Life In 19x19

I'm hoping for something like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . b . . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . a c . . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . 2 . d . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O B . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . 3 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

after which I could put some pressure on E17 with a, b, c or d

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm29
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . B . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . a b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . W . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

The normal joseki move would be the hane at b rather than extending at a, but that does not take into account the marked stones for black or white. The existence of the marked white stone means that I don't need to fear my two stones being attacked after he fixes his cut, and the marked stone for black means that if I let him fix his cut and then give him sente my upper stone will likely die. As a result of this, I don't think b is playable which leaves a as the best move available that I can see.

I was afraid he might do something like that. I suspect he will extend to H7 next, in which case I may try something like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm33
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O 2 4 W . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . 1 3 . . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

This is where things get really complicated. Ideally, I'll be able to use the weakness of his leftmost group to settle my upper group in sente. Then, I can play somewhere around tengen to help negate his influence. Assuming this goes as planned, I'll be very happy with this game.

On a more general note, the outcome of this game seems like it will come down to a fight in the center where I will be tasked with keeping his center from growing too large. At this point, my opponent and I have already traded territory for influence multiple times and I have taken territory on every occasion. I'm not sure how strong players would evaluate the board right now, but I know that I personally would much prefer playing as white as things are. The frustrating thing about taking influence for territory is that it forces you to find a way to profit from your influence later while your opponent already has his profit solidified immediately after the trade. Overall, I find dealing with the difficult task of reducing the center where he is strong less frustrating than trying to profit in the center and make use of my influence.

As expected. I believe he has to answer this, but let's see.

When nothing jumps out at me I'll usually just play the simple move.

I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I'm still thinking about this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm36
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O 1 O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X B . . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . a . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Now he can take a big point at e.g. a), but I still like my situation.

I think I can take upper left corner in sente:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm39
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 5 1 4 . . . . a . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 2 O O O O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X X . . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . O . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

White needs a) or similar to secure life, I think. Another option is to invade his lower left corner, which will probably be my sente as well. But, let's see after he has moved.

I'm not sure about this move, but I've already taken long enough. I plan to live with C18 if he blocks, but I want to create as many weaknesses as possible before I go back and live.

That was a good response by white, and I don't particularly enjoy it. Locally this is the obvious move, and since I couldn't find any terrible flaws in it, and since I don't think tenuki is good right now, I will play it.

I thought about this too, but while probably safer, it also leaves a bigger gap in my potential wall:

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[go]$$Bcm37
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O . O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X X O . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . 1 . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

I'm not overly happy with the recent turn of events, but on the whole I still think I'm doing ok.

A vital point that allows either black or white to live in the corner.

I think this is the biggest area right now. Some possible continuations:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm39
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O . O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X X O . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . 9 5 6 3 . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 . 4 8 0 . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

etc

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm39
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O . O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X X O . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 3 . 7 . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . 6 5 9 . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 . 2 8 0 . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

etc.

This is frustrating. I thought I could live in sente, but I can't find any adequate follow ups to punish him for playing elsewhere that would justify letting him double approach me. A play at F14 looked promising my reading says it won't work.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm39 Looks promising
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O . O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , . X X O . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . 2 . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

The problem with this move is that he can defend at E15 which is also sente against my corner. If I ignore and cut anyway, the push and cut suddenly works.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm41 Yikes
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . 7 4 5 6 . . . X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . 9 O O 3 O . . . . X X . O O O . |
$$ | . . X , 1 X X O . X . . . . . X X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . 2 X . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O X . W . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . O . O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

And if it goes like this he gets to kill my top left stone and get a fairly large corner as well . Since I couldn't find anything in the top left, I decided to respond to his approach and protect my territory on the left. As for my response, pincering seems bad since he'd be happy to jump in the corner and the small knight leaves an obvious invasion point at C8. Since none of these obvious responses to his approach seemed that great, I chose the one that looked the least terrible which was the large knight. However, even that doesn't seem that great. Hopefully I'll find a way to make use of the large amounts of aji he's left behind later on.

Previous plan applies.

I don't like . It might look nice as half way between d4 and d10, but it leaves the 3-3 point open to an easy invasion, and if white follows a normal joseki then d10 ends up too close to thickness. c6 would be better to make the corner invasion harder (small gote life instead of sente life). Or d6. Or a pincer.

At the top leaving the j15 shape makes my urgent-move-unplayed alarm bells ring. Black has the d17 then g17 and h18 combo there.