Life In 19x19

Let's review another joseki to compare this result:

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[go]$$cm1 Dia. 3
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 4 . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . 5 , . 2 a . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

From some high dans I heared this is not longer considered equal because it is a little bit to slow for W. I think my position is better because I was able to play at 'a' instead of . Normally you get sente in this joseki but I tennukied once so it is only fair that he gets sente. Even if he tries to continue with 'b' I think his position at the left is not big enough to be worried about. Therefore I'm quite happy with this result.

Not sure about this result.

I'm thinking about this quite a lot. I won't connect because if he would cut it looks overconcentrated:

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 4
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O 5 . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X 2 3 . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 6 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . b . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

Points I'm thinking about are , 'a' 'b' and 'c'
I'm currently tending to play 'a' because that looks like a perfect shape if B plays there. But playing should be sente. But how good is this sente and how much is it ajikeshi ?

One could argue that the B group becomes unstable if I would connect, but it is safe with more points like this in my opinion:

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

Even this cut doesn't look great to me.

Some thoughts about the moves I mentioned in Dia. 4:

:

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 6
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . 0 . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 2 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . 7 . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . W . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

This doesn't look that bad but I think it would be better if woulb already be on the 4th line.

a:

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 7
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O 5 . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X 2 3 . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 6 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

This prevents his ideal shape at the right and I think he has to secure his corner after this move because I can start a really serious attack if I get and . This sequence would give me sente and besides looks like a good and flexible reduction. I think I even could play elsewhere now because it seems difficult to attack in a effective way. However, I would have to be careful with creating another weak group while this is still unsettled.

b:

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 8
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . 1 . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

I'm not sure whether the exchange is good but it would allow me to fight at the left. Maybe a or b would be good moves.

c:

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 9
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . 3 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 5 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

There are far to much possible reactions to explain here but I think this is not so because helps black a lot. I think it is better to do another reduction here later.

I think and c are not best for the reasons given in the explanations and my feeling is that b is to slow. Therefore I'm going to play a and wait for his reactions to choose my next step.

W is treading lightly with -- 4th line, not 3rd,
perhaps partly because it's not easy to settle either way. One first feeling is --
between and , is a light reduction; but after , seems deeper:

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[go]$$B
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . 1 . . B . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

I have to admit that is a move I didn't expect but I can't say it is bad. I think is an important point for both in sente so I'll take it first. I'm already thinking about what I'll play afterwards but I'm still very unsure...

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[go]$$Wcm1 Dia. 10
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . O . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . X 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . b a . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X . O . . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

I think is the only move here. If he play something else he'll damage his top group to much I think. After this I'm thinking about a (Running into safety) b (Fighting for a better result than a) and c (Getting a base before going into the middle. But this would also give him some points)

Natural, only move?

I'm playing this because I doesn't want to fight with b in Dia. 10. I was thinking long about c in Dia. 10 but it seems like B gets to much in the corner while W gets only a little bit better base.

First feeling:

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

Also considered the cap , but it seems soft:

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