Life In 19x19

Slightly good for White, but Black's still ahead and White's lost any good targets for harrassment. Oh, and there's a huge amount of aji left in that group.

was fairly big, as it prevented this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm91 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . 2 . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . 4 O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . 1 O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . c . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . . 3 . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . b . . 7 . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . 6 . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O 8 . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

However, I'm still happy with losing that in gote and gaining this. I'm also aiming at "a", "b" and "c" above. Believe it or not "a" can't be cut I think:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm98 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . 7 X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 5 O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 2 6 . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O 4 3 X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm98 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . 5 . X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . 2 X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I hope people are still following this and enjoying some of the fights

Curious. I thought his last move ( ) was kinda slow. It was a fairly big point, but he seems to be securing as if he's ahead on the board, which he isn't. So, next thing was to look for hidden tricks, as I lost a game against him due to a cunning ladder I simply hadn't looked for. A quick inspection showed this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . . . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X 7 . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 3 4 . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O 6 . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So, my last move was a natural feeling extension from my top side and a ladder breaker to make sure there was no shenanigans. His latest move looks like complete overplay on first glance, but guess what? It stops my ladder breaker from working, even after the obvious response here:

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[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . 3 4 . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Fortunately, I'm ahead on the board, I still want to neutralise the middle a bit more (or make something out of it myself), and I can afford to block the other side and hane if he goes to connect:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X b O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . B O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . a X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . 8 . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . 3 5 6 . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 9 4 2 7 O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , 0 . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

"a" and "b" are miai if he plays @ (the reduction of aji from playing the circled Black stone was huge which is why I accepted gote to play it) so I don't have to worry about my top right group. Any cutting attempt like this looks ... hard for White. So, there are some complicated bits and pieces going on here. The lower right is an interesting sente for him and near sente for me. His thin-ness on the lower middle creates interesting situations like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . 3 . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O b 6 . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O d c . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X 4 . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This looks simply dead, but it's not so simple. "a" now becomes a serious threat. If White responds with "b", connecting on "c" looks fine. If White protects with "d", Black has the following threat:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . 3 . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . 9 8 . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . 0 O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . 6 . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O 7 . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X 4 . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm107 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . O . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . W X . 6 . |
$$ | . . . . O . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X 4 . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . . . . . O . X O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . 2 1 . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O 3 X 5 |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . . . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X X . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

After this, Black lives on the edge. So White probably can't afford to respond with the marked stone, meaning Black would have a lot of aji to play with over there. Other big points if I block on top:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm97 Prisoners:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . X . O O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . X . . , . X O X O X . . . |
$$ | . X O X . . . . . . . . X X X X X . . |
$$ | . X X O X O . X . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . O O O O . . . . . 3 . . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 . O . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X X X . |
$$ | . . . , . . . X . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . O X . . . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . X . X . b . . . O . . O . |
$$ | . . X O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . X O . . O O . . O O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . , . X X X X O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . O . a . . . X O X O O . |
$$ | . O . O X . . . . . . . X O O X X . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

All in all, I'm pretty optimistic, but I need to stay vigilant. Magicwand has stopped commenting, and started looking for tricks, which is normally a sign that he knows he's behind and is pulling out the stops to do something nasty. Never is magicwand more dangerous than when he does this, but it does give me reason for general cheer.