Life In 19x19

I have a question.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Dia. 1: :b5: on the left side
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . a . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . 4 . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I think we're all familiar with joseki, and know that "a" is a possible follow up for B later on.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Dia. 2: :b5: on the left side, :w6: elsewhere
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . 8 9 4 . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

This is the continuation that I'm most familiar with - it's easy for me to remember because that wedge looks so odd, but is remarkably tricky for W to deal with.

However, in a game today I saw another continuation that looked thin for W... I thought W could only play this way when he was quite strong on both sides. But it actually proved impossible for B (well, for me! ) to gain much, other than two weak groups.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Dia. 3: :b5: on the left side, :w6: elsewhere
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . 8 9 . 4 . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I ended up not being able to attack W on either side, and had to do an embarrassing amount of damage to my corner while I scrambled to live on the second line. Maybe this was just a result of a few bad reads or instincts on my part. Or, on the other hand, maybe I don't understand in Dia. 2, in Dia. 3, or even when B can hope to profits from . Any advice?

The game in question is under the hidden if you want to see how I got myself in such a mess.

The kick at C15 seems inconsistent with trying to make C12 live.

Thanks, Joaz. You mean because of C8? I actually wasn't entirely sure whether C12 could live, with or without the forcing move first. I think C12 was just a mistake, given that C8 was already there.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

is a strong response to the invasion. Usually this is not playable without extra support around . However B should always consider this possibility before invading, since dying here is generally not good. This sequence is rarely seen in pro games, since

• if is an overplay, a pro will choose a different response
  if kills, a pro will not have invaded in the first place

This is a standard sequence given by "Attack and Defense".

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc B11 at 'a'
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . 6 5 7 . . 9 . a . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . 8 O . 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . 2 3 . O . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . 4 0 . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

I think this result would not have been bad for you in the game. Taking away every territory White had on the right side in exchange for some corner territory.

A thought.

Thanks to everyone! These are all great ideas. I think SoDesuNe's sequence was most nearly what I was looking for - a simple way to live without flopping all over the board with half-dead groups. Bill's K17 idea was something I was thinking about in the game, but was too chicken to go through with. Next time, more kiai! But the alternatives to the invasion are also interesting. I tend to rotely go through the "big points" on the board, and I really need to do more whole-board reading and evaluating.

The basic point that I wasn't acknowledging is that there's no way for B to stabilize his stones efficently and cut white - he has to choose one or the other. (Well, I guess in SoDesuNe's variation there's a g15 cut left for later, but that seems speculative.)