Life In 19x19

Instincts are a starting point for reading. What's tricky is when you watch stronger players ignore the instinctual move or play something unexpected and you have to learn why that might be the better play. Anyhow, enjoy your game and I hope that you and Spine will improve your instincts from our comments.

Black 27 is making the whole invasion thing on the top uncertain. Now black can answer more severly. I considered a few variations and I'm not sure how it could end, but it looks like black has the advantage in the fight. I can certainly still use 22 to reduce quite safely but trying to entirely mess up his territory up there may have painful consequences for me.

What about other prospects?
Looking at the bottom, my lower left corner is still waiting for me. I want to get the chance to go back there, but it's gote and there are other points I want to play. I want to try and get sente back so I can play more efficiently.

For example I'd really like to play there:

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[go]$$Bcm1 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 2 . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It tries to expand white's influence and also looks a bit at the corner stones (giving them some hope for support) and at an invasion on the bottom.
But it's probably gote right now.

Black's position in the lower right is opened. If I grind on those two stones' base, will they have to connect as a result?

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[go]$$Bcm1 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Black can't cut as easily as I thought. But it's gote for me, after black's answer I have to back down.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Messy and complicated and possibly gote. It leaves black all sorts of forcing moves and in the end I make less territory than I could reasonably hope.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Can black tenuki this? He probably can, as there are a number of big points to take on the board. However if he does, N7 and a number of other variants in the area start looking worrying for him and may well become sente. Also I make points in the process and reduce black potential territory.

I may be falling prey to playing where my opponent played. But I was nervous that if I didn't then the two stones I have at Q7 would be in slight trouble. Where i really wanted to play was E or F 15.

I still want to play N7. But I figured, if I like it because it's helping a bit my corner group, then I should probably worry about said corner group. In fact in every plan I make I wonder if he can go play there, so I decided to just do it myself. Now it's kinda stabilized, it won't hamper me in implementation of new secret plan:

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[go]$$Bcm21 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . 8 . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 4 . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 3 X , 5 . 7 . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 1 . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But I'll think of it more once he's answered. Black can make a number of other decisions. Also my upper left corner can still be invaded I think. I must make sure whether I'm OK with it happening. Or if I'm not, how do I fix it?

I believe it was good for me that I got to both develop my right side like that and could go back to the lower left corner later. Both positions look pretty secure now. Although I think I would have been able to make up the loss of the corner territory on the top, it probably made my life easier to play it this way round. I'm happy with my position at the moment.

I feel like white's last move was pretty big. Now I'll think about moving toward the center

Also considered this one:

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[go]$$Bcm31 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . 2 1 . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . O . . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But he won't seal me in with one move and it feels like I'm giving him too much. With my other move I enlarge my base and I get in the way of black enlarging his territory.

Played this move half on instinct, half on thinking it will help me control the middle.

I need to worry about the center, but first I'm grabbing some territory in sente.

x.x

is a relatively large endgame move. Move 34, as a rule, is too early to play large endgame moves (Unless, for example, make it seriously threatens the status of a group and will allow an attack against that group). Also, there are larger endgame moves even if moves like an invasion or reduction weren't possible.

misses the opportunity to play somewhere worth more points even if playing somewhere else allows white to follow up.

At around this level, players often follow their opponents around a bit too much and don't ask whether a move is sente often enough. As they grow stronger, they will start to ask this question more and will even play their own sente moves in response to their opponent's sente moves knowing that if their opponent follows up, they can also follow up.

This is part of fighting spirit. Being willing to endure damage in order to damage the opponent and not let them always get initiative and get the good points can make a huge difference.

Amelia wrote:

$$Bcm31 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . 1 3 , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . O 2 . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm31 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . 1 3 , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . O 2 . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It's usually better to play 36 as follows, as it keeps the marked point from being sente for black in the endgame or in a life and death situation for the black group. With a more stable connection, white also has potential for better follow-ups later, like every DDK's pet peeve, the monkey jump.

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[go]$$Bcm31 Cap- B: 0 W: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . M X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . 1 3 , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . O 2 . . X . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]