Today's game:

Today's game:



extending off of the hane didn't come to mind soon enough.

Some thoughts about the last game:

Thank you for reviewing Celebrir. My opening moves at this point are largely wild stabs. I anticipate the pincer and play what I figure would at least deter further aggression. Thank you for giving me a better perspective on it. I still need to do more problems regarding basic connections and reading.

Today's game:



after reading the chapter on good shape in "Lessons" I felt that o14 was important if i indended to save those stone and try to attack the upper right. Seemed to work.

I have a few thoughts for you after reviewing your recent game. Please ask any questions, as I would like to be as clear as possible.

1) Cutting Stones and Counting Liberties, Part 1: Winning the Fight you can Win

There are going to be fights. Lots of them. In close combat, each player's troops are cut off from each other by the opponent's troops, unless one side captures a group. Groups need liberties to survive, and a group with more liberties is better off than a group with less.

I think something that will help you immensely in your games will be to count liberties in local fights. A position from your game:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm21 Black to move
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ , . . . . . , O a . |
$$ . . . . . . B O # b |
$$ . . . . . 1 W # # c |
$$ . . . . . . X @ @ x |
$$ . . . . . . X z y . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |[/go]

The marked stones are all behind enemy lines at the moment. The group is in behind enemy lines, but so is the group. If either of these groups die, though, the survivor becomes safe. The liberties of each are marked. Each one has 3 liberties: a, b, c for and x, y, z for . In addition, these two groups are against the edge of the board, with nowhere to run. Either player can win the race to capture by removing the first on his enemy's liberties.

The stone is also behind enemy lines ... but it only has two liberties. The group that is cutting it off from its allies is the group with and . The White group is already ahead with 3 liberties. In addition, these two groups are facing towards the center, so it's easier to gain extra liberties. It's more likely that Black will remain behind in liberties than that black will capture the and group.

In the game, black chose to try and fight with the group, running to the center and looking to capture the group. That's a lot harder than capturing the group. This is better, in my opinion:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm21
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ . . . . . 3 B O # . |
$$ . . . . . 1 W # # . |
$$ . . . . . . X @ @ . |
$$ . . . . . . X . 2 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |[/go]

Black gets ahead in the liberty count on the edge of the board, and White has no way to catch up. Black loses the stone, but the rest of his stones are out of danger with a single move. To be safe, White can play to remove any chance of the stone running to the center, so that is completely safe.

2) Cutting Stones and Counting Liberties, Part 2: Staying Ahead in the Liberty Count

Black instead chose to fight the harder battle, and wanted to pull the stone out of the fire. This should have been a mistake, as he's already behind in liberties. However, White makes a mistake.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm22 White to move
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ . . . a 3 1 B O # . |
$$ . . . . 2 W W # # . |
$$ . . . . . . X @ @ . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |[/go]

In the above diagram, Black has been pushing towards the center in an attempt to gain more liberties. After and , Black's group has 4 liberties. White's group has responded to the first push with and now needs to respond to the 2nd push. White has 3 liberties at the moment, and is behind. If White tries to remove a black liberty (as you tried by moving at a for ), the count becomes a tie at 3 liberties each ... and Black gets the next move. White either has to keep adding liberties or find another way to make his group safe.

Wait a minute ... The group has 3 liberties, right? There's another liberty race happening against the edge, where the liberty count is 3 as well. Looking at the position, the group could also be captured to make the group safe. Since it's White's turn, White can win that liberty race!

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm22 W S10!
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . O . |
$$ , . . . . . , O 4 . |
$$ . . . . 3 1 B O # . |
$$ . . . . 2 W W # # . |
$$ . . . . . . X @ @ . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . . . . X . . . |[/go]

Now, even if Black threatens the group, it has more liberties than the group, and will be saved.

3) Can't Cut Me!

Knowing how many liberties are available for each group is important, but let's back up a second ... did we need to get into this fight in the first place? What happened to make such a mess?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm17 Asking for the cut
$$ . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . O . O . |
$$ . . . , . . . |
$$ . . . . O # . |
$$ . . . O # # . |
$$ . . . a O 1 . |
$$ . . . Y . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . . . |[/go]

When White played , the cut at a was left for Black. When a cut is left open, there's a chance where stones can be reconnected. In this case, Black gets the opportunity to reconnect his group with the stone at . Is that what we want?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm17
$$ . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X X |
$$ . . . X X O O |
$$ . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . O . O . |
$$ . . . , . . . |
$$ . . . b O # . |
$$ . . . W # # . |
$$ . . . 1 W . . |
$$ . . . Y . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . . . |[/go]

Here's an alternative move to consider. The group is a solid barrier between the group and the stone. With some reading (a skill that always needs more practice, ), White should be able to keep the group separated and may eventually be able to outright capture the group. White does need to be aware of what Black can do with the cut at b and the atari at c (more reading!).

Thank you Marcus. These things are easy to grasp when you know your are working on a capturing race, but I find that when I actually play my focus is so divided across the board that they easily escape my view. That having been said I will try to be more aware of liberties of various combative groups. Thank you.

Today's game:

Some fast ideas:

Thank you again Celebrir. Your explanations are clear. I do try to take them to heart.


However today's game was embarassing to say the least.



I am very aware of several mistakes. A 6k and my opponent stayed after the game to over all of the glaring mistakes. I rushed this game and narrowed my focus too much.

The good news is I now have "Graded Go Problems" Vol. 3

more practice.

When you reach 15k, I suggest you ask Dsaun (on KGS) for a teaching game. Should help you a lot.

Without knowing what the 6k already did, I made some comments:

I feel like their might be some questions this time, but I didn't know how to show my ideas better. If there is anything, just ask

Thank you Celebrir. Most of what you pointed out was also pointed out by the 6k. It is good to have suggestions for better play corraborated amongst different players, especially regarding bigger moves I should have made. Unfortunately, it seems i wasn't able to put any of that sagacious counsel into my play during todays game:

I think you lost this game because you made to much moves which helped your opponent to fix his weaknesses. In a handicap game you have to use the weaknesses of your opponents shape to overtake the lead he has from the handicap. Here are some comments:

Playing to catch up is a a very foreign concept for me, as is invading. Thank you for giving me some suggestions in these areas.

I will not be playing a game today. I'm going to use my time to work in Vol. 3 and really look at reviews that have been so kindly provided. I might start up playing again tomorrow. Definitely on Monday though.

Today's game:




All in all I am not disappointed in how I play in this game. I felt that some of my endgame plays were pretty good, just not played in the correct order or with certain missing elements. I lost a small group in the bottom left which was significant and will be reviewed, but overall i didn't play too terribly. A couple days off seems to have served me well. Also my rank jumped to 16k which is peculiar. none the less the 2 day threshold starts now.

Today's game:



I will be reviewing this for areas where I got lucky (there were several including the atari neither of us noticed) and where my attention should have been.

Today's game:



Defending against corner invasions seem to be an area I need to improve on. Overall though I felt I made some prudent moves.

Today's game:

An unranked game typically has two outcomes for me. Either I get destroyed, or I destroy. Today was the latter. Obviously someone who just started playing. He did seem to recognize the vital point of a bulky five though (even though it was inconsequential at the time).

Hehe, you seem to like that opening as black . Can I ask what you think of playing your move 5 (currently at R10) one line higher - say Q10?

I have nothing against Q10, I'll try it in my next game. R10 is just what I've been using by habit. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn.

It's unusual in pro play, but nothing really wrong with it at this level. Q10 is a common opening.