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BQM43
    Keywords: Question

Whilst playing a game today, I thought I had the corner sealed up. But then my opponent played the marked stone and, after losing the corner, I resigned. What should I have done?

[Diagram]
Diag.: Here comes the pain


[Diagram]
Diag.: Trying to defend

I was worried that Black would sneak through and connect up with the big wall to the right, so I tried to block this. Obviously, this was a losing strategy. He became really strong and I was split up (and surrounded on the left).

HolIgor: Prior to reading any variations I'd like to say that with the strong support from the outside I'd expect Black to live in the corner. So, my first concern would be to find how to limit him there while keeping sente. Then, having that basic variation I'd start to read out a possible kill.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Without any imagination

Just minimizing the damage, White presses Black down. Black gets six points in the corner in gote. Playing at a is another gote move, worth eight points deiri counting.

White can make a similar profit elsewhere. That's basic.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Can White survive in the corner in sente?

Some points but gote.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Can White survive in the corner in sente?

White gets the stones in gote. So Black cannot cut with 4.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Can White survive in the corner in sente?

Isn't Black comfortably dead?



Jasonred In my humble opinion, (and don't take my advice for granted), the whole problem starts from the misconception of "I thought I had the corner sealed up". Problem is, even without that black wall and stone in the middle of the battle, a 3-3 invasion can often result in the invader gaining a corner, while the defender gains a wall.

From this position, I would immediately go for trying to limit the damage done, possibly try disrupting my opponent's position on the bottom middle a little, and count myself lucky having succeeded at that. From the final variation "can white survive in the corner in sente", I see Black connecting to the wall and taking a chunk of the corner, probably most of the bottom... I think that the reason why the original player got such a bad outcome was that he was too ambitious, he tried to stop Black connecting, and keeping the corner.



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