Right, so this way I will double hane into the corner. My group will tend to become settled in the process. I have counterplay if Black cuts:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm27 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 6 3 4 . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . 8 2 1 5 . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . 7 X @ . . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . c # . O . X e O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . b . . a f . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . d . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I can then think of either b) or c) as followups, for now or maybe for later. I thought about making
into a peep at a), because it enhances my choices somewhat if Black chose to put
at
, and it's less likely that the peep will be answered after exchanges strenthen Black's shape in the corner. However I found some variations that I could tolerate even without the peep, and the peep is ajikeshi with respect to my stones in the center. I can still jump at d), sure, but quite notably I lose the potential to atari at e) then push/cut at f).
But why play the kick (
) in the first place? It has some family resemblence with really bad moves, like this one:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 1 . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X a . . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
There
just slams the door in my face, and
is not all that helpful in making a base since Black can still do stuff like a). It's like I'm helping Black to take all the points in the corner while cramping my group.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . c . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 . b . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . a . @ . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . d . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]
Kicking is heuristically a better shape because of the better reinforcement of
, but it still looks a bit like a bad exchange, on
some general grounds. Black stands at a), and the solid connection is more powerful than the diagonal in a typical close-quarters situation. Often there's a weakness at b), working in conjunction with c) hane etc; there's the potential to cover at d) and stuff like that. I can't say that I'm not helping Black build shape, here, but remember that my group is weak, and I chose a thin knight's move to move it:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . @ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . @ . @ X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . X W . W . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . @ . X . W . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . B . . . . . # . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I have two weak groups. The center 3 stones (
) are reasonably light, pointwise, and I can't commit to moving them when my other group is weak as well, especially with the hole at a), and Black's
which makes it hard to coordinate with the right.
I'd really like to be able to move them later on, though, because these stones cut a Black group in the center. I chose the thin knight's move to try to discourage Black from simply reinforcing the corner; that induced
. Before I can do anything else with that aji, and probably before I can do anything else
at all, I need to strengthen my 'main' weak group. The natural way to try to strengthen is to harass the corner stone somehow.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . C . b . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . C X a . . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . C S . O . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I'm constantly worried about the usefulness of Black forcing moves like a) and b). This limits how severely I can play. The
seem too difficult to pull off; I can't allow myself to be cut, and generate another group here, and I don't see any useful sacrifice tactics starting from any of those moves. Attachment at
won't seal Black in, and tends to cede the corner:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X 2 4 5 . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . a 1 3 O 6 X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Probably Black can just peep like this
first, though if that fails, he can always play it at a) instead and I can't crosscut or anything. Anyway, it doesn't look like I can resist strongly, as the fight becomes unfavorable. The knight's move that I threw out as a possibility in a previous post is a bit wishy-washy; it has no special tactical properties and is another thin move. Black can quite possibly just reinforce his corner:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . 2 . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . a . X . . . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . c O . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 b . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
Black can force with
then I have to reinforce my connection somehow, then Black can probably just play a). He'll be reasonably solid in the corner, and ready to cut through at b) or c). I'd need another move to fix and maybe build more eyeshape, but it's hard to say that I'm really gaining much here. Black is clearly the one earning the points.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 3 . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X 2 4 . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . @ . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
I can't even attach at
here, either, to try to make a base in the corner. I can't effectively resist this variation in which Black peeps with
; either
or
is going to get cut off and entirely lose its meaning.
I'm sure you're noticing a trend in these diagrams; as I said before,
I'm too thin to exert tremendous pressure on the corner; when I try to do so, I get bitten by sente moves like
. I still need to get strong, though, so how about we fix the aji first? They say that my opponent's good move is my good move:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wcm25 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . a . . O . O X X X . X . . O . . |
$$ | . . c X 1 . . . X O . O . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . b . O . X . O . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
The kick produces miai. Black can help himself to one of either a) or b), but I get to hane at the other. Trust me that I read both ways out carefully, to try to ensure an acceptable result. It's not completely settled how my opponent will play, but there's some room here for Black to misjudge. And most importantly, I'm confident that I won't be ripped apart by ordinary, obvious moves, which would almost surely happen if I made an impatient overplay like
at c).
So now at move 27, technically speaking, we're in a branch of my planning for move 25. I decided that it would be a bit too much to talk about the entire tree at move 25, so I chose to wait and explain my reading closely only for the path that Black actually chooses.
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parliament
which I think I might be able to handle because of white's cutting point, but I feel like afterwards, my stones become heavy floating stones which I don't like. 
I have no good response. 
for 
is almost to be expected, though maybe Black will try pushing at e). I'm forced to protect my cut, and Black is forced to protect, too. Especially considering that I'm probably going to play atari from c) rather than d) -- I'm protecting the stones on the top, and discarding the center stones -- 
above attempts a riff on the previous variation. Like this I'd be satisfied to have the initiative again. Black appears to make a questionable move compared with the previous variation:
for 
is optional for Black, but I put it in as the variation I'm most concerned about regarding the stones on the top. They seem to live, but barely and in gote. I've not prepared to do anything else on the board. I cannot play this way.
is maybe most likely. I probably can't be cut just yet. But what do I do next? It's hard to attack the corner because I'm thin.
PS, from your diagram: