Hello everyone!

I've just played a really horrible game versus a 4kyu (no handi), and I hoped you'll be able to help me analyze the game and spot the problems in my play. At first it was ok, and from move 36 it all went down hill.


Personally I think my fusaki and yose abilities are quite bad, also my reading has to be improved a bit further. I'll thank a lot to anyone who got some nice tips for me regarding these topics.


Thanks in advance!

5: Unusual shape. A little far away from D16, anda little close to D10.

13: Bad, this is too early, white can cut (as you found out). Normal is to push at H16 to create weakness, push at K17 once to protect the cut, and jump to M17 to finish things off.

23: A thank-you move. 'Please protect your corner'. It seems more interesting to play, say, R14 - L15 is astrong stones, not weak.

26: At this point, black's two stones are looking quite sad, and the corner is looking quite big.

29: You are leaving a few weaknesses around now. J3, E3, C6, none of black's stones are quite the right distance away from one another. F4 or F3 seems more normal here, to protect the corner rather than the (smaller) side.

33: A bit of a 'please cut me' move. I think you should play E13, you have to cut white and make him fight - aiming to settle the lower area in style. What you actually play is too scared and small.

35: No! You have to separate white, not let him connect together whilst destroying your territory. Not sure what's best, E13 might start an okay fight, but it's less good after move 33.

57: Maybe do this in senteish with E17. I think black cares more about getting sente than preserving a ko threat.

58: Terrible, I don't know why white is asking you to seal him in. But you correctly don't argue.

67: Odd move really, why play here? White doesn't seem to have any very strong moves here. Not sure what's best, but developing the bottom area with something like L5 seems like a good plan.

91: You don't really need to defend this cut, I think.

97: Seems bad. White gains nothing from playing here to end the ko.

White's destructive ko victory is the end of the interesting things, I think, so I won't comment more. Hopefully these comments will help you avoid that in the future - don't let white push you around, always try to convince him that he's the one backing away, not you.