Life In 19x19

To me, black's mindset and first several moves seem to betray his belief that he is attacking. And already trying to think about where his profit is...

I hope I'm wrong, but I get a bad feeling.

Respond to a cap with a knights move, right? Well, I dunno. Handicap strategy is to not get surrounded and keep white separated. So these are hte options I considered:

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[go]$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . b . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . a . . c . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

A and B both seem a little more defensive yet also less eager to escape. But at the same time, I'm not too sure of my move either. Maybe I'm missing something here.

Magicwand wrote:

$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 3 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . 3 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I knew this move was coming immediately. Black must not be familiar with Magicwand's style to think M17 was remotely a possibility.

But black is attacking! To my mind, his last two moves are perfect. White has two weak groups, and will have to outfight black from an inferior position (of course, this is not unusual for a handicap game). Any other move by black would feel too timid to me.

White's last move doesn't have so much to do with style, I think most dan players would play it in a 4-stone game. That cap is of course kind of unreasonable in a normal game. But for 4-stone it's perfect because it generates chaos and fighting.

[sgf-full](;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]SZ[19]AB[pd][dd][dp](;B[nq])(;B[pp];W[nq];B[pn];W[fp];B[dn];W[fc];B[df];W[nd];B[pf];W[jp];B[ec];W[fd];B[jd];W[jf](;B[le];W[nf];B[lg]C[I don't think W can cut;](;W[kd];B[ke];W[je];B[id];W[ld];B[he];W[lf]C[I was afraid of this... but -];B[kf];W[kg];B[me]C[This move wasn't easy for me to see.])(;W[lc]C[W might help his two stones, but I think it's maybe wrong direction. He always has the 3-3 to hit.])(;W[id]C[I would play here but maybe it strengthens B too much.];B[ic];W[jc];B[ib](;W[jb])(;W[je];B[kd](;W[jb])(;W[hc]C[Maybe?])))(;W[ff];B[ge](;W[fe])(;W[id])))(;B[ld];W[nf];B[lf]C[I think that I typically fear this shape irrationally but here, I think the shape is fine (tower peep isnt a threat) but, it's simply one space slower than W.])(;B[ie](;W[ff];B[ge];W[fe];B[hg]C[I liked something like this - but it seems like I'm focusing on attacking just to feel good. I dunno. I think it's more severe but without purpose for B.])(;W[gg])(;W[gf];B[if];W[ig];B[jg];W[hg];B[kf];W[jh];B[kg];W[pc]C[I think white could play this way as well...]))))[/sgf-full]

does anyone think this might be better for black?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . c . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . b . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

These are the options that I see. 'a' is natural and huge for either player. I am just really tempted to not play it.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

m11 doesn't look that big now that I see it on board.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Blacks stones are weak and it doesn't look like there is anything to do but run. Also the right is just a bunch of 4th line stones. Is q12 really that big? White looks too good!

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm11 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . 1 . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So I feel like I need to take the initiative on the left side, white r12 will hurt later but he has his own problems to worry about right now. My best hope is to come out of this with safe groups and sente to fix the upper right group.

I didn't really think that much about this one - vital point for both sides eye-shape and double sente?. I dunno, lately I feel that there is a lot fundamentally wrong and I can't pinpoint it. For instance, when I was weaker I even thought I understood pro games(I could memorize them much better too), but now, I can't predict or memorize them as well. Overload of new ideas? That's optimistic.

So, I want to question and get feedback about moves like these that I KNOW I'd play instantly in a normal match.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . 4 2 3 . . b M 6 7 . . |
$$ | . . . X . Q . O . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . Y . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . 5 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm What about this?
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 . 9 . . 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . O O X 6 8 0 3 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . O . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . Z . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The battle seems to be revolving around these two groups. o16 has both m17 and q17 to settle and it's out as long as white has q12. 5 and b(or X?) are big moves to solidify myself and perhaps threaten o16 again but BIG - not urgent. Even though neither of the marked groups is about to die. I think that playing near them is urgent.

I disregarded the previous diagram because I don't think I can cut white after o18 and all the moves seem pretty forced for B.

my internet is bad...i have hard time commenting
believe it or not, i put alot of thought on this move...

Wow, this actually looks like a really nice move. It eyes the weakness at 'a', I'm pretty sure. So, white is alive easily, I got a very useful center move and j17 to help my group. Time to strengthen the top right and attack W? I think so. But I will wait till after I eat to do some reading and see if there's maybe a way to keep attacking h17.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm21 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-.5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . O X . a . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . O . X . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . . . O . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]