BillSpightsElfPositionalJudgmentExercises/Game 11 ELF's Solution

Game continuation.  

These game plays are Elf's top choices.

Elf's mainline for (135.5k playouts)  

White connects to safety, Black makes life in the bottom left corner.

Elf's mainline, continued  

White reduces Black territorial moyo on the top side.

Earlier in the game.

Play joseki, lose 22½%  

I supppose we should regard this as a blunder. It looks like a cultural blind spot. The hane at a is the popular choice among humans, but Waltheri ( http://ps.waltheri.net ) shows played about ⅛ of the time in its database. IMO, that is enough to make it joseki. Still, as the game record indicates, Black makes small life with bad shape in the corner. This move was barely on Elf's radar, with only 1 playout, while a got 35.3k playouts. This option may cease to be joseki in the near future. :)

Elf's mainline for  

OC, in those days was generally regarded as a beginner's play. It still does not show up in Waltheri's database. ;) was heretical at the time, as it gives Black an ideal extension from the and . starts a potentially complex fight. Elf prefers it to a by only 1%, however, well within Elf's margin of error.

Play joseki, lose 18½%  

When I was learning go, was the textbook reply to . It still is the plurality choice in Waltheri's database. Elf prefers to form a small base at a, by 18½%, with 107.5k playouts to 2. :o To me, and maybe to Cho, Black a does not appeal, as it approaches White's strength. (White b, as Knotwilg has pointed out, is sente against Black's corner.)

Elf's mainline for  

is a standard tesuji against the one space base. replies strongly to keep White separated while running out into the center..

Elf's mainline, continued  

takes the sente against the corner, then tops the tree, attacking Black from the center. I would anticipate more play in the bottom left, but I guess that Black's next play would have fewer than 1500 playouts, which seems to be the Elf team's cutoff point for showing Elf's choices.