i already talked about this move in my last post

OK, that's possible too. I clearly have no choice here but to push and cut. I'm not sure whether this is better or worse for me than the variations I gave before. On the negative side, the cut itself isn't sente anymore. But white has one liberty fewer, and he might have to watch his 2 stones at O6 and O7 in some variations. I might lose the game here, but at least I'm going to go down fighting

i gave this move a lot of thought its better than making a bad shape move at p8 and it keeps my groups connected, i kind of wanted to play p5 but now is not the time because he can play p8 and i will be on the run with my q8 group breaking up my plans for a wall, i read out a few variations and i can handle it better this way lets see whats his plans are this is exciting

Well, more surprises. Actually, this looks like a good move from MHO - I still get to cut something, but he gets to add more stones (and thereby more liberties and more opportunities to run) to the important group. The following sequence is surely forced (but I won't offer a trigger, given the number of times I've been surprised already):

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm47 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 5 O 2 O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 1 O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I have rather mixed feelings about this, although overall they're bad On the plus side, his group is still without any eyes (even S9 doesn't give him an eye on the side), and can now hopefully be chased in the direction of my strength at the upper left. On the downside, it looks like, in this game just as in my first Malkovich game, I'm going to have to pull off a big kill in order to win, which is something I had hoped to avoid. There's enough open space there (and places where I am thin) to make me suspect he should be able to manage it. So much for my hoping to make profit while attacking, it appears that, whatever happens to white's right-hand group, it is white who has benefitted from this passage of play - his O6 group is going to help him a lot in making something in the centre (or at least stopping me from doing it). I await with interest being able to read Ed Lee's comments to see where I went wrong - but for now, all I can do is try to kill.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm48 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . O 1 O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . 5 O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 7 O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . 6 8 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . 9 O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

this is a possible continuation

No turning back now. Note that things may not be quite as bad as I thought, as I noticed only after typing my last post that, after he blocks and I cut, that cut is sente in at least some sense, as I threaten the double atari at N7. Perhaps I should also not be quite as pessimistic as I was before - I think I'd still rather play white in this position, but MHO is not that much stronger than me (at all), and we can all see how badly I've played so far this game (not that I yet know exactly what I could have done that would have been better, at least as far as this fight is concerned.)

see last post ...

So, here goes...

he might be going for the kill lets examine

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm52 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . 7 4 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 3 X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 2 . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 1 O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

that makes sense but its entirely too much, i might have to sacrifice it and figure out a way to get profit else where
lets not count it out yet hmnn
more calculation is needed

Well, he spotted that, and chose - surely correctly - to defend (and in a way that pressures my cutting stone). I can't currently conceive of any move but the one I've made, so I'm making it quickly. The continuation looks a bit of a one way street too, at least for the next few moves:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm53 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . a b . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . 1 2 . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

- I have to choose between the further extension at a and the hane at b (perhaps also worth considering is the jump to one point above "a"). This is going to need to be read carefully, but I have high hopes of finding something that works well - we're now very much fighting on my turf

(I wouldn't bet against him finding a good move that I've overlooked though...)

I'm thinking on whether to sacrifice my group for center influence, or i think i see something towards running and counter attacking, but i want to work out these positions for myself i even brought out the Go board and put stones down, either way i should have some good variations for u when i decide so i can show u my thought process

Actually, now that I start to actually read things properly, it seems to me that white's stones should be dead, and that I can even afford to hane straight away if white stretches as I suggested (I still can't see anything better for him). I had been worried about my cutting stones having too few liberties after the crosscut, but after

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm53 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4 3 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . 7 1 2 . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I don't see how white's stones can get out - while mine have no only a few liberties, but open space to run into, meaning that precise counts of liberties shouldn't be important anyway (:w58: at P11 looks like slightly stronger resistance, but even then I can't see how white survives.)

So, either I'm now viewing this position through my usual rose-tinted glasses and missing some devastating (and probably blindingly obvious) refutation from white, or white blundered at some point in the last few moves. If so, I'd be interested, after the game, to see precisely where it was - but for now I'm just going to concentrate on the position as it stands.

(There have been a lack of hidden comments throughout the moves just played, though, which suggests that there hasn't been any major blunder - usually, if there is one, someone will point it out. But perhaps this game just isn't attracting much interest, for whatever reason. I'm enjoying it right now, anyway, despite the wild mood-swings - one minute I hate my position and the next I like it - that I am now forever going to associate with playing Malkovich games )

that group is dead to me i must fight on, i thought about running but i only have two choices and after playing them out on the board i found the best moves to end my dreams of living,

so now i must take this point its a key point of influence black can push me down from this point and i can push out

right now the center is where the fights at so i must keep fighting there,

key points of influences are like pivots points in a moyo you want to be there first

after studying the board so long i have a lot of moves to pick from for futures sequences

but right now there is really nothing to threaten, that two space extensions is pretty flexible the cutting stones at n10 can run home pretty quickly

and key points of influence are urgent moves so this takes precedence over big moves

OK, so the first question is: is that last white move sente? It looks like it might be, but my reading says "no". The most testing white follow up, if I tenuki, appears to be the following:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , O . X 2 3 , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . X O O O X 5 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Then, if I block at S10, white at N11 captures the cutting stones, because I've let white increase his liberties in sente. However, I just need to play at N11 instead, looking after my cutting stones - white doesn't have any space for 2 eyes on the side.

While I'm aware that my reading could be wrong, and that I may have missed something, I have to learn to trust it. And, in any case, I can't afford to be too cautious, as it's not the case that I'm guaranteed to win the game provided I kill the white group. Indeed, I'm not sure I'm even ahead, if I make a cautious defensive move right now. White is beginning to outline a quite formidable amount of potential territory in the centre and lower side. Thankfully, though, I have 2 possible invasions which ought to be able to succeed - the 3-3 in the lower left, and something on the lower side. Note that there is no great urgency to perform either instantly - white can't, I think, prevent both with one more move, and I was never going to be able to pull off both, as attacking my invasion would give white enough strength to be able to easily kill any subsequent attempt by me elsewhere.

And, indeed, any strength that white builds up as a result of an invasion could quite easily be used to target my group on the left, which is definitely still weak at the moment. Hence my decision to jump out with it. And I choose the side I did because I may get defensive resources in the future by utilising the thinness of white's 4-4 7-3 enclosure (whereas white's upper-left corner is pretty solid).

(I have only just noted that white's peep at D10 now leads to messy tactics, but from what I've read so far, I think I can get a decent result.)

So, that's where I'm at. Unless white distracts me by returning to the right-hand side, expect me to make one of those invasions I spoke about very soon.

I have some useful aji in the lower-right that I can hope to use in the future:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . 1 . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . 2 O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . 3 5 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

- leading either to making some big gains on the bottom, or (assuming white defends the latter) making some more inroads into the centre.

All good to see, but for now I'm sure looking after my group on the left takes priority (I guess the above is really only an endgame play anyway, albeit a fairly large one.)

If you wish to sacrifice (not saying thats good) then this is the move:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm48 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . O a O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If you played at 'a' as in game, you must commit to saving that group. It is way too big to throw away like this.

i was thinking i can play a move to expand my moyo, or breakout into the center but i think
i rather take sente,
here are my variations

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm56 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 4 5 . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 2 1 7 . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X 8 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . 9 . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm56 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . 8 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 6 5 7 . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 4 1 . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X 2 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm56 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . 5 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 6 X 3 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 8 1 . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X 2 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . 9 . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So, the peep it is! I mentioned in my last post that I'd seen this, and decided I was OK - now that it's happened, I guess I'd better explain. Firstly, the natural connection at D9 doesn't work, as I lose my base entirely:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm57 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 4 b . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . 3 2 O . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . a X 1 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

- and I can't get both a and b.

So I connect at above instead. Clearly white will now push and cut through my one-space jump, but in the following line I have a working ladder:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm57 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 1 O . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X 2 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . 4 3 . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

White can make the other cut instead, of course:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm57 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 1 O . . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X 2 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . 5 3 4 . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

- this is certainly better for white than the previous sequence, and I don't have everything entirely comfortable. But white is now going to have to watch his C7 stone as well as D9/10 - the C6 clamp now looks interesting, for example. I'm hopeful that between these possibilities I can get some breathing space for my group. (It also now occurs to be that above at D7 instead may well work - so there's some more reading to be done )

Sure, I see that the shape is bad, in the sense that I get disconnected. But surely that is only so terrible if I had a way to stay connected, which, by that point in the game anyway, I surely didn't have. (Probably my was wrong, as you said.) As I explained in my comment to that , I was trying to give eyespace to my lower-right group (and in sente too) - was I wrong to worry about it? (It wasn't an entirely passive measure either - I wanted to attack white's invasion, and that is easier when I don't have so many weaknesses of my own to worry about.) What move would you have recommended instead, and with what plan?

Thanks in advance - handling invasions is one of the areas of the game I feel least comfortable with, so I'd love to hear what a strong player like you thinks

lets see if the i my variations work this time