I think connecting this way is best. Still not sure what black has in mind.

Looks like white is wisely going to back down. This cut ends in gote for me, but it secures my corner, which is all I can ask. White will still have weaknesses in their structure afterwards.

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[go]$$cm31 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O 9 . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . 4 O 5 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a 6 8 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The cut at A is still enabled. If white plays A, I'll play B, to settle my group. If white plays B, I'll play an iron pillar to split, then cut at A. if the lower left gains, I also gain by killing some more white stones, if not.. well, then they've strengthened me everywhere. I think this fight is in my favour.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm31 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O 9 . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I've decided this is the best way to protect the cut. It's good shape, so I'll be thick and able to molest the two right side stones. Black gets an OK sized corner, but he can't even attack my top stone strongly. If he tried to cut directly, for instance, I could connect over/under if I really felt like I couldn't sacrifice it.

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . c X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I feel it necessary to point out that while I said white needed to fix at A, I didn't mean they had to play A directly, nor that I needed to play B directly. But fixing A means I need to fix B, and I do believe this is a decent way to do that.

Normally, the response to a shoulder hit, is to extend. In this case, since extending top and bottom don't do much, extending towards the center (C) would probably be the move. However, since it doesn't fix the split at B, or threaten the cut at A, playing at C

Playing at 41, therefore, becomes a solidifying move for the group, and settles the situation. It feels painful to submit to gote, but I think in this case, it's the right thing to do. Looking at the whole board again..

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . W . . . W . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . B . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . W . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . W . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If you look at the Aji of the marked groups of stones (white can be slid under, black can make a play to reduce with the marked black stone) then black appears to be solid and ahead on cash. I need to prevent white from making a huge center, and soon, I need a move along the bottom. Failing a move on the bottom, a big play on the left is required. If I were white, I'd play a 2 point extension from the marked white stones in the lower right, or an extension on the left towards my group to try to contain it.

So those are the two moves I'll watch for.

Did you consider this? Its sente, no?

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[go]$$
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Yeah, that was actually the first move I considered. But I don't like the shape. What if black responds with the hane on top? That makes me uncomfortable. This gives me more surface area for running. Also, buy cutting down to the second line, I keep black separated for sure, and even start to make potential for an eye along the edge if needed. It's also just as effective for pressuring the two black stones below, as we can see, black felt the needed a move here.

The kick will make the black group more inefficient. I'm thinking about some follow-ups that will secure my corner 100%, but I want to make sure they're sente. Once my corner is secure, an extension along the bottom side becomes a lot smaller and I can deal with the extension I want on the left or do something at the top.

Unless I misread, the tiger's mouth was sente to capture two black stones, so black cannot hane on top.

Oh yeah, I thought about some alternate moves that threatened to capture those two stones, but they had problems. Ooops.

In retrospect, I probably should have played r10 rather than r9. Here's why:

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5 . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The threat here is neutralized by playing the iron pillar. It's a little undercut, so maybe white could have caused trouble later in the game, but..

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Move 41 invites the kick to make me overconcentrated. Well, it's a minor setback, and doesn't reduce the aji in the corner much, so we'll see how it goes.
After my move, white needs to play a move on the bottom, I think, but they've got sente, so we'll see.

I wanted to make another move in the lower right to close the corner, but it wouldn't be sente. I'll get it when I can. This move feels kinda urgent, because that pincer joseki ends with a lot of aji. And it's almost sente against the black group because now a move like B18 becomes quite painful for him. His extension was much too close.

While white's move is big, it's not urgent to respond to it. There's still aji at c6, and the bottom is wide open. 45 may be overplay. But here's why I played it.

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . b . 5 . a . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This 45 is safer, but feels slack. It allows white to play around A to pressure B. There's no pressure on white's corner to do anything.

In contrast..

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[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . c . 7 . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X O O O b . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . 6 . 5 . O . . a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Black's 46 is floating, without a base. He can play B, to try to keep connected. He can play C to run out, but it's a weak group any way you slice it. White also has the problem that this line directly threatens the invasion at A.

If white fixes the corner..

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . O . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . 7 , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . 5 . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

7 provides nice symetry and pushes me out into the center. I feel fairly confident that 5 is the correct play, but I often seem to be overplaying when I think I'm being correct.

I don't want to get shut in, so I'm going to jump out in the obvious way. Because black's right side group is weak, I think was a mistake. If he does something with that stone, I can attack the right, and vice versa. I'm eyeing S5 and K3.

Not a lot to say about this. White gets sente out of this exchange, but I'm not sure what they'll do with it. There are two major things hanging out on the board soon, and if white fixes one, I'll take the other.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm41 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . 8 . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 9 X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

48 and 49 are the general areas left to exploit. If white plays 48 to solidify the top, I'll play 49. If white plays a honte move to fix the aji of 49, I'll play the split that 48 fixes. I think this should still leave me a little ahead.

We're getting to the point where the game will likely devolve into a rather large knife fight.

This is sente now. I can attack the right side group strongly.

So, Uhm. Yeah. This wasn't what I expected at all. Granted, it fixes his corner, and pressures my group a little, but it makes me fix the group in a way that weakens his weak group. That's.. generally not great. So anyway, I'll play this to ensure I have a route to the center, and pressure white's weak, no eyed group a little.

No diagrams, because I really have no idea what white will do now.

Strengthen my group by threatening to seal his in. If he tries to run toward the bottom, I can lean on the bottom side to keep him separated and keep the attack going. Then maybe I can develop the top or even attack his left side group.

I'm not at all sure about this move. My group isn't enclosed, but it's in vague danger of being enclosed. On the other hand, there's at least one eye there, no matter what white does, so that means it just has to be able to escape. Continuing to run doesn't continue pressure on the weak group of white's, so continuing to play locally should only be done if it is urgent. I don't /think/ it is, but this is the sort of thing that I'm often wrong about.

I have chosen a move which should allow me to weaken several groups of white's at once. The top, the weak group that he's running with, and the weak white stone all are under attack. How white responds will tell me a lot about his priorities in this game. More analysis later when I'm not stuffed full of Starcraft/anxiety.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm51 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . e . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . x . O . 1 . W . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . d a . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . g . . . b X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . c . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . O . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . f . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

These are the moves I have in mind, and there's a lot of them, so it's gonna take a little time for this move.

The diagonal at a is the sorta obvious move, because it keeps black separated, but it's awfully aggressive considering how strong black is here. My weakish group on the right would be severely threatened if I tried too hard to attack . But keeping your opponent separated is such a valuable thing... Gonna have to read that one carefully.

The move at b is somewhat attractive. Yes, black could connect underneath, and I'm kinda thin, but it still feels like it would be good. I have to do some reading, but I think it's going to end up being too thin.

I also may just move out with c. It threatens to make the diagonal at a work, and I can sacrifice to make my right side group strong. It doesn't give up that much territory.

If I really want to save I can connect underneath or over-top with d or e. But they have the same problems as a and if I go do something else those are good moves to save for later.

Another move that comes to mind is f because it appears to make an eye.. Black hasn't really stabilized that right side group completely. It's slighly behind enemy lines, though it has a fair amount of space to work in now. But the more I look at it, the less sure I am that I get a real eye out of it.

Finally, I want to consider something like g. activates another invasion like x, and that would be completely intolerable. I'm quite thin here. It might be a good way to sacrifice because it helps give my right side group a place to run to and also indirectly attacks the left side black group.

This is one of those things where I just don't feel confident that I understand the direction of the game. Did I make a mistake giving black this much territory? Was it worth it to break up the right side?

Anyhow, I think this is good because it guards a large area for me, leaves the connection underneath open unless black spends a move to kill one stone, threatens the left side group, reaches out to my right side group, etc.

My opponent is playing cautiously. White has chosen to try to solidify the top. This weakens his group on the right a bit. My move may seem a bit loose because of the following sequence:

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[go]$$cm51 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . O . X 6 O . X . . . |
$$ | . . X , . O . . . , . 4 5 . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 2 . . 3 . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 7 . O O X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . O . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . O O . |
$$ | . X O O O . . . X , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . X X X . X . . . . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

but if white attacks my stone severely, my counter attack on their group is much more harsh. If white plays to protect his weak group, my attack is safe.

We'll see how white responds.