Life In 19x19

Aiming at mutual corner damage. Then I'll aim at G9 which is kind of sente.

If he encroaches too much further in the lower right, I can probably force him to take the minus point, so it's no big deal.

As for the lower left, it may very well end in seki. Assuming it does, I count the game as very close, with W slightly favored.

Another thing I may have to worry about is maintaining two eyes for myself. For now I think I'm fine since I have one around G1, and I can make another either in the upper left or lower right (or even at F3 or something).

Let's go mutual damage

It's difficult to say whether it's bigger to do this or respond (I would probably K3). But it is dangerous for W to ignore this and let me play E10. And I don't see any sente followups for W down there.

At any rate, this mutual destruction is quite fun and hilarious.

Well, looks like I won that staring contest. Back to business.

This is something of a trick move, although I'm not even sure it's technically worse than H2, the other move I would consider. I think White should now play K2. Any other move seems very inferior, so we'll see if he agrees with me.

I have no idea what the score is right now ...

Looks very close, but taking the plus point at F11 is sente for black now!

I find it really amusing that I'm now about to have a whopping 34 bonus points (3 minus zones for White = 15, 2 plus zones for me = 10, 7 komi, and a scan by White = 2).

However, I'm by no means winning. I actually count us about even, so I need to play a tight endgame. I'll probably spend some time looking over everything after Graham makes his next move.

Gargh, these minus points!! Quick guess count:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 71, W: 70
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | x x B B W W y y y y y |
$$ | B x X W y y @ W y y y |
$$ | x X m O y y W y O y y |
$$ | B W O y W O y y @ y y |
$$ | B W W W B O y O O y y |
$$ | X B B B X X O X X O z |
$$ | B X # X B O O X O W y |
$$ | X O O O X W B X B O y |
$$ | W O m O # B B X O z z |
$$ | O X X O O X B W O O y |
$$ | . B X . O X W W y y y |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

I didn't do as much analysis as I normally would here, because I feel guilty for not playing a move in a while. But basically there are only about four major endgame areas right now (the other three in the upper left), all of them gote for me, and this is the biggest. The continuation here is now my sente due to the aji of my two dead stones.

p.s. The upper left is really complicated, especially with that little p. It's more than I'm willing to completely figure out.

Getting this game finished now .. looks like I can't win sadly:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Score - B: 69, W: 40
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . B B W O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . @ W . . . |
$$ | . X m O . . W . O . . |
$$ | X O O . W O . . @ . . |
$$ | X O . O B O W O O . . |
$$ | X B W W X X O X X O X |
$$ | B X # X B O O X O W . |
$$ | X O O O X B B X B O W |
$$ | W O m O # . . X O X X |
$$ | O X X O O X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . O X . B B W . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

6 points behind, and no way to catch up!

Wow. It looks like I'm going to win by about 9 points. I guess I miscounted earlier (or else I am now).

I could play B1 in the lower left to assure seki, but I don't need to. The only thing White can try is B1 and D1 to turn it into a ko to try to kill me, but then he'll have to tenuki, and I'll kill him no matter what ko threat he plays. So it's just a seki as is, and I'll get to add a couple more stones at the end for free.

Well okay, Black is winning anyway but I think there is still something on the lower side starting with Black 1:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 68, W: 39
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . X m O . . O . O . . |
$$ | X O O . . O . . O . . |
$$ | X O O O O O O O O . . |
$$ | X X O X X X O X X O X |
$$ | X X X X O O O X O O . |
$$ | X O O O X X X X X O O |
$$ | O O 1 O X . . X O X X |
$$ | O X X O O X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . O X . X X O . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

I think white sees this as a Seki but there is this ko when all outside liberties are filled, because black cant play at 'a' due to selfatari:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 68, W: 39
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . X m O . . O . O . . |
$$ | X O O . . O . . O . . |
$$ | X O O O O O O O O . . |
$$ | X X O X X X O X X O X |
$$ | X X X X O O O X O O . |
$$ | X O O O X X X X X O O |
$$ | O O X O X . . X O X X |
$$ | O X X O O X . X O O . |
$$ | 1 . X a O X . X X O . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

If White reacts, black can build a nakade-shape:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Score - B: 68, W: 39
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . X X O O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . X m O . . O . O . . |
$$ | X O O . . O . . O . . |
$$ | X O O O O O O O O . . |
$$ | X X O X X X O X X O X |
$$ | X X X X O O O X O O . |
$$ | X O O O X X X X X O O |
$$ | O O 1 O X . . X O X X |
$$ | O X X O O X . X O O . |
$$ | 2 3 X . O X . X X O . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]