I thought about playing this to protect the plus point.
but apparently this does not work. black can pick up the plus point in sente this way.
even though his stone gets captured he gets to keep the plus points.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 30, W: 21
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . 3 2 |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O W 1 |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O . 4 |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

with the move I played now the plus point on the right is gote.
I also get to aim at the plus point at the bottom.

OK, yet again I did not predict his move (this atari/connect). I have the feeling that it is slightly inferior for him to the "expected" sequence I gave earlier, but it's not so easy to count...

At this moment, it's hard to decide whether capturing does me any good. It seems to cost me points in sente, but also fixes a ton of aji:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . a b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X 1 . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O . 2 |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O . . |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Black moves first: I get 4 points from the capture, he gets 5 points from the plus point. Net result: -1 point for black in sente, but the aji of hidden moves at a and b is fixed.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 6 takes ko
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . a b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . 5 4 . X 3 X 1 . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O . 2 |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O . 7 |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

White moves first: I do not get to capture anything now, but I do get 5 points from the plus point. Net result: +5 for black and white even has gote! Downside: I now have hidden move aji at a and b and having to spend a ko threat is expensive in this game. But the upside: white loses points in gote compared to the previous diagramme

I could also play immediately at the plus point; playing there looks good for white as well. I have two options: I could play one of the above sequences immediately, but it will not be sente. I also have the option of playing my hidden move now. There are so many places to put it, it could be devastating for white .

As I mentioned, Batoo is a reading game, and this requires some thought. Move will be posted later!

Aaahh, in my previous post I made an oversight. This black 1 is actually sente. How delicious... If white does not reply - the sequence below looked a bit tricky, but it just about works.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 36, W: 22
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O 5 X |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O 7 4 |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . 3 |
$$ | . . . . . . . 1 2 O 6 |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

This is all very beautiful. I am happy now

I thought about taking the bottom plus point, but looking at it again I realize that black can make a ko.
I can not risk a ko, so I have to defend. this isn't good. those stupid plus and minus points have a much bigger impact on the game than I would have imagined.

I get to take the ko first at a, but black has a lot of threats on the left.
I have not a single ko threat. so I have to defend.

This also makes me misinterpreting the rules all the more painful.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 36, W: 28
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . 5 . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O 2 X |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O 1 a |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O 3 |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . W . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

I think K6 would have been better at my previous move.
I should spend more time on deciding what to play.

Which means that you took a + or - point

a lot of text but there is a lot to consider because of this hidden move.

There are too many points he could have played to make a scan useful
So I have to rely on visible moves in the future to get more info, before I use my scan (If I use it at all).

I thought about using my own hidden move, but discarded it soon. I want to keep it to allow a comeback if I get trashed by his (hidden) move.
As long as I have my hidden move I can make a comeback from an impossible position. He has used his move so he can't.

I do want to look at the possibilities and base my next move on that.
(later I can look back here to see if I can eliminate some possibilities.)

Another interesting thing is that he did not want to update his score. This could very wel indicate he played a plus or minus point.
Either of which would be revealed by him adding it to the score. I will therefore consider every plus and minus point to be a potential hidden move.

The plus point on the left looks silly so that's probably not it, same for the one on the bottom (both are too passive)
The one on the top is possible. It has some options in the corner and can connect at the top, still it looks to small to be worth a hidden move.

Both the minus points are worth it, because black has a big point lead and either of those points can cause big damage. A minus point is also something he will think I might not expect (some kind of reverse psychology or something )

a or b would be devastating, killing my right side group.

I just stabilized the right side. If he wanted to kill me there he would have used his hidden move there during the fight.
Also he will probably expect me to scan there or play an extra move there because it's the only obvious place that can directly kill my whole group.
So I'm going to assume he did not play a or b (reverse psychology thing again)
If I'm wrong I die there, but can maybe resurrect it later with my own hidden move.

c looks big, but is probably too small for the hidden move.

Any attachment to any of my base stones on the left tooks like the most likely option for him. (if he captures one I lose 5 points)
On the top I have more stones than on the bottom, so he can do most damage on the bottom.
If his move does happen to be on the top, I have more support there to get out of the bad situation.

I guess I'm going to reinforce the bottom left, and wait and see what he plays and try to get more solid info on his hidden move.

The minus point at the bottom left seems like a really nice place for a hidden move. It would be where I played it if I was black.
It is something "unexpected" that has a huge impact on the board if I missed it.
I would lose the whole bottom left corner and have to watch out not to lose my base stone.

so u,v,w,x,y,z, and both m points are most likely.
with the bottom m being the most likely, in decreasing order followed by:
z, w, y, top m point, v, x

the move I played kid of protects against the two most likely options.
It is a bit slow but still not a bad move if there was no hidden move.
(I can not start to play too soft now.)

any followup's on the left will quickly indicate where his hidden move can most likely be found.
I do have to watch out for him making a power play, and bluffing by playing something at the top that makes me expect his hidden move to be there and make me respond with care allowing him to get a good result at the top, only to find out later that his hidden move actually is on the bottom.

I think the biggest gain from this is that he spend his move and get to keep it. while I hvae to worry a lot now, I can make him worry any time I want to

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 36, W: 23
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O c O X X . X |
$$ | . w @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . v . . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . x @ . . X O O . X |
$$ | . . y . . . . B O a O |
$$ | . z @ . . . B X X O b |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

*edit:
the bottom plus point is now huge for me. I'm going to take it as soon as possible.

** edit playing at z would be better. it eliminates one option and protects against both y and the bottom m.
However I think it would be too passive. If I play that way, I'm already giving in too much, just because of being afraid.

Crap on a stick. If only I would have threatened to kill his corner, the game would now most likely have been over. I had soo many ways to do that (at least all the points marked h), I thought it would be very difficult for him to not defend there. But not defending there was exactly what he did.

I thought about bluffing now, but I don't see any way to gain anything from that. So forget subtlety - my hidden move is at C5, he will find this out now, and then the fight will continue.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 37, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O h X |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O h O |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O h |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . h |
$$ | . . . . . . . h . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Nope

Looks like he played either at the point I played now, or at C6

I'm beginning to like this again. after the mess and my shallow reading at the end of the fight on the right (causing black to get the plus point in sente) I was not happy.

in both cases my move is a good one (either to detect the hidden move and get to play another move, or as response to C6 D5 stones)
If it is a bluff it is a bad one because my move will then give me a lot of points on the left, so i do not expect that to be the case.

he might have selected C6 to try and get the plus point.
but because you can always get the bonus even if you later lose that stone again it's
In my opinion a bad reason. so I'm assuming I now play where his hidden move is.

If so I think my previous move was quite good, and i did not lose too much due to his hidden move.

Now I have my own hidden move for later to mess around.

I have read out a little bit, but lets first see if I did indeed hit his hidden move or if it is at C6.
If I know more I'll post some diagrams again.

YAY, I found his move.
It does look more severe than I thought now it is on the board.
looks like black is going to win this game , but I'm not giving up yet.
all those plus and minus points and base stones are really throwing me off.

playing B5 which seems like the only option, will be too passive. I will get cut into three groups and lose on points no matter what.
So I have to come up with another plan. I still have my hidden move so that should be a big advantage. to optimally use it i need to create a lot of weaknesses and make the game complex.

So I made an extremely, overly ambitious (or just plain crazy) plan to turn the game around.

here is is....
wait for is....
don't start laughing ...
I'm going to threating to kill his whole center group
This includes the three black base stones, so I actually told the truth in my non hidden comment

The move I played looks very weak and it looks like black will just cut everything apart.
but it's more complicated then it might look.

the move I played is at the vital point to make a false eye.
if I can safe the J8 stones black has not much room for eye's
If I can force black to capture those two stones I will get an extra move
on the left to hopefully get out of this mess.

OK, lets put some diagrams with variations here.
there are too many to post all, but a few to give an idea.

@ allows me to connect underneath in sente.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 38, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . 8 4 . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . 3 @ 1 . X O O . X |
$$ | . 9 X X W 6 . B O . O |
$$ | . . @ 2 5 7 B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

after 7 I throw in to make a flase eye

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 38, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . 4 O O . X . X . . . |
$$ | 3 6 X @ X 5 X O O . X |
$$ | . 1 X X W O 7 B O . O |
$$ | . 2 @ O X X B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

another variation.

white takes a minus point (again) but gets to connect underneath in sente with points.
so I get to play the bottom plus point to compensate for the minus point

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 38, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . 9 @ 7 . X O O . X |
$$ | . 8 X X W . . B O . O |
$$ | . 5 @ 1 2 . B X X O . |
$$ | . . 6 4 3 B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

last variation I'm going to post now
@ does not work. black will be short on liberties.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 38, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . 9 @ 8 . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . 7 4 . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . 1 @ 3 . X O O . X |
$$ | . . X X W 6 . B O . O |
$$ | . . @ 2 5 . B X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

after 9 in the diagram below I play a and fight for the whole thing.
the F5 stones make for a false eye, and B7 is also no eye because black is short on liberties.
I hope we are going to play this variation. even though I don't expect to have enough libs to actually kill black
It is a great variation that will scare the hell out of black once I connect at a and he realises he is not yet alove
I also have the advantage of the hidden move.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 38, W: 24
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . 2 m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . 1 @ O . X X O O X . |
$$ | 3 . X O . X . X a . . |
$$ | 7 5 X @ X . X O O . X |
$$ | . 4 X X W O . B O . O |
$$ | 6 . @ O X 9 B X X O . |
$$ | . . . . 8 B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

there are however a lot more variations possible
and the chances of black selecting the one I wnat are maybe only 20%.

There are several possibilities for this move, and several possible outcomes. I will spare you the reading, but I will tell you that in the end, I chose this move because it keeps my stones together and destroys another white keima .

I'm begin to regret that I did not capture his two stones earlier, like so:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Linking everything together
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X 3 . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O 1 X |
$$ | . . . . . . . B O 2 O |
$$ | . . @ . . . B X X O . |
$$ | . . m . . B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

OK, this would be gote, BUT it is unlikely he will find my hidden move so I can use the game sequence later anyway. Keeping a hidden move in reserve like this might be good - also for making him extra nervous . I still hope I can come out of this fight with sente to play this sequence: it's big, and it makes me sooo much more solid so that I don't have to be as afraid of his hidden moves any more.

no time to hold back mow, so I'm just going to push through

Hmmmm, I do not understand his move. The proverb says, "if you push a keima, you have to cut that keima". But cutting doesn't seems to give him a good result at all - whether white plays a or b in the sequence below, he is in trouble. Unless he has sneaky hidden move plans?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 40, W: 26
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | p . . @ . . X O O . X |
$$ | . . X X O . . B O . O |
$$ | . 3 @ X W . B X X O . |
$$ | . a b 2 1 B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

Right now I could also extend instead of what I did, but it would leave somewhat more aji I think.

there is a nice tsumego evolving from this.

this looks hopeless for white, but there is a nice tesuji here

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 40, W: 27
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | . . @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | . . 8 7 9 X . X . . . |
$$ | p . 5 @ 6 . X O O . X |
$$ | . . X X O . . B O . O |
$$ | . 3 @ X O . B X X O . |
$$ | . . 4 2 1 B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

a kills the black stones

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Score - B: 40, W: 27
$$ +-----------------------+
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . m . O . O X X . X |
$$ | 8 6 @ . . X X O O X . |
$$ | 7 3 O X 1 X . X . . . |
$$ | 2 5 X @ O . X O O . X |
$$ | 4 9 X X O . . B O . O |
$$ | . X @ X O . B X X O . |
$$ | . a O O X B . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . p . . . . . |
$$ +-----------------------+[/go]

I think black will play 5 @ 6 in freegame's first hidden diagram there...

After this sequence I should have enough points to win, but he still has the threat of his hidden move. So I'll have to focus on connecting everything, meanwhile making sure that I don't fall behind.

a ko does not look like a good idea