i am happy he tried to attack my stones.
i predict that i will sacrifice them to get bigger points in the middle. if i was Kerby i wouldn't attack so close..i would have chosen one to its right so i can not pincer..
but i am only 3D... and that is strong enough to win this game.

Another overplay by Magicwand, I think.

The most obvious danger is that black might play the reflexive tobi, then white starts making a serious moyo:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 2 . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Now white will be able to save one side or the other.

If W2 above works well for white, then maybe black can use it.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think that this is Kirby's best for his next move.

Definitely overplay, but I would be interested in other players' opinions on how to best exploit this situation.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Prisoners: B=1, W=1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . 1 2 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

My idea would be to lean here, in order to cap the left group afterwards.

I guess he did choose to pincer, as I mentioned in my previous post. I still believe, as I did then, that I would be at an advantage in such a fight.

My move is a basic attack and defense tactic. Attack one side, and then you will have power to attack the other. He cannot have both.

Black can either give me his stone here, or I will get enough power to do some damage to his left group. I don't think I would have played this way as white.

I have confidence in this fight.

it is going to be complicated...but at the end..i will be a winner.

The idea is the same: I build strength attacking the marked stone so that I can attack the left.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Prisoners: B=1, W=1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . X . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . W . X . O . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

His move helps his group, though. For example:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Prisoners: B=1, W=1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . X . . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . W . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . 4 2 3 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Maybe whit shouldn't do thid now, but the point is, there is aji.

I should be OK, though.

I seems better for black to get influence, as there is clearly going to be some fighting in the lower part of the board.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Not only is this better for fighting, but white must secure his corner, so black comes away with sente.

If I had one pice of advice to give to Kirby, I'd say: Make your opponent commit himself. He's getting away with overplay after overplay.

Yea! That's the way to play handi-go! Create many many weak groups and hope your opponent makes a mistake in reading linking all of them up! YEA!

No but seriously, I know sometimes it IS needed(and possibly might be the only option), but this just seems overkill. That would be fine too, if magicwand explained it, but that's not the case here. More than that, I feel like the general thought by magicwand is, "I don't care to read what he will do, or what I will do. I will win because I'm stronger."

It wouldn't even be so bad if magicwand actually even tried to put some variations down, but there's nothing like that either. It's unexplained ego, not confidence. It might be his act, but isn't he going too far?

Anyone feel the same way? I didn't mind his earlier games because I could see potential for what he was doing. This time, it feels like it's bordering on rudeness, and I'm not too sure I understand.

I don't know, he makes it sooo easy to root for "the other guy"

I'm enjoying the game, it's entertainment to me, and it's really interesting to watch how Kirby crumbles psychologically. He needs a morale coach and I think he'd gain 2 stones in strength overnight or something.

Come on, Magicwand, use that Aji - you can win that game and then play Kerby at 4 stones !

(no offence here, Kirby, just kidding)

No but seriously, I know sometimes it IS needed(and possibly might be the only option), but this just seems overkill.

MagicWand is overplaying, but I don't think it's completely overkill yet. How are you considering the stone he just played in the corner? It sounds like you might be seeing it as another weak group, rather than what it actually is; a probe to create aji, which magicwand never expected to live.

The problem with this is that magicwand explains nothing of his intentions. All he says is: "it is going to be complicated...but at the end..i will be a winner". This is actually what I have a hard time dealing with, more so than just the moves. At the very least, he could say ANYTHING actually talking about his move, but he just states that it's about winning.

I just don't like this type of play that constantly underestimates the opponent, yet keeps working. At the very least, I'd like to see even a short explanation, for example, "My opponent is highly defensive, so I will probe the corner, and make aji out of it to strengthen my center." or something like "If I can, I play to sacrifice my corner stones for more influence in the center." [a follow up would be "Even If I manage a ko in the corner for later, this is a gain on my part"], and lastly "These moves are definite overplays, but I feel, with the way my opponent is playing, that it is necessary to make these moves in order to win". All of these successfully convey at least a part of his mindset at the moment, so it's difficult to see a malkovich game played missing the whole point of what it is supposed to be about.

i have no idea what is going on here. i am trying to play anything that is not aji keshi.
other than that i do not have any plan (how can you have any plan while it is so complicated???)
Kerby decided to attack my stone. and i played 3-3. it is usually better to (edit: sacrafice) 1 stone then more than 1 stone. so i decided to play corner and live.

I think this is my chance to play something awesome and extinguish the possibilities for white here. I have to think about it more, though.

Magicwand's latest is gote. I think that Kirby sees that. I think that his best chance is this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Prisoners: B=1, W=1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . 1 . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . X . . . X X W . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . O . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Well, now that he's trying to live in the corner, I take what I said back - I don't know what he's doing

I don't know if this constitutes as "awesome" (maybe I was over-enthusiastic before), but I think I can get good result out of this. In deciding this move, I considered the following possibilities:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Prisoners: B=1, W=1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O X . X X O X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . O X X X . O O . X . . |
$$ | . X . O . O . O . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . X . . . . . . O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . X O . O . . . . X . . . O . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . X c . . X X W . |
$$ | . . X X . . . O . X . . O . X . O . . |
$$ | . O X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . b . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Of these, I think that "b" is the most harsh on white. So, I decided to go with it.

I predict Magicwand will try to save the aji of his two stones by not responding in the corner.

strong move by Kerby.
it is strong but way to minimize his force is not touch it and work from outside.
sooner or later its aji will come to life and haunt him. he can have both corner and still lose if he let me have the middle. not only that i dont think he can have both corner.

I cannot passively let him touch my stone without responding. I must respond. This move strengthens my group, and also gives me more side territory. I think it's the only move.