Am I the only one who thinks black should have connected this way:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . 3 2 , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X . . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

this tesuji shape must be first thing one must think before connecting the peep.

I am really eager to see how this fight turns out. Magicwand's tesuji is one that was not at all obvious to me, so it'll be interesting seeing where it leads.

Does anybody else that's done Malkovich games wish that the pace was faster?

close combat... one wrong step by black will make him lose game. it is also dangerous for me also because i am still weak everywhere.

Interesting situation...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm31
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . 7 . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X 8 . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Unless I'm misreading, it seems like Kirby has to connect under, here, if he means to connect at all. Not for MW:

OK, this is an interesting position, but I think that I will come out ahead.

There are a few considerations to keep in mind.

First, there is the concern of getting cut. I potential points to worry about at "a" and "b", below:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . a O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . b O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If white plays "b", I am obviously not really cut there:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X 4 . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . c 2 1 O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O 3 X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Furthermore, if I capture two stones like this, I am practically alive. No real worries there. Added to that, white has "c" to worry about in the diagram above. I can get a ko for his group when I want. Not really good for him.

Then we can consider the cut at "a". It's still not a real concern, because I can get eye space as shown below:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . 1 O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X 2 . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But ho ho, what if white plays so that I cannot capture the stone that I have been? Like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . d O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X 1 . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . e O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Then I have two cutting points at "d" and "e". I clearly cannot save both cutting points.

Don't worry about that, though. I have a plan. If white plays as above, I can connect under if he threatens to cut:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O 5 X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . 4 3 O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X 1 . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . 7 O 2 X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

No real worries there.

You might say that , in this last diagram is almost sente, since it brings my group to immediate safety.

...

So, I'm not so worried about getting cut there. I am pretty safe.

So if I'm safe, what do I want to do? Hurt him, of course!

One way to damage his group would be to cut through as below:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X 1 . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

...but, it doesn't seem to work well. For example:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O 6 . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X 1 . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X 0 X 2 3 O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . 8 5 4 7 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

, below, is interesting, but seems a bit dangerous for black:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . 3 O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . 8 O 6 X O X 1 . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X 7 X 2 . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . 5 4 e . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I can make an eye by capturing at "e", above, but white has a lot of forcing moves, which gives him options to strengthen his group.


If I simply play as follows, white's group is still very weak, and I am completely safe:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O , X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X 1 . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I can continue to pressure and attack this group. I probably won't kill it, but let's see how many points I can get out of this excursion. When I'm done, white should have very few points, and I will have lots of power.

Here is another sequence that doesn't really work for white, which I didn't post earlier:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O 7 X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . 6 5 O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O 1 X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . 9 O 2 X X 3 X X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O 8 . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm11
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . X O O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X 9 8 5 6 O O X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . O O X X X O X X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X 1 7 3 X 4 . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X 2 . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

wow..it is very complicated.. i dont know what i should play.
for now..i am willing to give him the peep because the corner is still empty.
if i can connect to my group on left then i am satisfied.

Cut him first.

This move is just too good for me to pass up. First, it weakens white more. Second, it strengthens me more, and third, it aids my cutting stone.

I don't plan on keeping this stone, necessarily, but I think it will be useful in the future.

Seems like important cutting stones to me. Definitely something I'd fight for.

This is the sort of ridiculous, nonsensical overplay that will magically work out for him later because he's kickass at reading and tesuji. Exactly what I've come to expect from MW. I'm convinced MW just plops stones around randomly to build aji and then figures out how to use them later with some deep reading. Like if you played your first 25 moves completely randomly and then tried to figure out useful ways to build points and kill stones from that position. Like it's a giant tsumego.

...

I think MW is trying to separate black's cutting stones from the rest of his group. Make a fight of it. I'd be interested in knowing how much thought he gives to moves like this. I sincerely doubt he thinks in terms of sector lines like this, though it's a useful mental map for plebs like me. At least thinking in terms of the sector lines the move makes some sort of sense.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm41
$$ {LN E14 M10}
$$ {LN E14 D10}
$$ {LN M10 O7}
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . 5 . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . X O O . O . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O X X X . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . O . X O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . O . X X . X X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]