$$Bm1
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$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 4 X . O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . , . . . . . . O . X O . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 . . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bm1
$$ +--------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 4 X . O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . , . . . . . . O . X O . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 . . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|[/go]
If black descends after 4, he will get cut and die. if he does not descend, the result is terrible for black in many ways and white has achieved perfect safety. The corner is weaker, as Shape said, and whether you bother playing 2 or not, it's kind of the same. As long as you don't allow black a solid connection to the corner, for example, black 2 and another black move to the right of 2, then black is very bad. Even if he spends many moves connecting, then he's bad i nthat respect, as his (1) group does not do anything. Just bad.
$$Bm1
$$ +--------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 5 X . O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . , . . . . . . O . X O . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 2 . . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . 8 . . . . .|
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bm1
$$ +--------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 5 X . O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . , . . . . . . O . X O . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 O . . . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 2 . . X . . .|
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . 8 . . . . .|[/go]
I think white 4 would be a mistake here, though white 8 is a big gain so white seems still okay, but...! Although it can be complicated, if you can put 8 to the left of 7, you might be able to find time to Play a Hane to the left of 5 and have enough liberties in the center to double hane and capture some important black stones.
If Black 3 at 4, white can play 5 and after black descends at the top, white can seal it all off with a knight's move below 6. Black is short liberties and will die.
After exchanging for 2, black still has time to play 5, so white 5 after black 1 is another idea.