am in serious trouble on the lower side. I can almost certainly live in gote starting with 'c', but then 'a' is still a boatload of bad aji.

Looking at that and similar positions, I come to the conclusion that my upper side is not absolutely safe, and that I must prevent M8.
So I'm going to come in from the top, securing my northern territory, and sacrifice K3. ( It still has some aji left, especially if the play in the lower right corner results in me getting 'd' or 'e' )

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[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . a O O b . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . i . i . . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . h h 1 . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . f X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . g . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . X . . d . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . c . . e . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

He has little choice but to push westward with something like 'f' or 'g'. I'll expand westward also from 1, playing something around 'h'. He will swallow K3, and I'll try to connect to E5. If I can, I'll get more in the center than he gets on the lower side. If I can't connect, and get deflected northward as I push westward, I can get a rather deep invasion around 'i', plus a big center.

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[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . O O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . 1 . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 3 2 X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . O O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 3 . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . 1 2 X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

Counting too seriously can wait until after this fight. While I'd love to kill something, I have to be a bit hesitant of giving my opponent much more in the middle.

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[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . O O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . a 5 O X X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . 6 X . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . b . O . X . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

Treating 'a' and something in the vicinity of 'b' as miai. I'll have to read for the specific 'b' move, though.

Letting him hane is deadly, so I can neither tenuki nor hane myself.

I think that, even if Joaz passively encloses with G8, Black is a little bit behind. The central area is just too huge.

Well, unless black cuts off white's two stones at F5 and G3, somehow...

I though that the following was better for black.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . O O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . 9 O O O X X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . 8 X X . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . 0 . O . X . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

It encloses more space, and does not allow my dying stone at K3 to cause trouble with a hane. The down side is that it allows a secure connection. MHO must realize this, therefore I conclude that he must be planning to cut through near where would be.

( Actually, even after , the connection still can be broken, but it probably costs black too much to do it. )

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Anyway, my goal is to maintain the connection in sente. If it has to be in gote, I might as well tenuki to some big endgame plays or just seal the center.

There are two big plays on the board, and two medium-sized ones.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners captured: :w2: :b3:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . ? ? ? . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X ? ? ? . . . . . O . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . O . O X O O O X X . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . , . . . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O . O . . . X . O . X O X X . . |
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . . . X X O X X . |
$$ | . . O O X O . . X X . X . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . O O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . ? . . . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . ? ? . . . . . O . . O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X O O X . O . |
$$ | . . . X . . ? O O O X X . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O ? ? X X . . X X O . X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . X O . X . . . ? O X . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . ? ? ? . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------------------------[/go]

The upper left is a double sente worth about 15 points.

The lower right ( S2 by white lives! ) is big...it is hard to count...maybe 25-30 points to the first player. It is dual gote.

The lower left - connecting or disconnecting my stones - is also around 25-30 points, and also gote for both.

The middle - where I played - is worth maybe 20 points...but is also hard to count. It is hard to say if it is sente or gote when I play it. The PITA is that it is big sente for him.

If he plays 1 as below, and I do not respond, 3 hurts as he rips his way into the center:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

So, I really have to take the big middle play which looks rather passive. But it puts me about 20 to 25 points up with yose looming.
I'll allow him either one of the big lower side plays. They are both gote so if he takes one, I'll take the other and I'm still 20-25 up. He then takes the 15 point sente play in the upper left. I'm 5-10 points up.
At that point, the temperature has dropped enough that my most recent move in the center is sente. He defends, and I'm ahead going into yose with sente.

That is the plan. There is enough room in it for several serious misreads and at least one mid-sized hallucination, so I won't declare this a win just yet. But I think that the odds favor me.