Not much to say about this game. I tried too hard to kill, missing the opportunity to secure a large territory, but I succeeded at the end, so I won.
Well, it did bring to my mind one thing : I've been playing the low approach to the 3-4 a lot recently, but I'm not at ease with the one space pincer.
Still, just checking the joseki is not exactly a good solution. Taking the time to study them in depth would be better, but I'm of the opinion that things you figure for yourself are better assimilated.
So I've decided to try to consider any possible answer that come to mind (by that, I don't mean every possible moves, but every move I think off that I don't immediately dismiss as "silly", "bad shape", or something), then try to see what the possible continuations might be...
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$c One space low pincer.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..a1.efg..
$$|...,b.....
$$|..2.c.....
$$|..........
$$|..3d......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
Those are the moves I consider promising. I considered briefly the slide at B17, but that just doesn't feel right with so little space. The taisha at F16 feels like it would end in tears with a pincer so close;
a : attaching on the corner stone to gain a base. It's almost certain to result in both side having some kind of shape. The drawback is that it will strengthen the opponent.
b, c : moving out. b have the additional benefit of pressing black down, but the push and cut must be considered.
d : attaching to the pincer to make shape. hane-crosscut is a possible continuation that come to mind. May be followed by a pincer on the corner stone.
e, f, g : double approach (or pincers?). I would feel more comfortable (read : I would almost certainly play there)
was at C12 or C11 (or D12 or D11), but it at the very least must be considered.
I will start with a. B hane is the obvious answer. I would even say it feels like the only move.
My instinct is always to cross-cut, so let's see if that's good here?
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc One space low pincer, attachment to the 3-4 stone, cross-cut.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|.c23a.....
$$|..1X......
$$|..b,......
$$|..O.......
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
a, b and c seems like the only reasonable possibilities.
If a, white will force with c, then play at b or at B16. Black as a ponnuki on the side, but white doesn't really have anything to worry about any-more.
If c, white atari at D16 and descend at B17. I'm not actually quite sure about this one. It feels similar to another variation (if white doesn't cross-cut). Black needs to deal with the aji in
, but it seems that E16 do suffice for that purpose... On the other hand, white will have the hane at A18 in sente.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc One space low pincer, attachment to the 3-4 stone, crosscut.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|.1XO......
$$|.2OX3.....
$$|...4......
$$|..O.......
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
This seems another way to get the same position. Not sure about
though, but a move here by black would be annoying, so... (if
at
, then E18 and white capture the corner.)
I feels like this variation favour black a little, but it's not terrible either (just, some other move may be able to get a better results).
Still, there's b left, and I quite like it.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc connect.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..XOa.....
$$|.3OX4.....
$$|..12......
$$|.7O.6.....
$$|.98.......
$$|..X0......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
This isn't a disaster either, as long as the right side is interesting, but a is black's sente, which is very painful. Moreover, another variation leads to a similar result, but without black being able to connect with his pincer stone. So I think this clearly favour black.
at
seems another possibility, but after black connect, either white get a minimal corner and a severely damaged approach stone, or a not-totally alive corner that is one move from being sealed in (so he has to take gote).
So the cross-cut isn't good.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc One space low pincer, attachment to the 3-4 stone.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|.3OX2.....
$$|...1......
$$|..O.......
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
So what about
here? White get shape, black get sente. This isn't bad for either side. Still, what about
at
?
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc One space low pincer, attachment to the 3-4 stone.
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|.2OX......
$$|...1......
$$|..O.......
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
Ko is unreasonable. Connecting unacceptable. So counter atari is the only option
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc connect
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..X.b.....
$$|.XOX1.....
$$|.32O......
$$|.aO.5.....
$$|..........
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
Similar result to what we saw earlier, but this time the pincer stone is cut off. It's certainly a win. If black cut at a, he will only damage it further. But he is not alive yet, so he has to either play a (damaging his pincer stone) or b (crawling on the line of defeat).
Still, instead of
, we might have this instead :
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..X23.....
$$|.XOX1.....
$$|..4O......
$$|.6O.5.....
$$|.87.......
$$|..X9......
$$|...0......
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
This might be good if the right side is interesting. It's similar to what we had with the cross-cut, except that black doesn't have a big, sente endgame play now, so it's clearly better.
if the right side is not promising though, I guess white can connect at
, and if white cut, can atari his way out before attacking the pincer stone... No instead he extend, then fight.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc Fight
$$-----------
$$|..........
$$|..X2......
$$|.XOX15....
$$|..3O4.....
$$|..O.6.....
$$|...7......
$$|..X.......
$$|..........
$$|..........
$$|..........[/go]
Black corner might very well die if he isn't careful. So I guess
isn't reasonable? Then he play at E18, and White is only to happy to let him crawl on the second line.
...
Okay, that's a lot, so it will be enough for now. This is more to write down my own thoughts than anything else, but even then I would appreciate comments (though, no "this move is joseki", because I don't care, rather, "this variation you posted is wrong because black can answer like this and you're in trouble").