Life In 19x19

the biggest point in the board

that point might be big...but not urgent IMO.
if i was white..i would play as below attacking whole group and try to find the rhythm.

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[go]$$cm51
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . O X O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . O . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

what white played is a move that help black group stableize.
it is better not player..because black thinkness didnt diminish at all and invasion aji was lost due to below trade.

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[go]$$cm61
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . O X O . . . |
$$ | . W . X . . . . . . . O . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

My biggest concenr for a while has been the cut at A below. My respose covers the cut, and takes a little territory too.

W may launch an attack, for example at b next; or temporatily ignore the LHS and invade at c, My reading is that I can handle both of these fights.

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[go]$$cm61
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . O X O . . . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . O . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , c . . |
$$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X a . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm61
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . g . . . . . i O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . h f O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . a . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . O X O . . . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . O . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , b . . |
$$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . d . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I am reasonably happy with my positition. I believe that I may have a small lead. I wanted to put move 46 on a strange spot with my deep invasion, and I've succeeded in that goal. W would prefer to have it at a now, for example.

In more concrete terms:

B has around 5 point upper right.

RHS is undertermined. If W invades at B, the corner is likely to become territory (15-20 points) and I should get 5 point from the group above. So conservatively this is 20 points for me.

The LHS is currently around 5 points for me. If I get to play d, it will be 10-15 points.

So altogether, I have 30 points but this could easliy become 50 points without me doing too much extra.

W has 10 points lower left.
About 5 points in the two pace extension, although this could be more or less dependent on d.
Around 20 points from the upper left corner group. Top right is currently 0.

So W has 35 points plus komi. So I am curretnly behind in the count, but I am thick and have lots of expansion potential. Overall, I think this is a slight lead for me.

However, my positional judgement is quite poor, and I prefer fighting to counting. So I'lll play as aggresively as possible for the rest of the middle game.

There aren't really moves I regret yet. Maybe I could have probed at f at some point earlier and got g in reply. It's too late for that now - W will reply at h. The exahange would help in the fighting around my ponnuki.

Edited to add: 20 points may be overstating W's upper left teeritory. If my ponuki becomes strong, moves like i look plausible for me.

If W invades the RHS, I intend to play as follows:

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

and I do well in all the lines I have read from here. In some lines, I sacrifice the top group in exchange for winning the ko. (however, killing the top group cleanly for W in the ko is exceedingly non-trivial.)

Now the right side has the biggest potential for black, but I can find no successful invasion I can do there. So I should be satisfied with this move.

W62 looks soft to me, I don't think he's so far ahead he can afford to play like that. I expect black will happily defend the right side points at q10 and it doesn't look easy for white to make centre points with that move.

Interesting (and unexpected move.) I expect a reply as below. This isn't forced though, W - could reply at a as well, using his snete move at d.

The reason for my exchange is to activate the cut at c. If I leave this exchange too late, W becomes more likely to answer at a.

Following this, an invasion by W on the LHS becomes severe, so I am intending to protect. If W lets me get the corner, the balance of territory moves in my favour. So W may well invade the corner. Alternative plans for W include trying to attack my ponnuki

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[go]$$cm61
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X d O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . 4 O X O . . . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . O a 3 X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . O . . 5 . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If W invades the corner, I plan to give up the terrioty there and go for the oustside:

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[go]$$cm65
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . . . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . O O X O . . . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . O . X X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . O . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . 3 . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , . . 9 . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O 7 X . 2 . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . 5 4 6 . 8 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This looks OK for B - the stone at k3 is becoming weak, which should get me some profit. I have gained from the count in my earlier post. The RHS is still around 20 points for me, W has gained 5 points in the corner but lost 5 points on the side, and I have bedome more thick.

My reading tells here.

As planned.

66 was aonther surprise - it seems to be a vague attempt to either make a moyo or attack my ponnuki.

My reply is multi-purpose.
1) Reduce W's moyo
2) Offer indriect assistance to the ponnuki.
3) Create a possible black moyo (e.g. a later)
4) Aim further at the cut at b.

The main risk with my move is that I'm overplaying, and W can dvelop a severe attack on my ponnuki. But I've not been able to find anything decisive for W.

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[go]$$cm61
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O X X . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . O . . . O . X . O . O . . |
$$ | . O X O X . . . . O . . O . O , O . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . . . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . O X O . . . |
$$ | . O . X . . . . . . . O . X X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . b . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . 7 . . , . . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . a , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O X O X O . . . O . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Are they playing Go or Battleships?

There are many possibilities after this move, for example:

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

I may be able to save ths stone at move 7.However, compromising as in the diagram looks OK - my ponnuki becomes thick, and 9 nips the W moyo in the bud. B seems to be developing a territorial lead.

Here's another line for W:

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

Again, it looks OK for B, who can play at a next and fight.