Life In 19x19

My first feeling is that the upper group and q9 are the biggest areas. The upper side will become thick for black with one more move and right now I think there is still potential for white to exploit. Q9 is another big point. It secures the group and becomes a foothold in the center.

But let's look more thoroughly:

Big points (gain immediate profit)
- r3
- q9

Potential (investment)
- Invading or reducing upper right

Weaknesses (debt)
- g18
- r8

My choices:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

With r3, we can take corner territory and initiative in the lower right fight. Black can play lightly in the corner and take the fight to the center. White will be forced to deal with the top sooner rather than later and that gives white little time to take profit from the lower-side fight.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . 4 3 . . 5 X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O 2 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Q9, settling the right while helping the center, may assist an invasion of the top framework. But depending on how the fighting goes, the r8 stone could be an imminent burden.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 2 X O 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 3 X O . X O . a . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O b . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X c d . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Within one black move of complete capture, these stones are big. My instictive move is to save them so an important question that I need to ask myself is "how big are they"? Counting from the previous diagram, I get 15 points and that isn't including thickness. On many other boards, 15 points and thickness isn't worth rescuing a heavy group for, but I still think these stones are important on this board.

I've considered 'a'-'d'(listed in my last diagram) as options but that seems like a lot to put into a post. Should I post more tactical analysis for the observers? (Maybe so after the top left debacle!)

I wonder if I missed a boat by not going after this corner directly a la my @ diagram. He can't be planning to give up the corner.

I would love to take sente back to Q9.

Edit:

Specifically, emerus cannot sacrifice the corner because it would be gote, needing to play c10.

I would LIKE to play Q9 but I should look after my top first.

Hmm, missed both the big sente atari (a)
and the cut (d).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$m21
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . X O a . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O d . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . I . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

This move was my first feeling, and has been since emerus connected (notwithstanding a primal urge to tenuki back to right).

I forced myself to consider the clamp and one space jump instead here, but neither seems like a marked improvement on this.

Edit :
To more usefully state that...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm31 fig 1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . . 8 9 . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O 6 . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O 5 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X 7 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |[/go]

I guess I can't call this "bad" but it felt like black was trying too hard to kill.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm31 fig 2 Black: 0 , White: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . . 5 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |[/go]

Felt too calm ; also it helps my weak group less and so would actually be less thick.

Prediction for the actual game :

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[go]$$cm31 fig 3 I think white lives but black is better.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . 8 6 7 . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X 9 . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O 0 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . 5 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm31 Black: 0 , White: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . a b . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Poking his shape. The way that he defends will tell me how I can develop my eyespace.

I felt like this was vulgar ; have I missed something? Perhaps it's necessary for the life white's planning.

Edit:
I suppose that I should give real go commentary.

White's goal is to cut at 'a' and make a winnable capturing race. Given that I realize that, it seems difficult because white has to save those stones. Maybe there's a ko, but the ko seems harder for white.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$cm31 Black: 0 , White: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O O 7 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X W X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . a B . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |[/go]

Well, maybe I am out of practice and have misread. Maybe the knight's move net instead of the clamp was slack. I feel to not play this move is too much of a concession.

Even if W lives, the result is good for B.
Of course, if W dies, game over.
Maybe Loons is waiting for Q9.

The whole idea behind all the stones seems off:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$m31
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X W W . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X W . W 9 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X W . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X W W X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

What I expect:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 Black: 0 , White: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . 1 3 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . O X . b . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O O X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . 2 X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

For the record, I genuinely expect to win ; I didn't want to let white live with territory not even sealed in on the third line in my moyo on the mere idea that I may have made a mistake.

emerus wrote:What I expect:

$$W
$$ ----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . 1 3 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . O X . b . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O O X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . 2 X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ ----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . 1 3 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . O X . b . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O O X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . 2 X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

The question is whether B can play at in sente…

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ ----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O O . 1 2 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . X O . O X . b . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O . X O . . X . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . O X X . X O O X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]