no explanation necessary

While I am very leery of making "automatic" moves pursuant to ez4u's warning, I feel like continuing here is important for helping my bottom left group.

One thing I am not entirely happy with this game- I felt like I was doing well in the first few moves, however white gained tonnes of territory, and the game now has an equal/polarised feeling where white has tonnes and tonnes of solid territory while black has tonnes of moyo (and cash is theoretically safer than moyo promises).

Have you counted recently? If so, who do you think has the advantage?

How do you think the game will go in the next dozen moves or so?

My reckoning is/was: Black has a small territory on the left, a territory in the bottom right and a large moyo.

Conversely white seems to have about 52 points of territory and some prospects at gaining more points on bottom and right.

More fine reckoning:
If we say black's two territories are worth a bit over 15 points, Black's moyo must be worth 35-40 points more than what white gains in the rest of the game. This sounds like a lot, but really the top part of that moyo is essentially territory, so my impression is: black has significant potential, white is about 15 points up on the board.

Rather than being about winning or losing right now, I will simply ask from my moyo the number of points required to win: If this is too much, I will lose.

Edit: Right how it will go:

With sente, white will play a reduction that doubles as a large scale attack on K4 stones. Black will resist with his thickness and some weakness in white's bottom right group.

I think I have 3 choices here. a,b and possibly tenuki. Emerus: I counted last time, but I forgot, so I will count again before deciding which move to play.
BLACK:
lower left: 8
lower right: 13
upper side: 28 solid, but it will probably be 10-15 points bigger at least. So I'll count 15 extra here.
total: 64
WHITE:
upper left: 21
upper right: 12
lower left: 13
right side: ~6
TOTAL: ~52 + komi, 58.5
So in my opinion I'm still behind. As I was from the start. I should try an active approach now to gain territory and reduce his.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . b . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . a , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

I think move a is really vulgar, this is what would happen

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . 6 7 . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 8 9 . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . 2 4 5 . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Doesn't look good for me


Option b is the most standard reply:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . 4 2 3 . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

But I feel like this is helping him.

So if those two possibilities suck, where should I play then? I should keep in mind that if I tenuki, a would be sente for him. I feel like playing b, but my group on the right doesn't look very thick yet. Yet I think I have to take some risk here, since I'm behind. By the way, I don't know if b is the best point. The only way I can choose a good reducing move in this kind of situation is by intuition. Sometimes that ends in utter failure, sometimes it just happens to be good.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . a . . . . . . . . b . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm51 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . l . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . m . W . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . a . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . b . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

I'm leaning quite heavily towards 'a' after which I expect b, and then I can go back to investigating plays on eg. the right.

My initial thought was 'l', followed by 'm', followed by 'a' and also some thinking about attachments.

At some point here I seem to have lost -_-. I guess that was just a little inevitable. I'll try to incite a fight; maybe I will be lucky.

Ah, he can still make something on the left. I think this game will be pretty hopeless for me from now on, have to win it on good endgame, if it comes to that. Anyway, if I don't jump out here, the game is over even sooner, so the move is obvious.

If both players claim to have lost, can I take the win? =P

Ha, this is the exact opposite of a Magicwand/Violence game

since i am unbiased here...
as of now the game is very close...
if i had to choose.....i will take black.
but i wont feel comfortable taking either black or white.

I thought the exact same thing.

Hah, I'm so glad I'm not the only one thinking that. I think Malkovich games where the players have sharply conflicting interpretations of the board are the most fun to watch.

I'm not really planning to play 55 at L13, really. The scenario, as I see it:
1) I find something on the right that enables me to use my influence
or
2) I find a good place to resign

His last move is clearly in the wrong direction, I don't see where he is going to make territory with this attack. With his initial attack I thought he was going to make a center moyo, but now I don't know. I think White should walk into Black's potential, and then later connect to his right group. If Black had attacked from the left, White would just connect on dame.

if white attache as below...it is very hard to kill.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm53 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . 2 X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . X . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . W . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

No time to explain why.

I give white's move a 9/10 for thickness, but only a 6/10 for connectiness (connectivity?). So the plan is to make white's group run to over there, hopefully while actually getting a few points.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm55 black: 1 white: 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . X . . 1 . . . X . . |
$$ | . . a , . . . . . , . O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . y . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . W . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . p O m O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . o n l . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . b . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ { AR L9 G4}[/go]

My choice boiled down (somewhat arbitrarily, maybe ) to or 'y' to cut. seemed to leave a narrower path, though it may pay a few points in reduction on top due to white's solidity (attacking with a contact play -_-). Aesthetically, K11 is now a play at the centre of 3.

I'd like lmnop aji to be useful. I think a is the correct local move over there. I'm never going to find time to play b.

I did consider at...
M11 but felt unsatisfied after N11 L11 N12
as well as
M13 and M14 both of which felt too passive to actually win the game.

Edit:
Actually, I wonder if I can just let him connect the normal way, though it may leave my moyo too fluffy (getting a bit late in the game to have a moyo...)

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm55 Still not sure on 59
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . X . O . . . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . X . . X . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . X . 2 1 . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . 3 . . 4 . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . W . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . . . X . . . O . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Just trying to replay the game by memory;

I don't think there's any other way to connect here. If he cuts it will become way too big.

Eh, backing off (eg K13) may be a sounder option, but I feel like I need to play very actively to win. Also, gotta avoid making that broken large knight's move .