(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[9]ST[1]AP[SGFC:1.15]

PB[GM5(level7)]
HA[2]
PW[lightest]
WR[10k]
KM[0]
DT[2006-05-13]
RE[W+15]

AB[cg][gc]C[(this is the end of my comment, but as there are a lot of variation I haven't found any other place to put it than at the beginning)

Ok, I have answered every question I think ; still if there are unclear or wrong things don't hesitate to let me know ! As a general advice, 9*9 playing might not be the better way to improve, as it's really different from the ususal board. I don't know if you play a lot of 19*19 also, but if not I strongly advise you to do so !! It's funnier, isn't it ? ^^
As you seem fluent with life and death struggles, overall strategy is the next step I guess !

Enjoy !

Jean];B[ff]C[[lightest\]
Dear reviewer:

I've played a 3-stone-handicapped game with computer(black), that the 3rd stone is freely chosen.

I'm confused with the capturing race in this game. This is my main question.

Additionally, I've made own review to this game , but errors may exist. Hope that you can understand me... and pick my faults out please :)

Thanks for your review.

Hi Lightest !

As I've almost never played any 9*9 game, I don't feel at ease with this little board, but I'll try to give you my comments anyway.
If I say anything that appears wrong to you, or even unclear, please let me know !]
;W[gg]C[[lightest\]
Actually, I just wanted to examine the 3-3 invasion to this 374473 envelope.]
;B[fg]C[Ok, in the variant I give you which I think to be the standard sequence on 19*19 board. GM5 could have offered to transpose in it .]

(;W[fh];B[gf]C[Black can play at e2 as well to offer you to transpose in the previsous variantion.]
;W[hh];B[dc];W[ce]C[[lightest\]
But I changed my mind... to have a joke with GM5.]
(;B[eh]C[On this move and the previous as well, I think black mistakes. giving the atari at h3 is sente and must be played at once, before you can play at h4. At any rate when you play you're unconditionnally alive, so it's better for black to have the block at h5 being sente. I think the variation allows black to keep you in the corner and get the whole outside.]
;W[hf]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION1:Ask for life first. Is it the best way?

Yes, it is !! You're happy to play  h4 before he gives atari at h3. Now black should block anyway at h5 anyway, but I'm not sure what exacly it threatens. If it really threatens to kill, then my previous remarks about the h3 atari being a good move for black are bullshit, but I think you get some ko fight]
;B[cd]C[Whatever the fight given in varition yields, black should block and try it anyway. letting you both go out and live without killing the c5 stone which still has aji looks bad.]
;W[gd];B[hd]C[here black could maybe play h5 instead, although it less and less clear.]
;W[he];B[ge];W[fd]
(;B[hc]C[here is a huge mistake, black should play h8 to get his whole top side connected. See variation.]
;W[dh]C[That's bold ! ^^];B[fi]TR[gi]
(;W[gh];B[dg]TR[dh]LB[fc:A][hb:B][hc:C]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION2: I think b 19 and 21 did a good job to punish w 18... and I'm not sure is there some aji near 18 or 21.

Yes, indeed your marked move is a wasted one and merely endangers your corner group (well, for the moment it's alive even if black's C group lives, but for instance black h5 needs to be answered now ...) 

... but the f7 (A)weakness is really big and allows you to keep on fighting anyway ; I'd say that black might even ignore your move on the bottom side to protect it (eg play at A himself).

Of course had black played B instead of C he would have saved (almost) a whole move !]
;W[fc]
(;B[de]TR[fb]LB[ig:A]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION3: Is there any thread if w8 and w16 groups are connectd?

Well, depends whether they can live on semselves ^^ I'm not sure to understand the question, but the alternative sequence might give you the answer. I think black can kill everything, so no need to prevent you from connecting. 

The good news for you is that here white is unconditionnally alive in the corner anyway (I guess you might know it already). I give the sequence in case at the end of the f8 sequence.]
;W[gb];B[hb];W[eb];B[ha]
(;W[cb];B[db];W[da];B[cc];W[bb]C[[lightest\]
I know that after b27, w can kill b's corner directly , but it seems not enough to win. So I jumped at w28.  w32 was a gote and I thought that it was just a big end-game-move. However....]
;B[id]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION5
(Main question):
bJ6 starts a capturing race. I am confused...
Who should win?

Good question :o 
which I shall not answer .... ;)

(say black as he doesn't need to win much in this battle to win the game ; see my variations)


but anyway now it shows that d2 some moves ago was not a wise attempt !!!!]
;W[ib]
(;B[ie];W[gi]C[[lightest\]
At first I had not played at G1, then I lost this capturing race at once... After several retrials, I found this variation.


Indeed looks like the only possibility. but I don't think it's sufficient if black simply connects.]

(;B[ig]C[Here connecting instead wins the game I think.];W[hg]
;B[if];W[ei];B[ih];W[eg];B[ef];W[ch];B[eh];W[be];B[bh]C[really complicated ... mayve connecting the ko wins for black as he can lauch a ko then in the corner.]
;W[eg];B[ci];W[eh];B[ga]
(;W[fa]C[[lightest\]
Moreover, someone told me that computer doesn't know how to deal with a ko... but I find that it plays nice sometimes.]
;B[fb];W[ea];B[ec];W[gb];B[bi];W[cf]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION8
(The last question):
Things are going complicated...
Are there some well-formed theory to explain the situation of ko-related capture racing?


A theory ? Well, as in any other strategy game, in the end each position is an original one and should be assessed on its own ... so usually what you need is calculating a lot ! Still there are a lot of things to be known and that helps you, I think one learns them by playing ...]
;B[df];W[bg];B[fb];W[ca];B[af];W[gb];B[ii];W[ah];B[fb];W[ed]
;B[bd];W[gb];B[ag];W[ae];B[ai];W[fb];B[ac];W[ic]C[[lightest\]
nessecary to avoid seki];B[ab];W[dd];B[ad];W[bc];B[bf];W[hi]
;B[di];W[ia];B[ee];W[fe];B[aa];W[ba];B[tt];W[tt]C[w wins by 6.5 stones (Chinese rule)]
)
(;W[fb]C[[lightest\]
I think w must fight with a ko. It fails if w connects.];B[bi]
;W[fa];B[di];W[ic];B[hi];W[ii];B[ia];W[ic];B[hi]C[[lightest\]
white has 0 ko-threat]))
(;B[ei]C[Here I think black wins. Do you agree ? (see the 4 variations)]

(;W[if];B[ih]C[maybe that's the hard move to see ... I think white has nothing but a ko, and black should get enough out of it.]
;W[hg];B[hi];W[ii]C[Here black has a ko.];B[ca]C[I guess even this is enough for black to win. White can't afford to answer as you don't have any ko threat so]
;W[ig];B[ea]C[and here black wins ?])
(;W[ga];B[if];W[hg];B[ig]C[here white is dead])
(;W[ii];B[if];W[hg];B[ig];W[ga]C[here it's seki, so black wins.]
)
(;W[ig];B[if];W[hg];B[ii]C[and here white is dead.])))
(;B[ig]C[[lightest\]
Later, I tried bJ3.
It can't save the group in the corner, and black will lose by a little at last. See the variations below.]
;W[ih];B[ie];W[hg];B[if];W[ga];B[gi];W[ic];B[hi];W[ia]
(;B[bc]C[[lightest\]
QUESTION7: I don't know which one is bigger for black: B7 or E5?

B7 is the biggest by far ... see my monkey jump variation on e5]
;W[ed];B[ee];W[dd];B[be];W[fe];B[cf];W[ac];B[ad];W[ab];B[tt]
;W[ec];B[tt];W[ii];B[ei])
(;B[ee]
(;W[bd]C[[lightest\]
wB6 is not good here];B[bc];W[ac];B[be];W[ad]C[[lightest\]
if white want to save B6, then...];B[ab];W[aa];B[ca];W[ba];B[ae]
;W[ca];B[ab]C[[lightest\]
black wins the game.])
(;W[ad]C[[lightest\]
OK];B[be];W[ae];B[bc];W[ac];B[ab];W[aa];B[ca];W[ba];B[bf];W[ea]
;B[bd];W[ca];B[af];W[ab];B[ed];W[ec];B[fe];W[ii];B[ei]C[[lightest\]
white won by 0.5 stone (Chinese rule)

I think the monkey jump of the previous question would have made the win bigger for white.


QUESTION6:
In a handicapped game, Chinese rule and Japanese rule differs generally. I think the Chinese rule is more reasonable here. What is your opinion?


hum ... i don't have any opinion ! 
I don't even know them precisely ... :-(])
(;W[ae]TR[ce]C[I think this is good for white. The monkey jump is usually the biggest endgame move, and here the presence of the marked stone only makes it easier. I don't think the lack of liberty in the corner prevents it.]
))))
(;W[id]C[w could kill black immediately, but is that nessesary?


Well; I'd say so, but depends on the fight ... see my variations later.]
;B[ic];W[ie];B[ig];W[hg]C[b lacks of liberty]))
(;B[fb];W[eb];B[gb];W[ec]SQ[hc][hd][gc][gb][fb][ig]C[here is the sequence to analyse to see if this weakness left by black is really that big. This fight looks good for black, so I guess it's the course ot should have choosen ... Still it's a fight !


Here, just as a remark, I give you the sequence to show that even of that marked black group lives, it doesn't threaten to kill your corner.]
;B[ig]C[If black tries to kill... (of course that's not what black is going to play now, assume that black is alive in the corner)]
;W[ih]C[here you have an eye in the corner ...];B[ie]LB[if:A]
C[here is a tesuji ; white cannot play at A due to the lack of the liberties ...]
;W[hg]TR[ig]C[But here is another thing you often find in the corner fights ; white kills the marked stone and make his second eye as black cannot connect.]
))
(;W[gi]C[Here is the logical continuation of d2. You fight a ko for going out if you win it / dying in the corner if you lose it ;) I guess it's not worth the risk ...]
))
(;B[hb]TR[gc][dc]C[here the two "triangle" stones are connected thanks to the "circle" one. Like this black has not much to fear for the outcome of the game.

( I know a computer has no fear ! ^^)]))
(;B[hg];W[gh];B[eh];W[hf];B[he];W[ig];B[bc]C[here the game is over I guess ... your group cannot get out, and even if there are aji on the 2 sides around g5 and e3, I don't think it's enough for you to live anywhere else in the end ...

And if you tenuki at any point, I think you're unconditionnally dead so i'ts no good ...]
))
(;W[gf];B[ge];W[he];B[hd];W[fe];B[gd];W[fh];B[eh]C[and here, white is going to have to live in gote, but white f5 stone has much aji, so usally black has to take hold of it ...

Well of course, it might not be the best course on a 9*9 board, so you'd have to seek little life in another way ... maybe answer e2 by h2 to get back to the game's course :)]
))
