Dealing with constant invasions

[moyoaji]

So I played an IGS game where my opponent invaded everything I tried to build. I ended up winning on time, but I should have lost after I misread the situation in the bottom right.



In addition to requesting general analysis, I do have some specific questions about the game.

Is there anything I could have done better to deal with black's invasion moves early on? Or was the game simply lost by my one tragic misread?

At was this move or the ladder at M13 bigger? If I take the ladder, is it possible for my corner group to be useful, or will it simply die?

At move 114 I see that I should have been working to reduce black's area. How should I have played that? Should I have defended my shape point at O5 before trying to do anything else?

I saw after the game that I could have brought his group to ko by playing A12. Is that correct? (His response would be C10 to bring it to ko)

[skydyr]

I think if you play C10, black can't take the time to make an eye on the side because you can safely atari A10 to remove it or connect. Black could A12 for ko, but white has A13 as a local ko threat. Of course, black has a couple ko threat looking things around D7 too, but that eye is irrelevant if white connects out at A10.

Edit:
Actually black B13 may work better to create a ko.

[Bill Spight]

Is there anything I could have done better to deal with black's invasion moves early on?

You left too much room for an invading group to make a base. Black took advantage of that. Your main problem was letting Black turn the tables on you on the top side. And that was a direct result of extending too far.

More comments:

is excellent.

should be at Q-04.

The top side is urgent, to prevent Black from making a huge double wing framework. J-17 would be good, looking at a two space extension towards the corner.

is an interesting play. A two space extension from White's wall seems inefficient, but if Black extends to L-03, he threatens to connect underneath. Maybe White should play Q-04 as a double sente and then switch to the top side.

The top side is still big. Also, it is not so good to leave a 7 space gap. On the left side C-13 looks better. So does C-14, for reasons that makes apparent.

Black has an interesting way with his invasions. The two space extension would make a base which would not be easy to attack, but he also threatens to slide to B-14 or to peep at C-15.

My feeling is to pincer, even if it is a bit close. You don't really want to give Black a base. Also, Black could not threaten to slide underneath C-14. But there is still a good argument for extending on the top side. That is the direction to develop the White "shimari", isn't it?

Good.

How about the peep at D-10? See how Black replies. Also, if you are going to cap, G-09 is the spot to get in front.

OK, it looks like Black can live. The plan now is to take sente and extend on the top side.

Why not extend on the top side?

Looks a bit far.

Has room for a two space extension, and leaves White without a base. Black is good at this.

Who is attacking whom?

Counsel of desperation. Keep the pressure up on Black's invasion. How about the one space jump to L-14? Keep in front. If this becomes mutual destruction, Black has a lot more to destroy.

[SmoothOper]

I think whites C6 at move 18, is a little out of place. Black's enclosure is much more efficient, and black has so much invasion potential with whites hoshi enclosure. As white I would have expanded up the top to prevent an ideal double wing enclosure or invaded directly, maybe around P15 or with a probe.

[moyoaji]

Because I got to the top first in the game, I suppose I didn't realize it's importance in the review. (This is a big reason why it can be good to post games for review.) That was clearly a mistake now that I see it. My opponent should have played a move on the top instead of invading on the bottom and then I would have been in real trouble.

@skydyr - I suppose there are two ways to make ko here. Sure, the ko may not be winnable by white considering all the local threats, but it would have been ko nonetheless and I could have gotten in a threat somewhere that was worth something decent.

@Bill - Thank you for all of your comments. I did look up the joseki for after the game and realized how silly I was not to play that. I've made this joseki mistake before. I must not make it again. That move is vitally important.

For I recognized that the top was large, but this move was more of an "in the game" move. I was testing my opponent. I wanted to see if he would invade immediately and, if he did, I would pressure him then take sente to grab the top. I may have spent too long poking at black's group, but I wanted to get a better wall and secure my lower left corner. Perhaps I should have grabbed sente sooner.

was too far, yes. I regretted that move.

I suppose this probe was ill-timed. I wanted to see what sort of aji black would give me to work with. However, considering this was a large knight's enclosure there actually are many more potential invasion points so I should have waited until the top side was settled before I played anything.

@SmoothOper - I had forgotten about the possibility of a P15 move with a large knight's enclosure. That would have been very nice. That move is even more severe against a large knight than a small, but I sometimes forget that point because it is a more obvious shape move with the small enclosure. I need to remember this move.

Thank you all for your comments.

[cyclops]

With too much aji in your moyo you have to deal with constant invasions