Life In 19x19

Type: Text

serves two purposes.

• Extension from the 4-4, so it's a support stone.
• Pincers L17.

The first point isn't very interesting. It helps the 4-4 and, while it certainly does not stake the F17 area as territory, does make it more difficult for Black to approach from that direction because he would already be outnumbered 2 to 1. However if Black were to approach from the other direction:

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

Then 'a' is a comfortable move because J17 is already there, helping hand and all, for F16. However, I would probably also consider the more interesting move of 'b' but it will depend on what happens in the top center because clearly that's where all the action is and we are only discussing big moves here, not urgent ones.

I expect Black to play simply and just one-space jump from L17. The fight would look very textbook (and rather uncreative in my eyes, one-space jumping contests are not interesting at all and anyone, even a 10k, know how to handle themselves in such a situation - just jump jump, "jump up and up and get down". Neither side would really be in any danger, since I have L17 (unless Black plays L16, but exchanging L16 for J16 is my compensation) and he has N18. However, N18 becomes a bit more awkward for Black to play because if Black were to play defensive immediately and just play there now:

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[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . O 2 4 5 7 . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X 6 O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

is strangely placed and Black would rather have only one stone there so that later he could play one space above to split my groups if the aji timing is right. So I think so far the situation is fair for both sides, although I feel a bit more comfortable than I think I should be.

This last move seems rather risky. He plays a pincer when his stones on the other side ( N17 and N15 ) are not at all secure. Am I playing Araban or Violence?

What is important here? And why?

The three-stone group marked below comprises half of black's stones. It's current direction of play is southward ( simply to maintain easy life ) but it's eventual direction is to attack east or west. It has no significant prospects for territory. It must attack.

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[go]$$c
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . B , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The prospects for attacking eastward are not good unless it gets stronger. That may happen when fighting with the white group to the west, like this:

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

This, BTW, is not a serious suggetion of Araban's likely play. It merely illustrates the general direction that the game could go. There will be fighting in the upper middle, and in some of it white may provoke black to connnect and become stronger and/or to run further southward.

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[go]$$Wc Black gets strong enough to attack eastward
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . O O X . . 0 . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X , O 9 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . O . . O O X . 3 2 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . 5 4 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 6 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X . 8 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

The whole point of these last two diagrams is to illustrate that black can attack to the east if his group gets stronger by tangling with the western group first.

So, if the marked black group's sole purpose is to attack, and attacking eastward depends on attacking westward first, then it is essential to black's game plan that white's group at N17/N15 remain weak. If it were to become strong and safe, then fully half of black's stones become almost worthless.

If those two stones must remain vulnerable, then black's stone at L17 must become strong. It must not die and it must not be bypassed.

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[go]$$c The really important stones: the marked white ones which must remain weak, and the marked black one which must become strong.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . B . W . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . W . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |[/go]

Once we have those priorities in mind, then it is easy to see the genreral area where black must play. The next black move must reinforce L17. Some obvious candidates are:

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

The natural move 'a' is IMHO, not good here. It fulfills half the goal: it makes black stronger, but it then makes white stronger also.

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[go]$$c Black's target gets stronger
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . 1 . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Black needs to make his L17 stone stronger while provoking a white response that is not strengthening the N17/N15 stones. Moves 'b' through 'e' do that.

...it's late...I'm going to stop here and post this much...I hope to finish this comment later...and post a video.

My reaction to this move was "huh???" I wouldn't have even considered it. I agree the simple jump isn't the right move, but because whit can connect underneath, not for the reason he gives. For the record, I would have played his b, the angle play & shoulder hit.

Ps I really can't see Araban playing those ugly peeps any time soon.

At the end of my last post, we were looking at alternative moves:

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

Move 'a' had been dismissed, and it was too late to discuss the other four.

Before continuing with those four alternatives, let's review goals. White is trying to make territory over on the upper left. He is also trying to keep his N15/N17 stones alive. Black is trying to attack in the middle - which requires strengthening the L17 stone - and alternatively, attack the upper right. Long term, black is looking at territory in the middle or south.

Move 'b', shown below, does accomplish the goal of making L17 stronger. However it also makes territory easy for white in the upper left.

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

So it iffy at best. Then there is the shape issue. When a kosumi bumps into a wall, the weak spot is 'a':

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[go]$$ . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . a . . . .
$$ . . . X . O . . . .
$$ . . . X O . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

We all know the standard joseki when white approches a hoshi, gets kicked with , and extends with . And we know that black plays to prevent 'a'.

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[go]$$W
$$| . . . . . . . . . .
$$| . . . . . . . . . .
$$| . . . 4 . . . . . .
$$| . . . a . . . . . .
$$| . . . X . 3 . . . .
$$| . . . . 2 1 . . . .
$$| . . . . . . . . . .
$$| . . . . . . . . . .
$$----------------------[/go]

This shape is the other problem with move 'b'. White wants to make his N15/N17 stones safe, either by making eyes or connecting. With move 'b' the natural shape move for white also becomes a move to connect.

This is just one example of how the shape is bad for black.

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

Next is move 'c', the attachment on top. It is easy for white to refute:

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

White connects underneath, black's four center stones will be victims. Black's upper right group has no purpose any more.

...that's it for now...I'm off to the Santa Monica Coffee Cup tournament...I'll try to get to the last two moves tonight.

daniel_the_smith wrote:My reaction to this move was "huh???" I wouldn't have even considered it. I agree the simple jump isn't the right move, but because white can connect underneath, not for the reason he gives. For the record, I would have played his b, the angle play & shoulder hit.

Ps I really can't see Araban playing those ugly peeps any time soon.

It looks weird to me too. If White can make Black live on the second line and make lots of thickness, it seems like it would be a big victory for him. But Black is a much stronger player than me...

Joaz gave white two moves in a row when explaining why he didn't play my preferred move. Yes, the shape is not great, which is why black wouldn't tenuki!