BQM 360

Sequence to be analysed  

LukeNine45: I'm not any stronger than you, but this looks fantastic for black no matter how it happened. :) (BTW, I've heard that the rating system on IGS tends to get stuck as groups of people improve together)

Diagram 1 - Changing the order of moves (1-6)  

After 1 and 2, the exchange of 3 for 4 looks favorable for black.

Diagram 2 - Omitting stones (circled points)  

To answer 1 with 2 is somewhat heavy. The exchange of 3 for 4 is bad for black.

Diagram 3 - Another order of moves  

The invasion at sansan looks bad here.

Results

• The situation looks quite complicated :)
• First playing and then giving up the stone in the corner is bad for white. (Diagram 1 and 3)
• Blocking with 2 (in the original diagram) is not good for black (but not as bad as leaving 1 alone), as indicated with diagram 2, where black plays look ugly after omitting moves 1 and 2 in the corner.

Analysis  

Another possible analysis: and are ordinary joseki moves. The and exchange definitely favours Black significantly. The and exchange also favours Black. is a bad move, but the and moves do help Black in solidifying the left side. Overall, White has made two bad moves and Black one, so assuming that the bad moves cancel out, White has made one more bad move so it favours Black.

Paul Clarke: Is it clearer if we change the order of the last four moves to , , , ? i.e. White jumps ahead to 9, Black peeps, White connects, and then Black defends at 10. All of those look at least reasonable, leaving and as the only clearly bad moves.

Another try  

Someone: - are normal. Then - and - favor Black. - favors Black slightly. - favors White slightly. In addition, looks somewhat misplaced. Overall verdict: Good for Black.

Sequence to be analysed  

First, I'm assuming that the left side was more interesting for black (at least earlier in the game) judging from the fact that Black played the two circled stones. But I'm wondering if black can afford to see the top and the left as miai if the full-board position makes such a strategy possible:

Tapir: The capping play might well be used in the opposite direction as well. Just take a look at PlayingAgainstSanrensei or my userpage, where I try to collect some material about it.

Another possibility or not?  

Yes, I'm suggesting the often-criticized 'severe' hane. My idea is that, if the ladder to the bottom right is favorable to black, the "normal" punishment for this move doesn't work.

The ladder in question  

Result: White not only loses the cutting stones, but also has to worry about the corner.

Another possibility or not?  

So, suppose that white follows this line to make the corner live... (Uh, am I falling into the katteyomi trap?)

Another possibility or not?  

If white tries to use the aji of by playing a move around , black can gladly close off the left side in sente and use the sente to deal with the top.

Another possibility or not?  

And if White follows the "standard 3-3 invasion joseki"... well, Black plays tenuki and gets the extension on top (is too far?). Sure, white can play the double hane, but black trades the left side for the top and gets a moyo anyway.

(Awaiting dan-level smack down of everything that I've written above)

</End of speculation>