Life In 19x19

Okay, I think that it's nice to stare at the empty board and gravitate towards your first move-- every move has a destiny...

No special strategy, just a recent fad/practice I've fallen into.

It's interesting to hand my opponent a choice as, asking for their strategy.
For example:

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[go]$$c Prisoners= 黒:0: 白:0:
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , 1 . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . a . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 3 . c . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

A would be trickiest for me, as it almost seems to have a feeling of putting black on the spot for what his intentions are...
B as a response I considered, the implications of black the starting of the pattern with d and white having the next move was interesting to think about (if b is played, I'll add diagrams).
c, I didn't think would occur for some reason...
d would probably mean black changes direction.

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[go]$$c Prisoners= 黒:0: 白:0:
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$$ | . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . 4 7 . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 5 3 . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I usually avoid this jonseok, as it determines a large portion of the board rather quickly, I generally run frightened.
Black would have the next move; the lower right corner feels easy and natural.

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[go]$$c Prisoners= 黒:0: 白:0:
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$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 7 2 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . 5 6 O 3 . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 9 O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This, for some reason, seemed strange on an open board...

Many other possible local responses, but white may as well avoid any I think of.

If he responds locally, I'll take another corner; if he takes a corner with a star point, I'll still take another corner; but if he takes a 3-4 corner, I'll approach directly to prevent mini-Chinese or Kobayashi.

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[go]$$W Prisoners= 黒:0: 白:0:
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . a , X . . |
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$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . C . . . |
$$ | . . 1 . . X . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If white takes the circled point, a shimari around a for black doesn't seem too make as much sense. In fact, I plan to play at 2 if white responds as in the diagram for this very reason, as it seems a likely possibility.
Then again, white could move in the upper left instead. If black moves to the lower right, black would be one move behind domination after white approaches at around p16, extending the white framework on two sides... balance.
.

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白: Offsetting the balance.
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$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
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$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . 8 . . . |
$$ | . . 7 . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

After , seems to offset the balance between my upper right stone and the right side: It wants to expand along the right after creating a shimari.
White on the other hand doesn't have a full expansion in the upper left either, however: black can eye at a in the future, I believe, so I'm not sure about how the upper left would pan out.

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白: a dainty, but playable move.
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$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
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$$ | . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . a . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In this case, black doesn't necessarily mind white approaching at either a or b, as there are coordination possibilities for both the lower side and right side (leaving the lower left may feel painful otherwise). Actually, this may be what you call a "weak" move compared against the "powerful" san-san above, yet it still seemed a "good" move for a kyu; (i.e. not terrible), however, I just thought that if black were to go for such a strategy as leaving the lower left, he should come closer to investing fully into this strategy.

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白:
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . , . . . . . , 1 . . |
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$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 0 . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . , . . . 9 . , . . . |
$$ | . . d . . 3 . . . . . . c . a 8 . . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Instead of this, white may try a, 8, O4 instead, but I'm 100% not sure if it's better-- I would consider a move like c in response to a, in fact, as d is still available. I haven't guessed that white will go for the corner, but it's probably hard for me to predict any of white's crucial moves .

A 5-4? I won't approach there before there are no good alternatives. Maybe he has some special plan. Also, most joseki variations starting with my approach to upper right plays well with my upper left 4-4 stone.

For beginners

Elom wrote:I've gotten into the habit of doing this lately

This analysis of (post 3) was over-thinking it a little bit.

Elom wrote:

$$
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$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
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$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------

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

Actually, this may be what you call a "weak" move compared against the "powerful" san-san above

Of course, taking the last open corner (lower right) is very big and good.
Again, over-thinking.

:w8: feels natural: I'm sure he was expecting this move, however, I don't mind so much in this case.
For some reason, I feel there is a likelihood that white will place a stone at P14; enabling an expansion of both sides moyou. The right side is not very secure yet, even if white invades the lower right corner.
It would also be an interesting challenge finding out how one could approach the upper left area...

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白:
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . , . . . . 8 , 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . |
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$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I don't think black has much to gain from simply approaching for the sake of it; so continuing with the strategy is a risk one must take.

The plainest move, but it doesn't look bad.

I'm still not precisely sure about how I would respond to the next move:

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 . . . 2 O 1 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . |
$$ | . . C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . e . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . d . . X . e . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Eying at a, however it just does feel too concentrated.
It feels painful to leave it at that, as I'm not sure whether Q5 can do it's job on it's own.
Of course white can move into the right and neutralise the area. So a sentimental (if illogical) grasp with a is a possible next move I may play, despite being somehow (completely) off... Like an unfair leader pulling all recourses to the right area of the board...

If I could be sure about the benefits of a move such as b: white pressuring from above inducing a poke on white, after which an exchange of d for e is possible (e would depend on prospect for the lower right corner). It would be easy to go for.
Logic v Sentiment.

I could go one step further or maybe higher, but it seems to be a matter of choice here.

Because it's high, it appeared to work better when white moves along the lower area of the board.
It would be very interesting to see just what direction white would embark upon...

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[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . O O 1 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
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$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . a . . . . . . 5 . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I was uncomfortable about enclosing so impetuously: white can always disrupt the formation with something such as a, and black may just end up concentrated on the right even more so. (for example, a ladder emerges in the lower left; a ladder breaker on the right; etc...)

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[go]$$ A heightened invasion...
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . O O 1 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cPrisoners+6.5 黒: /白:
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . O O 1 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . X . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . 5 . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In the future, the area around c may become more important: what if having the opportunity to attack around b means black would have a good reason to get there first? Even if black chooses a, it keeps with the strategy of leaving the bottom side partially negotiable for white.