It looks better, but it isnt

If black goes underneath (e2), white cannot really fix at f2, because that leaves a cutting point if white pushes through at e3. The cutting point leaves too much aji, since theres also a cutting-stone at d5 already. White has to fix at f4, and if black goes underneath f2. White blocks not at g2, and black now probably lives in sente (b4 is not needed). Also, there is a move now for white at g2 (or even something like f3, for a nice invasion-start)

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm82 Prisoner Count B - 0 W - 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . 3 . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O . 1 . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X 2 4 5 6 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

(

My first instinct here was to come back to connect at B4. But then black plays E2 (I'm more than a little surprised he didn't play that for his last move - although it wouldn't surprise me at all if there were some tesujis hiding in this position that I'm unable to see) and I connect again at C2, I'm living in gote in a very small corner. But if I play this way:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm83 Prisoner Count B - 0 W - 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O 2 . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O 1 O . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X 3 . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

my life is much more comfortable - ample room to live in the corner (black B4 can be blocked at B3 in sente, and the C2 cut doesn't appear to be a problem), and perhaps some room to expand along the bottom later. Plus, let's not forget my stone at D5 - it seems to have more aji than you can shake a stick at (Apologies for using a British colloquial expression, as I realise the readers of this forum are predominantly American - but I really like the phrase ) I'm not sure what's going to happen now, but I'm starting to feel quite good about this game for now. (That of course will change if white starts severely attacking/reducing my F17 group, but let's not worry about that until it happens )

EDIT (a linguistic footnote): having just googled for the phrase, out of curiosity, I find that it seems to be considered an "Americanism" (at least, its first recorded use was apparently in the US), which means I'm totally wrong about it

the only move he got alot of cutting points

As planned. I wonder what he'll do now? It looks like he has sente, but he's going to have to be careful that I can't cut off and kill his 4 stones on the left. I'm also threatening F4 followed by G3, which would be a very substantial reduction of white's territory. (It's not all good news though - my group in the middle is still not yet 100% alive. As white stones get closer to it I'm going to eventually have to do something.)

nice and solid it's about Time to counter attack

Well, I wanted to play a to save my cutting stone (even if only for the short term), but I couldn't see any good answer to white b, so I didn't play it.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm87 Prisoner Count B - 0 W - 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . b . . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . a . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X O . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Instead, I'm using the aji while it's still there, to expand my centre group further (it's surely unkillable now), and in sente (if white tenukis, I'm pretty sure I can get away with a now and kill the four stones on the left). Perhaps my move is aji-keshi, I don't know, but I like the prospects it gives me for a massive reduction of that lower-central region, while also securing my centre group. After white protects (I presume with the net at a), I will tenuki myself - I haven't decided where yet, but it will probably be to either do something with my top group, or take that turn at H12. N6 and R2 are also both big endgame moves I want at some stage, but I don't think it's quite time yet (although it can't be too far away), and I'm also not sure which is best to play first (although, as I look more closely, I'm fairly sure it should be R2).

White still has some sente moves left against my lower-left corner (most notable that B4 cut - after I block and white captures, as far as I can read I still need another move to avoid dying), but he can't do any serious damage.

A very rough count of the game at this stage:

black has: ~6 points in the lower left, ~10 in the lower right, and ~45 in the centre right. Also some unknown (but probably small) number in the centre, and some other unknown, difficult to estimate (but not that large) number on top. Probably somewhere in the region of 70-75 in total.

white has: ~25 in the upper left, perhaps a bit more, ~15 in the upper right(probably less, but let's be pessimistic for now), and some hard-to-estimate number in the centre-bottom, perhaps pushing 30. Plus he has 6.5 komi.

Except, hmm, I freely admit to being terrible at counting. White will probably get a lot more than 30 from the bottom - but then my 45 was quite pessimistic for my centre-right. So who knows

But I'm going to declare that this looks pretty close - too close for comfort really I guess we'll see who plays the best endgame...

At the moment I'm pretty sure I'm going to play M17 after white responds to my latest move. Not only is it very big on the top, it seems to be sente too, aiming at P18.

Nice and solid, yes, but was forced.
And what are you (counter-) attacking?

For beginners:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B tenuki
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . 1 7 O 4 O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

White has to protect of course, but after that I think this is a nice tesuji:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm87 Prisoner Count B - 0 W - 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . . W . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X O . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Tricky to answer, there are a lot of options

Your idea?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . 3 O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X 1 . , X . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 2 . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X O . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Like i said, White has to protect first of course too bad there are so many weaknesses at the right side

Of course, but I mean afterwards.

Let's start with this peep

yeah 86 was forced I was referring to the counter attacking his corner

Ah, what do you think is the status of his corner?

It's alive for now it's flexible & it still has room to run
but my groups can be split at the bottom

So after he connects against the peep I can cut in to the corner & capture the stone to make easy life

He might jump out to the right from his corner and I would have to contain him
And he would be taking alot of territory

And that pretty much the jist of it

I might find a new sequence tomorrow and change my plans I'm still undecided I been playin defense this week and I'm dying to get back on offense

but there is a time and a place for everything

You also mentioned counter-attacking his corner;
could you show some sequences of what exactly you mean by "attack" and "offense"?

The obvious move, and indeed, after some reading, I have to conclude that it's the only move. I bothered reading because I was so tempted to go ahead with the cut at E6 - thinking that, if I can cut off his group there and keep it to one eye, my centre group was strong enough to win any capturing race. The trouble is, I then saw that he can get himself two eyes for the group like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm89 Prisoner Count B - 0 W - 0
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X 3 X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . 5 X 2 X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . 4 . O . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . 1 . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | . 6 X O O O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X O . . . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

(if I omit , he cuts there and my 5 stones on the left have too few liberties, and if I omit he connects underneath). I have a few other options involving playing C8 to try to falsify the potential eye at B7 (while also threatening to capture black's 3 stones), but it doesn't seem to work (largely because black can play E7, protecting against the capture, in sente).

So I'm just going to keep my life simple and play the obvious response. I'm not sure white gains all that much in this exchange - with F7 there he can't escape towards the centre. And he now really does have to protect against E6. Unfortunately, contrary to what I was saying yesterday, I don't think I can tenuki after he does (as desparate as I am to play M17 before white exploits my open skirt on top), because, despite all the stones I have surrounding, I find myself unable to read out a good counter to white hitting the vital point at G9. (And I don't think this last exchange changes any of the sequences I was reading to that effect.) I'm not sure exactly where to play though - G9 itself just looks so horribly small and submissive, and most of the alternatives seem to leave white with forcing moves (and are still gote)...

Most likely something like this
These are common sequences it gives black territory and white life

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm90 Prisoner Count
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . X . . . . X X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . X X X . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X O X . . . . , O . X . . , X . . |
$$ | . . X X X . . . . . . . X O O O X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . O O X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . . . . . . O X O X O . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . . . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . O X . . . . . |
$$ | 3 1 X O O O . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . 2 X O X O . 5 . . O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . X X . 4 . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

I wasn't expecting this yet, but I do have to respond and it does at least gain a few points for him, so why not? As I said earlier, I'm pretty sure I have to respond once again when he captures, so he keeps sente. I'm at least grateful I don't have anything to think about on this move - I will have quite a lot to think about shortly.