This is the first game I really felt like I was thrashed outside of an early game against an unranked 10k. Somehow KGS decided after losing by ~40 points to an equally ranked player (as black no-less) I deserved to be promoted to 20k.

That 5-5 point in the lower right was a misclick, but I just ran with it. I don't think it harmed my game terribly much, though.

I'd be most indebted to anyone who could point out my most consistent mistakes/largest mistakes. I think I'm too fond if indirectly patching cutting points instead of directly defending the cut. Or maybe I'm making too many cutting points in the first place.

Alright, I only looked at the first few moves.
And note that I'm only a DDK, but a little further down the road than you So here a few ideas:
- Don't play atari just because you can. And if you do atari, wonder about from which side you want to atari. Think of what will happen after your opponent answered. Is the position in any way better for you?
- Keep connected (move 45). That one stone you sacrificed was important. It was keeping your stones connected. After it was gone you had two weak groups to fight with. No one wants that.
- Sometimes it's better to simply connect to protect a cut. This makes you more solid. You need to look out for moves like 56.
- Don't always go for contact moves. This is very important. Contact moves take away a liberty from the opponent's stones, but also from yours. Often they make your position worse. They're only to be played with caution. Look at move 51. One point higher and your black group was safer. You make a bamboo joint, a safe connection. Next you can try to make some kind of base in the corner.

W260 is self-atari, and neither of you noticed it, not even when scoring... It would have reduced the margin by 27 points if you'd captured immediately (the move you made instead was unnecessary).

I think the biggest thing for you to work on is probably reading. White's right side group probably should have died, and after it lived your upper-right black group definitely should have died.

9: C3. Make a base before running.

13: You MUST connect. Print this position out on your wall or something and look at it every day until it becomes clear why this is soooo important. It connects some very, very fragile black stones and separates some weakish white ones. I don't think I can emphasize enough how important this is.

I could say more but I think that if you learn to connect at 13 that's well worth the game.

_________________
That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.
--
My (sadly neglected, but not forgotten) project: http://dailyjoseki.com

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Move 6 -- Black to move
$$ ---------------
$$ | . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Move 12 -- Black to move
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc Move 23 -- White to move
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X X X . |
$$ | . . O . O O O X X |
$$ | . . . O X X O O O |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Move 50 -- Black to move
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O O . . . |
$$ | . X O O O X . X . |
$$ | . . X O X X . . . |
$$ | . X . X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

_________________
A good system naturally covers all corner cases without further effort.

Thanks for the input. Very helpful.

I've been trying to work on reading but I am just awful at visualization. I'm assuming tsumego are the best (those and practice playing) for improving reading, as that's what I've been doing.

@Harleqin: I assume you are highlighting my mistakes. Am I correct in assuming that where it is white to play, the move I had just played was a mistake, and where it is black to play the next move is a mistake?

At this level you should get your hands on Graded Go Problems for Beginners volume 2. It will help you a great deal because it doesn't deal only with life and death, but with connecting / separating, opening and engame moves, and so on.

No. In each case, the player to move made a mistake in the game.

_________________
A good system naturally covers all corner cases without further effort.

I'll prioritize that then.

Thanks for the clarification, Harleqin.