White makes an interesting move. However, it is gote, so I get choose again.
The move I am considering are marked with below.
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . b X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . . a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
First lets consider 'a'. I suspect white is prepared to ignore it for now, or why would he risk I play here?
Lets look at the difference between black and white there.
Show Diagram Code[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . . B x x |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a x y |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y y |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
If black moves there he gets 3 points, with potential for 3 more if he plays at 'a' when white descends.
If white goes there:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . y 1 a . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y x x x |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y x x x |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
If white goes there he gets 3 points for sure, and can pick up 6 if he moves to a. This is a total of 9 points.
If I look at this added together, its a 6 - 15 point move. My analysis here is a little shaky -- because its not clear to me if it is going to be sente or gote at this point in the game, but that seems to be where it is.
Move 'b'. I believe that is completely sente. If white ignores, black 3 starts to shake up whites position no matter which route the fight goes.
It also has the benefit of reinforcing my soft right side. This is starting to become important. This is probably where I will move, but I want to look some more at the fight.
"Move 'b'. I believe that is completely sente". Ask yourself why? Move 3 only makes sense if it achieves more than swallowing up that single stone. White's got a group that can make at least one eye internally, and has already connected out to the middle. Your group at the top is fairly weak and will become weaker if you push around too hard. Always assume your opponent will gladly sacrifice any single stone you atari, and ask yourself what will happen if he picks the route to do so that leaves the least aji - are you happy with that result, bearing in mind it will cost one free move to your opponent to get it?
Show Diagram Code[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . 4 O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . 3 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . 1 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . . a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
Does Black really want this? 2 at "a" is possible I think as well - it's certainly big.
Show Diagram Code[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . 6 X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . 4 . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . 5 3 O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . 1 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
This is more interesting, but with "2" I'd definitely be happy going up to "6" and leaving the group in the middle hanging. Either way, Black's ignoring the big picture here I think. Obviously under the basis that this is sente I can understand playing it, but for gote there are some really big areas left:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . a . . . . . . O O . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . . c . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
I think you really want "a" before White gets "b", which is probably sente against your edge stone. Just because your opponent let you get it doesn't mean "c" is bad - it's _huge_, doubly so if your opponent gives it to you in sente by blocking (and leaves really big local endgame if he doesn't).
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . . . . . y 1 a . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y x x x |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . y x x x |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
If white goes there he gets 3 points for sure, and can pick up 6 if he moves to a. This is a total of 9 points.
If I look at this added together, its a 6 - 15 point move. My analysis here is a little shaky -- because its not clear to me if it is going to be sente or gote at this point in the game, but that seems to be where it is.
Black at the 3-3 is a big move, way more than 15 points, at least 25, maybe 30.
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . W . . O . 3 . . . 2 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
Not only does it take a few points, but if white defends with 2, black plays 3.
Or white can try defending the gap, but black can slide under anytime.
Some more thoughts. Someone might wonder, why I don't consider this move:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . B X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
The problem is that even though this seems to strengthen the connection with the white stones, and even in sente, it actually strenghens black, and removes the possibility of using the weakness to make the invasion I thought about yesterday. Also, it allows black to secure the top group while attacking white, in sente!
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X 5 . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . 6 . O 4 X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X 8 O . 7 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . 9 . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . B X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
Here, I have to say that playing this Malkovich game seems a bit like cheating. I thought and felt 1 here would be bad, but how bad? When writing down the diagram it becomes much clearer. In a normal game, I would never notice...
And then the question, why choose the move I showed yesterday. There is no heavy thinking or any reading behind - just a question of shapes. The idea of using a table shape (second time at this part of the board) here appeals to me:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . W . W . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . W . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . W X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
Also, it puts some pressure on the top group, so there is a chance black will respond, protecting the group, and allowing white to reduce the side. The problem is black can answer aggressively, and white has only the empty triangle to try to keep initiative:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X 2 . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . 3 1 . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
But anyway, let's assume that somehow white gets out from the top side with sente. How can white reduce black's huge moyo?
There could be some possibility of an arrogant invasion:
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . W O . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 1 . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . a 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X 5 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
Something can happen here. The sequences are too complicated for me, but as there is the cutting point at "a", too, something might well succeed. The problem of course is the white group at the top. How bad will it suffer? My guess is it will, but due to the turn at the marked stone, it should be able to get out.
And a less deep invasion or a reduction (borderline)?
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . O O . X . . X . . O O X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . O . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . W O . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . 5 3 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a X 8 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . O . O . X . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram CodeThis seems safer, and still making a huge damage to the black's side. If it comes to that, I might well make this move...
(7 and 9 are there to show there is still some weakness around, but since black can force by playing at "a", cutting black in two is unlikely to succeed. The purpose would be more like trying to establish a center-moyo.
But perhaps enough speculation already - I'll just make my first move and see what will happen.
I was sorely tempted to do the following... as a bit of an April Fools thing, claiming a misclick... but I wasn't sure how to "undo" it without hard feelings...
OK. So black played to secure the top side group.
At the moment it seems it is difficult for white to keep the top black group and the right side cut from each other any more, unless white plays on the top. But on the other hand, there is no urgent need for white to play on the top.
Let's estimate a bit
Show Diagram Code[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . x . x . . . x . . . x . |
$$ | . . . . . . . x . x . . . x . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O x x O O . X . . X X . O O X . |
$$ | . . x , . . . X . , . . O . O . X . . |
$$ | x x O . . . . . . X X . O . . . x . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , x . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . |
$$ | x x X , . . . . . , . . . O x O . X . |
$$ | . . . x X . O x x O x x x . . x . x x |
$$ | . . . . x . x . . . . . . . . x . . . |
$$ | . . . . x . x . . . . . . . . x . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------
[/go]Hide Diagram Code
black about 55, white about 40. So now I have to start resorting to drastic measures. Let's return to the arrogant invasion a few moves back...