I did get some brief pro commentary on this, which is included mixed up with some of my own thoughts. Any comments are most welcome. I lost this game due to a large blunder near the end, but there were other parts where I made mistakes and was lucky to catch up. I didn't have a clear way to handle white 50 and would appreciate some insight there, although in reality I probably have to work more to read out such fights on my own.

Glad to see you posting more actively on the forum, Calvin! And it was nice to see you at the US Go Congress.

As you've already had this reviewed by a pro, I don't think I can compete with their review. So I'll share my opinions, without looking at the variations you've given or the game. I'll just comment as I go through it.

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- Personally, I'd play higher. I like O16. It does leave an appealing spot at M17 for white to play later, but that's later. Right now, it's important to keep pressure on white. That way, you can make points automatically. As long as P14 is weak, it's not that appealing for white to play M17 anyway.

- Seems passive. Why not hane?

- What good is this move really doing for you? After white answers, it's like white did hane at head of two stones. White's pretty much safe now, so I think you should tenuki and play for biggest area on the board. Anything local seems pretty small, since white is strong now. So it's only an issue of points. And I don't think Q11 gained that many points compared to other big areas in the opening.

- Slow. Both black and white are safe. When the groups are safe, it's all about points. And biggest area for points is most open area of the board. Surely it must be the left side.

- Slow. Approach the corner.

- I think the move is ok locally. But I almost feel like doing a tenuki and playing on the left. White's potential on the left seems bigger than the bottom to me. You can get an advantage locally by making the first move around the K3 stone, but I just don't feel it's that important. Even if you kill his invading stone, the left side seems really big. I'd consider moves like C4, C14, and stuff like that - something to make a position on the left side, or reduce white's profit there.

- I'm surprised with this one. Seems inconsistent.

- Seems OK. Though, your group on bottom is kind of weak, so be careful.

- Seems a little unusual to me. If you attack, you need to get profit. It might be killing, making points, helping your own group, etc. But if you can't get profit, just leave it. You might be able to profit later. In this case, I don't see a way to make many points by attacking his stone: 1.) Seems unlikely to kill. 2.) Your groups surrounding the invading stone are already somewhat stable. 3.) His P14 group is somewhat strong. So, I think you should wait on attacking, and play elsewhere. You have something like 55 points right now. White has something like 15~20 points, plus komi, plus whatever they get in the top left. So that means you can let them get like 30 points in the top left, to keep the balance. But you also have a weak group. I think if white plays top left, they'll get more than 30 points, so it's disturbing, but I'd ignore the weak group for now, and try to reduce the top left.

- I don't think you can get much from attack right now, but how about N16 instead? Basically, I'd like to keep white split from P14. That way, when white runs out, you can play moves like J14 in sente, thereby reducing the potential in the top left. I think reducing the top left is a big priority.

- I don't like this move. You save one stone, but let yourself get split from M15. Even if white can break through, PLAY N14! You can squeeze or whatever. You can give up O15 even if you want. But you should surround white. Seems very important.

- I think it's still small. I think you should reduce top left still.

- Good!

- Good.

:b117: - Good to break through on the side. It's too bad you didn't get more. Great that you could get that ko!

:b123: - Good idea, but I also kind of like K11 instead. I think black still has good influence to make something happen in the center.

:w124: - You can smile now and try to kill him.

:b139: - Seems small. Maybe F5 instead?

:b149: - Seems you are way ahead. I guess you said you made a mistake later. It seems you are winning now for sure.

:b155: - Ah, I see. I guess you were worried about him living inside. He has only one eye in this area if you protect your group not to die. If you are concerned about it, I guess at move 153, you can play B7.

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Anyway, good game. I think you had a good shot at winning, especially when it looked like you'd take all of that center territory!

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be immersed

Hi Kirby,

The emoticons unfortunately only go up to the 100th move; but they look like this -- and .

I use and to denote zero captured stones in a Malkovich game.

Until somebody extends the emoticons to 101 and beyond...

101
101

Thanks, Kirby!

Yes, I think I was stuck with maybe a fixed idea that should be attacked, whereas I may have just regarded it as a play in a less valuable area. As for tenuki in response to , of course tenuki is always possible. I guess I would have had to see something more concrete in the upper left, though I agree its certainly big.

Yes, at Q11 is bad. Later on you can see it produces a broken shape, too, which I hadn't noticed before, but that's because I played a peep.

For , how about O14?

O14 is better than game in my opinion, but I still like N14.

I suppose you want to keep open the option for killing the stones, which may give some benefit to O14.

But I think it's also valuable to squeeze with N14, even though white can break through.

Though white breaks through, you get free black stones on the outside from squeezing, and a bit of thickness locally.

Perhaps I feel this way because you already played M15. Since you played M15, N14 is consistent since it keeps relationship with that stone, whereas the game move or O14 clearly let white break through, and it makes M15 not that useful.

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be immersed