BQM 500

reference  

Andy: I never know how to deal with this kind of thing. White to move. Assume that saving the stones is the biggest move on the board and black territory to the right. Some choices:

1) play it all out  

White can hane-connect with , , and then go back to patch up with . This is straightforward, and ends in gote. If black has a bigger move than , he can tenuki after . There isn't much aji left in either player's position after this sequence.

2) leave potential  

White can protect with this . Black plays elsewhere next.

2-b1) later  

Later, black can close the side, ending in gote.

2-w1) later  

If white comes back here first later, he can still play the hane-connect, but this leaves slightly more aji in the position for black than in the 1) "play it all out" diagram.