This happened in my game (I was black):

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ ----------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 3 O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 2 . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 4 X . . |
$$ . . . X . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ ----------------+[/go]

I'm wondering how to respond to . I was expecting this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ ----------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . 4 . . . |
$$ . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . 6 2 1 3 . . |
$$ . . . 5 X O . . |
$$ . . . 7 . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . , X . . |
$$ . . . X . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ ----------------+[/go]

If white plays tennuki instead of , black will connect and white becomes uncomfortable. Similarly if white plays tennuki instead of , black can play atari there later and seal white in. The game continued like this, after which white played tennuki --- which makes sense, because blacks connect doesn't seem to threaten much now, after the exchanges in the corner.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ----------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . 9 . . . |
$$ . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . 7 6 8 . . |
$$ . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 4 . . |
$$ . . . . O X 2 . |
$$ . . . X 1 5 3 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ ----------------+[/go]

@ would be my first choice I think, gives much higher chances of Black sente. With a fairly thick corner shape, blocking is not a particularly exciting move if White plays the same

I'd look at at

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ----------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . 9 . . . |
$$ . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . 7 6 8 . . |
$$ . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . 0 a . |
$$ . . . . . 3 4 . |
$$ . . . . O X 2 . |
$$ . . . X 1 . 5 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ ----------------+[/go]

I feel that white cannot play tenuki instead of as a is too big to allow.

Also worth considering? Raise the temperature so white loses more if he tenukis, and plan is white needs to take gote in one of the two hot areas so you get the other.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

thanks!