Life In 19x19

As diagrammed at my previous move. At that time I didn't consider K11 and L10, but neither works.

I think we need to block on this side unless we're willing to sacrifice everything around J13.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc 87A W37 B 42
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X 5 X O O X O X . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . 4 . O . O X O O . . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . 6 X . O . X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . 8 7 . O X X O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X 9 . . . O . B W . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O 1 O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . 3 2 . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc 87A W37 B 42
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X X X O O X O X . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . O 6 O . O X O O . . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . O X . O . X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . O X . O X X O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X 1 2 . O . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X 3 X . . O X O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O 5 4 . . . X O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

We could consider this alternative, except that 6 prevents the 'sacrifice' from becoming a seki. As it stands, if we save L10, I think we can play something like this to get seki or better. My concern is that weak white group up top, but I don't think we can stop to fix it yet.

I did not see or expect this move by Gresil, and I prefer it to the alternative I had considered.

If we go with younger brother's move, the following is forced:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Diagram #1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . 3 . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O . . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X 1 2 . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O W O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

From there, we have several possibilities. None of them work. In all variations that I can find, our group gets cut off and killed, or black captures our cutting stone at N11 and leaves us with two running groups.

We can try P12 for our first move:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Diagram 2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . X . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . 6 . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O 4 . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O 5 O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O X X 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X X O 2 . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O O O 3 . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

...or we can try the safer P13:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

...which continues like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Diagram 3a
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . X 4 . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O 3 . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . 6 . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O 2 . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O O O 1 . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O X X X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X X O O X X . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O O O O X O X . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . O 5 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

...or this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Diagram 3b
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . 6 8 . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . X 3 7 O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O 4 . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X 5 . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O 1 . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O O O 2 . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O X X X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X X O O X X . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O O O O X O X . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

We can try P14:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Diagram 4
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . X . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . . 2 . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O 3 1 X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O 5 O 8 . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O X X 4 6 . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X X O . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O O O . 7 . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

There are numerous variations, more than I can show here, but the following themes repeat:
White 'a' is always answered with black 'b'
The cut at 'c' is a major problem for white. It threatens to kill westward or connect eastward.
The marked black stones run west, then either escape southward or connect to friends to the north
When the marked black stones run east, the cuttingpoint at 'd' becomes the beginning of a ladder.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Diagram #5
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . X b . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O a . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O c . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O B O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O X X O B B . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X X W . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O O O d . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So, I think that I have to change younger brother's move, but the alternative is just as problematic:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Diagram #6
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O O . O X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X O O . O X X . . . . . . O X X . . |
$$ | . X X O O X O X . X X O . . O O X . . |
$$ | X X O X . X O O X O X . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . O . O X O O . . X X . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . O . X O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O X . C . . O X X O X X . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . O . X 1 . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X O X . X . . O 2 O . . . , . . . |
$$ | . O O O . . . . . 4 3 . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The one possible saving grace is that it is way more complicated, and there may be a winning tesuji around F12.
But overall, I am very sceptical of white's chances of winning this game.

Why is 2 'forced' in Joaz's diagram 1?

Going the other way looks no better. Shapenaji presumably has something figured out but I don't know which way it is. If I guess wrong this way, it costs us three points when he changes it. If I guess wrong the other way, we lose two points when I change it, and another two points when he changes it back.
I'm just doing damage control in ignorance, with nothing but simple math to guide me.
3<4, therefore...

Still following my prediction earlier.

I'll refrain from doing deep analysis, and simply say, if we weren't going to cut, we wouldn't have pushed, or peeped for that matter.

Lord Raglan says that I must attack. Therefore...