What is Black's next move and is it possible to protect the upper right corner?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc What should Black do in this situation?
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

Thanks.

SuprunP, what are your ideas? What do you think?

This is how I played it and, quite naturally, was beaten up somewhat harshly. Now I think that was a crucial mistake and maybe if I had played H7 instead I would have been better off.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc What should Black do in this situation?
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . 4 3 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

Both your and your H7 variation are ataris -- you must be very careful when you atari,
because here in both cases ( and H7), you make W stronger. Can you find a better move than atari?

(In other words, why is your first feeling atari here? )

Yes, I've read the proverb 'cross-cut then extend' and even tried to apply it a couple of times, but the problem is that it has never worked for me quite well while this close to the border. I know that I must be making some daft moves after extending or maybe extending in the wrong direction etc. and that's why I'm asking you to help me out since I can't figure out a better move than atari (yes, 'cross-cut then extend' should be the answer, but in this particular situation I don't actually catch on to 'why', hence my first feeling 'atari' here...).

Thanks.

I'm worried 9x9 is a bit manic for 'following proverbs'

Anyway. The least lucid diagram possible. Like you in the game, I really don't want to let white play the a-b-c exchange, so that is my main concern. The squared stone stops d and e ataris being quite so effective as white. My choice might be 'b' directly.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc What should Black do in this situation?
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . # . e . . . |
$$ | . . , . d X 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . 3 2 b . |
$$ | . . . . , c a . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

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I've noticed SuprunP often asks questions which seem to expect The One True Answer, but I don't know the answer. Now I'm a 3d (but not very good at 9x9) which probably means it's quite a hard a question for a beginner. 9x9 is basically one huge fight and my feeling for this and similar early 9x9 questions is the only real answer is read the game to the end and count and see if you win. Proverbs, strategies, principles etc are always trumped by reading. Extend from crosscut is a useful proverb, but is is also often wrong. The key thing to understand is why it's a proverb: it helps you get more liberties, whereas atari helps your opponent get more liberties and you still have cuts to worry about. However, in Loons diagram I am not sure some atari is wrong. Notice that now when white extend from atari he doesn't have many liberties due to f4. If we want to pick a proverb to justify this reading we can say white has played into hane at head of two stones, so a good shape for black.

EDIT: Actually I just checked the whole thread and saw you played this atari. I do not feel strong enough to confidently say it is wrong.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Atari?
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . # . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . 4 3 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

As well as the hane, I would also consider the extend. It's a strong shape that doesn't leave weakness, but also doesn't take white's liberties so puts less pressure on the white stone. If white ends up living on the right side and doesn't damage the left does black have enough points?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Extend?
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

9 by 9 is always so tricky, I have a suspicion that black is already in a difficult position after the squared stone was played.

To be honest, my first reaction would have been the hane, with the extend as uberdude suggested being a close second after realizing the difficulty in trying to kill the stone. But another idea might be to play something more aggressive like C4 or C5 and try to find a way among the fighting.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Geronimo!
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O 7 1 O X . . |
$$ | . . . 5 4 2 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . 6 # . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

You should play this way. It shouldn't work, but you'll get nice practice playing unreasonable moves and winning because you can read. Just remember to read as much as you can.

P.S. The marked stone will die, btw. Don't try to save it.

P.P.S. At no point as a go player have I followed this sort of advice.

_________________
Occupy Babel!