Life In 19x19

Ok so my oponent is a stronger player, I'll try to play a very solid game.
Lately I've been trying to play very teritorial game and invade/reduce later but I don't have a very high success rate with this against stronger players.
Against stronger players I have a higher success rate with playing dynamic/mixed opening so I'll try to do this.

Apart from that I have absolutely no strategy yet

Yeah so.. let me say about what I will be aiming for this game. I generally play rather safe and try to be solid and tend to exploit weaknessses of my opponent, not necessarily trying to capture groups but letting them live small while gaining influence or points elsewhere.

I like it when small groups are scattered around the board. I reall dislike big moyos because players at my level mostly try to invade a little too deep and that's when you have no choice but to capture his group - which can be extremely hard. Sometimes, when ppl face total loss, they try everything to not lose. That's what makes them very strong even if their back is against the wall. So I will try to prevent that.


To the game;

He probably wants this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

And there is not much I can do about it except for attacking on of his corners early. Then he could take another free corner. I probably will attack one of his 4-4 stones even when one corner is open, because I really don't want to deal with that opening.

As to my move.. I am thinking about playing 3-3 or 4-3 on the bottom right..


I think this will happen if I play 4-3:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . 5 . . . . . 1 . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , 2 . . |
$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

And maybe, if I play 3-3, this can happen:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 1 . . . |
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$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 3 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So I would gain sente and could take the first move in the corner top left. If he takes 4-4 on the top left, I can still play 4-3 on bottom left. So nothing much will change. Let's make the game interesting. san-san on the side of a hoshi is generally feeling weird bc he can press you down. but I am fine with that when I get to play on the top left. And I am okay with this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . 5 . . . . . 1 . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 4 , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Why on the right and not on the left? Because he has a better opening against to build a larger moyo. So with I can take away some of this potential. He will probably attach at . I am fine with playing a hane at q13 after his attach.

Seems like he is going for slow solid development. Good that I did not go for teritorial style opening.
Lets take 3-4 in the direction of my oponent and see what he wants.

yeah.. so, with this move, it actually is pretty obvious what he wants.
his komoku is facing downward, so he is trying to get this result, when I play at around

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

which is still quite fine for me actually. I would then approach at r14. But I don't want to give him what he wants since it wouldn't cost me anything. Plus, I get to see more into his plans or style/strategy, when I mix things up a little.

So I think I will approach at D15.

If he responds, I guess this will be the outcome:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

So he gets the last open corner and I get sente. This is fine for me since there is no real huge moyo in sight and I have established a position where his stones are not in perfect coordination with each other (of course, so aren't mine), which is exactly what I was looking for.

If he takes the empty corner right away, I will have a nice follow-up on top left and start building influence to dominate a little bit more in midgame. I like influence so I think it works well with my san-san, not because san-san does have a huge influence outwards (which it does not, of course) but because this way I can maintain balance between influence and territory.

This is what I have in mind:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . 6 . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I love because the variations of the joseki with it give you so much thickness

I'll take teritory and see what he wants.

yeah.. I guess.

I will play how I had shown. I don't like the variations he has after I play a nobi.
That's because he kind of gets a big corner and if I get a wall in exchange, that wall is going to face the top right hoshi stone. and that feels kind of weird.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So I will stick to what I had in mind and see what happens. Nothing extraordinary till now. Although I can say that things turned out as I had foreseen them, which is a good sign.

I guess we will be at this position soon:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Not sure if he will play another 4-4 move on bottom left (it seems to be the best idea though).
And I am still wondering about my group on the left. should I connect my top stones with a tigers mouth (which has a lot more aji, but is safer for C10) and is C10 actually the right extension (another option being C11)

( For beginners. ) No problem with replying locally to in the real game,
but globally, taking the last empty corner is also perfectly playable:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

yes, things going as I had predicted. what I fear a little is that he plays hoshi on my san-san instead of taking the free corner. this would work very well with his hoshi and I would have to invade on the right side. I would get the last open corner though and it would work well with my left group. I think I am still fine. If he plays that, I will probably be a little bit behind. But I have komi, so I'm alright.

If he take the open corner, I will approach his top right corner. I am thinking about from where I should do this. Q14 or R14 seem the most reasonable to me. So these are the two possible outcomes imo:


1) he approaches my san-san and I try to take away his potential at the right side with . I also get to play around 'a'.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . a . . . . . , . . . . . 4 5 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

2) still thinking whether should be at Q14 or R14. I kind of like Q14 more, for various rasons:
a) R14 and san-san together seem very flat
b) san-san allows me to play Q14. since I am already settled on bottom right, I can play higher, lighter and faster moves around that area. meaning, I do not have to be scared of my corner.

a pro-argument for R14 would be, that I can settle R14 much easier. I'd hate to take his corner with R17 because it's not helping me at all.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

if scenario 1) occurs, I think he will try to build up moyo on top. maybe I have exchanges I can make before he gets to play there.

scenario 2) he will probably attach underneath at R14, and get a nice corner (with possible good endgame plays for me) but lose outer influence. So I would welcome that. If he pincers, I will have to think. I do not want the corner but a lot of joseki take the corner away. So I will be looking for something else there.

This joseki ends in sente for me so I'm happy. My oponent likes sides more than corners aparently.

well ya atm it's quite boring :]

I know this looks like it is helping white because it is facing the white stone.
But if I would have played a hoshi stone then he would aproach from bottom right which is painfull.
I also could have aproached 3-3 but I think it is not that urgent.

If white aproaches my 3-4 I could also probe his 3-3 on direction and take joseki choice based on that.
Not sure if I'll make it that complex.

Lets see what white wants after this

As black now I'd taken san-san myself intuitively. But maybe it is better for black as, if he gets out sente of the 4-3 approach, he can do some shimari at R14 or vice versa. Like mentioned in Bill's Last-Play post .