Life In 19x19

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[go]$$Wcm31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . c . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a b . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I wanted to find a good forcing move, but I didn't find anything really satisfying, so I opted for something that I think fixes up my middle group. I've marked the three options I considered in this area. I wanted to be able to play c, because it's the strongest against white's top group, but it's bad shape. The angle play at b has better shape, particularly relative to the white group, but it's not threatening enough because of liberty issues in my top group. So, b is a compromise option, although it looks a little funny. It marks out plenty of living space for me, while also reinforcing my connection to the center. It has a follow-up at S15, which is not super-threatening, but at least it's some kind of threat. And it does seem to settle my group completely. White's top group is still under pressure, though he's got enough forcing moves against the corner to take care of it probably.

I got into a bit of a panic here, which was probably an overreaction. I think I've probably lost at least a stone of handicap already, but I think I'm actually pretty OK still. White has no territory and his central influence isn't that strong.

Bah humbug, a perfectly good chance to keep White without a base gone:

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[go]$$Wcm31 Prisoners - W: 0, B: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I wanted to atari first, but it doesn't work. I think this is the best way to connect here; the other ways leave bad forcing moves.

If I ever get sente the turn at L6 is huge.

i got some influence out of that.. let me try once more on this end..

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

I think I can hassle his group in the upper right and profit on the top in the chase. But is it the right time? Can I guarantee that I end with sente and come back to the lower left? Is it worth it even if I give up a double approach? And as far as the lower left, would he let me have this, or should I just take my extension?

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

I guess this is what I'd play against any other player. He's probably going to do something weird, but that doesn't make the kick wrong.

I decided to hold off for just a bit on my move in the upper right and bide my time. It's gote for him to fix, I think, so I don't expect he'll come back there right away.

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

The cut at a is activated, so he needs another move.

i thought top corner...if he play 3 then i lost valuable point in sentes.. i will go there first and get my 5 in sente.

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[go]$$Wcm1 Prisoners - W: 0, B: 0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . X 5 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O 4 X O . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O 1 . . . . . . . O . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X X . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . 2 . . . , . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If you don't plan on playing you probably shouldn't play .

i think i can keep my corner in sente... i am happy

Goddammit all.

I hope this is going to renew my motivation to become a stronger player. I want to be able to make my opponents feel as humiliated and demoralized as I feel right now. I also think that this kind of punishment will be a better learning experience. It's harder to learn from your mistakes if you don't have a little pain. And I'm getting more than a little pain.

I choose this move over blocking directly even though it gives up a couple points because it leaves fewer forcing moves. I think.