BQM 368

  Difficulty: Intermediate   Keywords: MiddleGame
[Diagram]
Moves 41 to 42  

White to play.

I was quite confused in this game on where to play, black just played k10, i wanted to use my thickness to the left, but black was so large. I invaded on the right as shown below, but that didn't seem to be so successful. Any suggestions on a better invasion or a better use of my thickness on the left?

[Diagram]
Moves 43 to 51  

Dieter: I think if you picture W6 at B7 instead of where you played, the moyo contest gets into White's favour, possibly at the expense of Black territory on the right. See below.

[Diagram]
Moves 52 to 61  
[Diagram]
Moves 62 to 71  

I captured the single stone on the right and black played o6, leaving me with close to nothing.


[Diagram]
Moves 41 to 43  

FredK:-- This is an interesting position. Here are some thoughts (but I'm a kyu player...):

On the right side, B's territory is open and invadable -- look at all those fourth line stones. And maybe a would be a better invasion point than b? -- the books I read all stress "against fourth line stones, invade on the third line."

The stone B1 is out in the open, very weak, providing very loose "enclosure", if that's the right word.

The initial reduction point chosen at c, W2 in the original second diagram, helps B strengthen the right side by encouraging him to add stones, beginning with d, near black+circle -- which should make the upcoming invasion harder because black+circle is now less vulnerable to forcing moves; and the added stones also at least partially enclose some of B's upper central area -- he can't hope to hold it all -- and seem to enlarge and help the security of B's upper right territory.

So perhaps the reduction should have started at "f"? This leaves W with plenty of room to push in farther, or back out if need be, or even hane to initiate a cross cut fight if B responds with a contact move. (I wonder if starting at "e" is less good because B3 has been played?) Anyhow reduction moves played around there would not strengthen B's lower right side. Then W's invasion of that region would not have been faced with new reinforcement.

In that second diagram, with the actual moves, could it have been better to play W6 at 7? This would erase some of B's upper central moyo, and open further threats against B -- maybe B1 could be captured, or at least attacked with some good outcome?

Also in that diagram, following W8, was B9 the right response? B could have played maybe two points below (at g on the new diagram, safeguarding the lower corner, and then being free to make a blocking move to protect the upper side if W pushed in farther.

In the sequence actually played (in the original third diagram), could W7 have been at B8? This would a threatened to cut off the B4-B6 group with a simultaneous atari on another stone, maybe some fun.

Returning to the present diagram, should B1 have been something more defendable, like "e"? For that matter, vulnerable is W to reduction or invasion, along the left? I'm sure someone reading this knows the answers....

-- FredK


[Diagram]
Stretch into the moyo  

Dieter: The cut at B2 hurts the marked central stone, which was played to amplify the moyo. Now it ends up rather in White's moyo. The right side is close to become black territory, but there is still a weakness around a to exploit.


BQM 368 last edited by 82.36.229.11 on November 18, 2007 - 20:13
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