Hey there guys. I had a really fun game in the Meijin qualifier tournament today. Actually I had 3, but I picked this one because I think I played pretty well in it. The third one was just for fun vs a 6d

It felt nice to play with longer time controls than usual (45 min), so anyway, here's the result! I hope you can give me some pointers.

17: This feels small and unenterprising. The right side is open, and some invasions in the upper left will be needed soon.

69: E10 is huge.

85: K2 connects, but it is gote. Are you worried that he will play there himself? It is gote for him too.
H10 is more thematic.


My overall impression is that you voluntarily played lower than you needed to.

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I disagree. This is large and aims at attacking white's group on the bottom side.

Here's my ¥2 worth.

B5 - The high approach (W4) does not really threaten the corner so answering this play at this point seems somewhat negative. Playing in the lower left with D4 or C4 feels more positive.

B21 - Playing low on the right does not fit with the top right. I would have found H5 more tempting. If White approaches the lower right from the other side, Black just keeps White separated and looks for the opportunity to attack the bottom White stones. They still do not clearly have two eyes.

B23 - Bad shape, which White exploits later by attaching at R12. Just connect. The diagonal at S13 is another idea but Black is already too low here.

B25 - When White plays 24 at P12, note that Black has played 10 out of 12 stones on the third line. Better to be White than Black at this stage of the game.

B29 - Not content with playing on the third line, Black decides to dive into the second instead! Mistake in direction. B should jump again to F13. White gets to seal the upper left with D12 but that can not be helped. Next B around K13 to stir things up in the center?

B41/43 - Better not to play them, they only help White. Your variation was much better than the game, except for the idea about connecting two live groups in gote - forget that part.

B91 - Hane at J9, separating White. G7 threatens to cut off White's bottom left as in the game, so White can not resist here.

B101 - Mistake in direction. Play J9. The mistake on the left side has strengthened Black toward the center so the hane is even more important now.

B105 - Of course your variation is better.

B129, etc. - Complete waste of time. Note that if you had answered W128 once at O5 you would have threatened to turn at O6 and break up the center while leaving yourself the option to make an eye at O4. If you had done that and then reduced the center by using the threat of pulling out the stone at J9, you might still be in the game. White has given up a lot in the bottom left in order to enclose the center.

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Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

I agree with amnal. prevents the slide by White, strengthens the corner, and attacks the White group. On the right side Black is thick (territorially) in the top right corner, which has reduced the temperature of the right side.

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Everything with love. Stay safe.

Another vote in favour of 17. In fact white's n3 is considered rather slack these days precisely because p3 cramps it. These days white 16 at o3 is normal, then black invades at m3, white jumps to o5 (or attaches under at m2) and black answers at q6 or r6, both of which have various standard continuations.

question on the debated i would have rather play Q3 to limit aji in the corner, followed by R7 (intead of R6 in the game). Of course there is less pressure on W this way, is this a big deal ? is Q3 much worth (than P3)or playable ? what would W do with the extra intersection ? i like totally denying the sansan invasio to him

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In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.

Yes, the lack of pressure (white can slide to p2 to make eyes) is a big deal as black can look forward to attacks (such as k5/n5 caps, or even submarines like l2/m2) later. Also white being weak indirectly defends against black's own weakness at f3. With the p3 defence, black r7 instead of r6 is in fact the usual shape if black gets sente to play on this side (in fact that gives black too good a position, so white usually plays r7, black r5, then extends, rather that directly defending at k5 and just puts up with that group being weak).

As an example of the pressure it gives, in the following diagram if white comes out with kosumi his shape is bad if black makes the placement at which makes a and b miai. (Of course maybe closing at c first is better, I just wanted to show the shape weakness p3 gives that q3 would not).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Ouch
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . 2 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . X . O . a O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 b . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Ok, maybe 17 was a good move. Sorry about the bad advice.

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