Life In 19x19

He can get R5, but that is all.

And he is slowly erasing the aji that protects his central group. Under certain circumstances, L7 can come alive.

Trying to hold on to R5 gets into situations like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners: :black:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X 2 X . O X O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O 4 X B O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X 1 O 3 X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners: :black:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . 6 X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . 8 O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X 2 X 5 O X O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O 4 X B O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X 1 O 3 X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . 7 X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

...in which his dead stones suddenly get two eyes.

So I have to let him have R5. Surprisingly, the stones that capture it are remarkably little trouble for me (aside from the obvious loss of territory. I may be able to ignore them.

( And, yes, there is a ko in the corner if I play R4. But I don't want to add complexities. )

Still ahead on points, way ahead on influence, and M9 looms. Life is good.

another overplay by white
there is aji that still stink on the bottom.
also i can not win by letting him have everything.
little more points then i can win this game..

No reason to let him split me. I'll play safe, secure minor territory.

This exchange doesn't seem to get him anywhere.

I get several benefits:

1) An unbreakable connection...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm111 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . B . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . B . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

2) A little extra territory ( which puts me ahead about 20 points vs 45 points )

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm111 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X ? ? |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . O X ? ? |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . X ? ? |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . O . . ? |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . ? |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X ? |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

3) And two cutting points:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm111 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . C X . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In return, he gets some influence. It is not clear what he is going to do with it.
Perhaps it is part of a devious though farfetched plan to sneak up on my lower right group?

He can't live on the lower side, but he may be able to make himself die slowly enough that he thinks that he can kill the surrounding stones. He can set up what looks like a ko.

It starts like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O 1 2 X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . 4 . 3 . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

He gets the hane at J1 in sente...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X 2 X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O 4 X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X 1 O 3 X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O O X X O O 5 . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . O . C . 6 7 X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

And I can't prevent him from playing L1, making a ko. ( If I take it myself, he plays M1 and lives )

However, to make this ko meaningful, he has to prevent me from connecting northward or eastward. Then he must win the ko about 4 times - once for each extra liberty that my group has.

It is a bit of a stretch, but it is all that I can see that makes sense for his two most recent moves.

Has anyone else looked at the status of White's center group? In particular, is M11 sente for Black? If it is (and it seems to be), I think Black would be wise to get that move in as soon as possibly to fully seal White in. Perhaps it should have been at move 110?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Position at move 109
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X 5 O X 1 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . 4 3 X O X . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This removes the nice endgame capture of D4, but I think sealing White in is bigger.

Joaz also mentioned something about M9, but I'm not sure what he's aiming for there?

yes black has advantage now.. but you can not lose points on every encounter and expect to win.. he will have to fight me sooner or later.

According to my reading, I can cut and win any fight that follows from this position:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm111 Prisoners: :black: :black: :white: :white:
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X . X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O O . . O X . X . . . . . 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . X . O X . . . . 6 4 . . |
$$ | . O . X O . X . O . O . X . . 3 . . . |
$$ | . . . X O X . . O O . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O . X O O X . . . . O X . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X X X X . . . X O X . . 5 X . . |
$$ | . . O X O . O . O . O O X . . O O X . |
$$ | . O X O O . O . O O X X . X X O . O . |
$$ | . O X X O X X X O X X X X O . X O O . |
$$ | . O X . X O X . X O X . O . X X O . . |
$$ | . . X . X O . . X O O . . O X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

But why bother? As Verbal Kint says, "What if you miss?"

mutually big point and must play now.... i think he has to invade my corner now. but i also know that he will be reluctant to play invasion.

It seems that the difference in territory has finally affected my opponent. He stops going for influence and plays a move that limits my territorial expansion.
I have time to tenuki to the last big opening point, and this keeps the pressure on him.