I've been improving lately, i feel, after playing more and taking lessons from a guy here. however, i can't seem to crack the sdk threshold. this game was a particularly depressing game. in the beginning, i was a little confused by his non-joseki fuseki, but felt like i had a decent opening. as we got into the midgame, however, i could feel myself getting into trouble.

the failed cut at move 100 led to a cascade that seemed to turn the tide. theres a glaring hole at the end of the game that cost me ten points, but those other 22.5 points... where did i go wrong? instead of forcing the issue up top should i have just focused on extending from the bottom? I know that one thing i struggle with is the whole cut-atari-cut-atari sequence that people start playing at about this rank, and i think this game shows it, but i know there are other problems.

thoughts?

thanks in advance for taking a look...

A few ideas:

8: Seems too early to secure that corner. Your two stones already seem strong enough to live. Just approach around r5 or e3

20: It seems too early to leave the weak r10 stone alone.

22: e3 instead of taking your own liberties at d4. After e3 make a base around j3

28: What is the purpose of e6? These white stones seem overconcetrated and don't achieve much there. My idea here would be to place a stone around d11 or invade around k4.

46: Small. Attack the weak black c11 stone, e.g. cap it at e11.

48: Attaching a weak stone makes it strong.

64: Broken shape. You force your opponent to separate you. h5 seems better, or l4 or run out with k6.

90: capture with j18.

100: Indeed, this cut seems not good, since it is nowhere supported by any white stones nearby. I'd probably reduce around f13. But even after the cut, you can leave the lone white stone just for aji and continue elsewhere.

144: Moves like these force your opponent to connect and separate you. I've seen several moves of this kind, so this is a general matter you should pay more attention to. The motto goes "connect your stones and separate those of your opponent".

156: Sometimes the proper move is just to capture. n9. Same for 262: b9.

212: unncessary.

8: R16 says that you are going to play for influence in that corner. O16 confirms that. Then S16 totally reverses direction and says that you're going for territory. If you keep doing this, your stones will suffer from whiplash.
P14 is a tad unreasonable for him. It gives him no grip on eye space, yet half of his stones are invested there. I would cap with N14 or pincer.

10: Your timing is good here, I think. One more move and he might get too strong a position on the right.

11-15: A terrible sequence by him, virtually forcing you to make life right in the middle of his strong side.

18+20: As long as you can be sure that 18 ensures the second eye, I think 20 is a great tenuki.

22: Remember the proverb about hane at the head of two stones without looking? Well, here you are giving him a position in which he can follow the proverb, making obious and easy strong moves.
I like Karaklis' suggestion of E3.

28: Re-read Karaklis' opinion of E6.
I couldn't say it any better.

36: You just burned a ko threat, and forced him to bcome stronger. Who got the better of this exchange?

38: You're way too thin here. You want quick profit? D10 or C10 gets a bunch.

46: How many points is this worth? He has eye space in the corner, so capturing F18 is small for him. Imagine something like D10 or G15 or K3. Heck, even S10 is bigger.

48: Quit playing with your food. Try D12 or E13. But don't touch the stone that you are attacking until it is time to actually shut down liberties.

50: The black stones over on the left are weak, heavy, eyeless and friendless. You should be thinking of making them suffer. Instead, despite the fact that you outnumber them about 4 to 1, you seem to have decided that they are a threat, and you must connect underneath them for your own safety.

52: If you must play ultra-defensively like this, at least B10 is better shape.

54: Yes! Good move!

72: Locally, you are way to strong for a move this tepid. If you want to jump to the center, a 2- or even a 3-spce jump will work.

102+104: What is the point of supporting a lone cutting stone when the stones on both side of it are alive?

144: T12 leads to a ko, either on one side or the other. It is worth about 70 points.


Summary: You are playing way too conservatively. You make lots of good moves, but then you back down when the stakes rise. Go eat some raw meat prior to your next game.

This is what the empty board should look like to you when you sit down for your next game:





















Think of it as 361 places where you can kill something.

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