Life In 19x19

I think both players have been posting sensible analysis.

He can't very well cede the entire lower part of the board to me if he jumps out. That's way too many points to just hand over to me without a fight. I guess he could still one space jump into the center and erase, but he'd be utterly baseless and ripe for the attack

Do you worry that white can build up territory on the left while pressuring your group?

Was this last move the best play for white? I keep going back and forth about it myself. I guess it makes black's shape a bit heavy, but is it the right way to play?

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[go]$$Bcm49 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 4 . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . 1 O 2 O . . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . X O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Do you worry that white can build up territory on the left while pressuring your group?

Not particularly. I mean, I expect White will, but I couldn't see any other way for White to increase points here. My hope (and the reason for the center facing contact play), as that as long as I keep access to the center, White's ability to do it is limited. White can either build his moyo and allow me to secure the group with some central influence:

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[go]$$Bcm51 The ladder now works ..
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . a . . . . . . . . . . b . . |
$$ | . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . a . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . 1 . . . . . . b . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 3 X . X 7 9 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O 8 . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . 5 X O . . . . 0 . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I'll then have a look at the "a" points if I think White's going to get too much, or one of the "b" points if I think Black's ok.

I'm slightly more worried about White playing the hane (at above) first, and then trying to play to kill - I may simply ignore it if so and run out across the front of White's moyo instead, which seems to be reasonably close to equal.

To answer the initial question, I don't think I've played any differently according to yithril's rank yet

This feels like the right direction. My bottom group is starting to stabilize. It's stable enough to attack him now.

Hmmm, that seems a bit thin of him. Either he responds next to my stone and I extend again in sente, he plays a one point jump to connect and I can tenuki as I have the ladder, or he doesn't respond at all and I bend and crucify the bottom position (won't happen ) .. I struggle to believe that his last move isn't too thin, but maybe I'm just getting optimistic and smelling blood (probably my own knowing my games). Oh well, into the valley of death we go!

If topazg can settle for now in sente against the bottom group, I think we may be getting into one of those "knights move at the edge of two moyos" situations at J13.

Alright, my group is settled, finally! The reason I played the cap was to force him to play around 7. He's essentially playing his stones on dame points while I solidify my bottom group and increase my center potential. Here, let me explain my thinking.

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[go]$$Bcm51 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . b . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . a . . . c . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O . . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If we compare the potential for territory around a and b, clearly b is the larger area for yours truly. Even if Black controls A, the area at c is invade-able, so Black getting control of a doesn't really affect that. Therefore, the area around a is dame while the area around b is not. When we cap out opponent, it's like traffic control. Steer them towards the parts of the board that aren't worth much.

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[go]$$Bcm51 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O b . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 3 X . X 7 . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O 8 . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . 5 X O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Biggest points on the board right now.

Also sente I think..

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[go]$$Bcm61 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O 1 O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . 2 3 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Looks very painful for White... if he tries to extend upwards it doesn't make much odds either, so I think has to connect in one way or another, and if so I'm probably going to risk playing in the top right:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm61 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . a . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . 5 3 2 O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7 . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 9 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . b . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . W . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I can still aim at "a", although sadly "b" becomes a lot less interesting. Before I commit to this, I'm going to do some counting.

His move is sente. Read it out for yourself.

If was at instead of (a) in the game,
would it mean one less sente move for B locally [ at (b) ] ?

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

I'm going to think about this. Before, I'd have played in the top right without hesitation, but I'm also aware that I promised myself I'd play honestly this game, and I have a great skill at dying from leaving groups that are too weak. I also teach "if you have large unsettled dragons, settling them is almost always the first priority". So, I should probably take "a" even though I want to take "b" because it just feels sente...

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[go]$$Bcm61 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . a . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The thing is, I really must play something like "a", making a semi-connection like this is so huge, especially as his protection stops any push-and-cut aji. It also means the last few moves have the potential not to be dame, and works with the high placement of the stone on the right side. I just really don't want him to play something like "c".

Well, I'm going to sleep on this, and that's mostly because I don't want excitement to carry me away into throwing away the game on a whim. I think Black's doing ok right now, so I don't really want to spoil that. Lots of big moves on the right, but I think this is urgent before big just because of the unsettled nature of the groups involved (mine at the bottom, and his in the top right).

Actually, I've changed my mind after all. I did do some counting, and the game seems pretty close, but only if I don't let him expand the left hand side of the board for free. I think White needs to be fairly careful here as there is a risk of counter-attacking too hard and losing everything, but it could still be a complicated fight. My hope is to get yithril to secure 4th line territory on the left in exchange for me getting something (maybe just this stone) and some central influence that could again work to increase the value of the last couple of stones I've played. He worked quite hard to make my moves necessary dame, so now I'm working hard to inject some value back into them at the same time as preventing his accumulation of too much territory.

Sometimes I ramble, I don't know if any of that makes sense to someone else. Please ask questions if I say unclear things

J13 really isn't even big? Also; O6 shape and not N5?

(Adding more disjointed thoughts to my post)
I thought a little bit about this move:

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[go]$$Bcm61 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . 6 . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 4 5 . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . 2 3 O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm61 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm61 ?
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . O X O . X . . . . . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . . , . X . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . O O O X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O O . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . 5 . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . X O O O O . O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X X O . . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Heh, somehow I missed your move. How will you handle white's hane?