Life In 19x19

ok..now i can split his two weak group. my group in the middle is very flexable.
i can fight and overpower him with my reading.
i am satisfied sofar.

What can I say? It's a fight. This is the best I could come up with. The end result is not clear to me.

Kirby wrote:

$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 8 . 4 3 7 O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , 5 O 2 O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 8 . 4 3 7 O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , 5 O 2 O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

What can I say? It's a fight. This is the best I could come up with. The end result is not clear to me.

I don't have time to read this out right now so it may be a stupid question, but what happens if Black plays at below? Up to the ladder does not work for White...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Edit: Oops! I just realized that the marked stones are not cutting stones on the left so White can give them up to capture the Black center stones!

his variation was very kyuish and one dimensional.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 8 . 4 3 7 O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , 5 O 2 O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

as i stated before..below attacking point is a vital point of attack.
i have not read all variations for below attack but it was my first instinct and probably correct move.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O . O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

To be honest, I feel like his variation is safer for Black than the one I proposed:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 7 5 . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 3 . O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O 2 O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I'll have to think about the best way to respond.

I feel somewhat better for black with his variation than with mine, though. I suppose that's good.

Somehow I feel that, if I have a trigger variation, he will mod it if he can come up with any viable alternative, even if it's inferior. Maybe I can use this as a strategy. :-p

Anyway, I'll think of what to do here, but my stones do feel somewhat safe.

Admittedly, though, white is also more safe.

Of course, strengthening the marked stones is a priority:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . B B B O . O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O B O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O B B B B B O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But first, let's try to make his shape a bit heavier.

After a shape like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

White probably still has little worry about living. But the shape seems awkward, so I like it.

so i capture one stone. whatever he is trying really dont help him IMO.
i get one free point for nothing.

Personal evaluation of position:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O X O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I feel that white has gained a little bit from the board position above. I do not feel that it is two-stones worth of a gain, but I feel that white has gotten greater benefit than black.

First, white has more direct territory on the bottom. Black and white both have semi-weak groups floating in the center, so I would venture to say that I do not feel disadvantageous regarding those two particular groups. But in terms of the balance of strength, white also has a bit of an advantage because the marked stones have future potential to become weak:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B B . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O . . . B O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O X O O B O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So white will likely get profit from an attack on these stones. It is hard to evaluate the quantity of this profit, but it can give me the sense that white has a slight advantage in the area.

This is somewhat offset, however, because I was able to play in the top left corner first. White played in the bottom right first, so I can expect for him to have some local benefit.

Taking the top left into account, I would say that the advantage that white has gained in the bottom right is somewhat offset. Overall, though, I think that I've lost a little bit of ground.

---

That said, I need to do what I can to make up ground. I spoke earlier of trying to get sente on the bottom so that I could play one of the big points on the board. Well, a lot has happened since then. There's been a lot of action, and it doesn't look like there's time to do all of that at this immediate point.

My goal at this point is to secure the safety of my "floating" group. If white gains strength with his group in the center, then I will be forced to help my group on the left, because it will be too weak in comparison. However, if there is not a significant amount of power built up by his middle group - well, then I'll probably respond to his original approach to my bottom left corner stone.

It really depends on how the center stones develop as to where I'll play. But if I do get sente, I think that responding to his original approach is a great point to play.

I am starting to like a play in the bottom left corner so much that I am seriously considering simply playing it, if he responds to my atari. His floating group is somewhat heavy, but probably lighter than my floating group. I have confidence that I can live with my center stones, so it might be OK to tenuki.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm51 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-1
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . B . . . . . . . O O O O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O W O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It's kind of risky, though, since the stones on the right may become weak. I'll have to make the decision once he plays, I guess.

The question is, should I play something to move out a bit, first?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm51 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . B O O O O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

or

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm51 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It's a tough decision for me. I don't know which board position I like better.

Kind of leaning toward this one:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm51 Prisoner Count: B-1 W-1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . X O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O O O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . O X O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . O X X X X X O X X O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

That's because it seems to indirectly help my right side stones a bit.