Life In 19x19

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 10:02 am**

My assessment is that white has made poor joseki choices in all three corners giving the star-point stone in the bottom right the most powerful position on the board. I feel like if white allows black to take either of the 4-7 points in the bottom right, the game will well be over. The problem is that it seems like any invasion into the bottom right would only strengthen the black position in gote. How should white prevent black from dominating the center?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 10:25 am**

I don't think it's really the joseki choice - it's mainly that white played an extra move on the lower left when not needed. I sort of want to try either "a" or "b" here, but not confident if that's the right way to play.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X a . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 10:38 am**

Well, the variation played in the upper left is certainly questionable given it still leave aji for black to use in the corner. Still, Black has a nice formation on two side of the board, while white can really only look forward to building the top.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X c . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . a . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . . . . b . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

My intuition is a shoulder hit at a, which induce black blocking the other (narrower) side when white invade at b, then one of the c point sounds good.

Or maybe play b directly and leave a for later?

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 11:48 am**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . 1 . . . . . | $$ | . . W X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

This is my first instict.
The reason is that any checking extension towards Black's bottom group could make it pretty weak, thanks to the marked stone. And if Black should pincer

then, he has two choices. Low and his entire bottom is flat, White can even attach on the pincering stone and then double approach the corner. If Black pincers high, White should have no trouble living there.

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 11:57 am**

Yes, Black has taken an early lead. But the game is far from over, especially at the DDK level.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . 3 . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . B . . B . 5 . . 1 2 . . . . | $$ | . . O B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

looks like the natural play to me. Through

White puts some pressure on the weak

group in the bottom left.

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 1:00 pm**

What I fear is an exchange like this, only developing black's position further.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 2 . 4 . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . 1 . 3 . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 1:21 pm**

I don't think Black is in much danger of dominating the center at all right now. All of B's marked stones are low, which make them inefficient at controlling the center.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . B . . B . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

All W really needs to do to prevent that from happening is avoid choosing variations that give W territory and B thickness pointing towards the center. Maybe you don't feel comfortable doing exchanges for influence, so naturally choose territory every time? For example the most common joseki for the position you said you were worried about involves gaining access to the center, but you chose a variation that cut you off from the center.

Joelnelsonb wrote:What I fear is an exchange like this, only developing black's position further.

$$Wc White to play.
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 2 . 4 . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . 1 . 3 . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ----------------------------------------
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 2 . 4 . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . 1 . 3 . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

A more appropriate variation being this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 2 . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . 1 . . 6 . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . 7 . . . 5 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2015 3:04 pm**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Another variation $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . 2 0 8 6 X 4 . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . 9 1 . 5 3 7 . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

jumps into the corner.

is a good play, leaving Black with an open skirt on the right side.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wcm11 Another variation (ii) $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . 3 . . . X . . | $$ | . . X 2 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . X X X X X X . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . O O . O O O . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

White can take kikashi with

and then play

on the frontier of frameworks.

White has reasonable chances.

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 12:24 am**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc White to play. $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . 6 X 4 . . | $$ | . . O . . B . . B . . 2 . 1 . 5 3 . . | $$ | . . O B . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Honestly, I think I would prefer this for black. Sure, the bottom side is low, but it's also fairly safe, while if

was high, then white could slide and take away much of his base.

Of course, because white end with sente, this certainly is not bad for him either. He can invade the right side afterwards, or defend the top side, or shoulder hit the bottom side...

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 9:36 am**

Btw, I've been told that white should always play the 1-3 in the bottom left after black plays around 3-10 (or vice versa) to prevent a cramped shaped.

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 10:34 am**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Common exchange $$ | . . . , . . . . . , $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . O . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . O . . . . . , $$ | . . O . . X . . X . $$ | . . 2 X . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ ---------------------[/go]

-

is a common exchange. White secures the corner.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Tenuki $$ | . . . , . . . . . , $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . O . 4 . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . a . O . . . . . , $$ | . . O . . X . . X . $$ | . . 3 X . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . $$ ---------------------[/go]

If White plays

elsewhere, then

pretty well forces

to protect against a Black play at "a".

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 11:23 am**

Nobody suggested this one yet? Especially because the circle stone is played.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . 1 . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . W X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Continuations might give white a good opportunity to reduce the right side later.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . 3 . 2 . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . O . 1 . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

Cheers,
Vesa

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 1:03 pm**

Is the top left shape correct? It looks like they played a common 3-4 joseki and then used the sleeve tesuji to make it a 4-4 non-joseki.

Joelnelsonb wrote:Btw, I've been told that white should always play the 1-3 in the bottom left after black plays around 3-10 (or vice versa) to prevent a cramped shaped.

As Bill said c2 is a common defence when black plays c8. But it is not an always. There are very few always in Go. And black didn't even play c8 in this game but c9 so the white corner has lots more room and a defence is unnecessary and slow.

Posted: **Mon May 25, 2015 3:47 pm**

Supposing that the board earlier looked like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Gote $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . . O . 6 . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . 2 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . 8 X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

If White replies to

with

, we may anticipate that the play will continue like this, with White taking gote with

. (Given White's desire to play

.)

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Sente $$ ----------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . 6 4 . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . | $$ | . . 3 O . 2 . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . X . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ----------------------------------------[/go]

OTOH, if White replies simply at

, we may anticipate something like this, which allows White to take sente.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2015 12:44 pm**

So in posting this question, I wasn't looking so much for a particular sequence of moves but rather a general strategy for breaking up the black infrastructure. It appears, based on all the answers given, that white's best plan would be to approach the star point stone while putting pressure on the weak group in the bottom left. I think I missed this because I underestimated the potential of the 2-3 stone played by white. I've been reading "The Direction of Play" (which is an amazing book, btw. not sure how I've gotten so far without it. He starts off by telling you to forget everything you think you know about Go and he reteaches you the fundamentals of the game from scratch). In the book, he heavily encourages using the full potential of every stone played (especially in the opening) and this puzzle demonstrates my weakness in this regard.

Edit: Probably the biggest point that he makes in the book is to stop playing joseki moves simply because they're joseki. Instead, he teaches you to continually assess the whole board on every move and to search for the "direction of play" instead. He demonstrates how insanely important the very first moves of the game are.

Life In 19x19

White to play.

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