3k vs 3k

aurik · #1

I've been flirting with the 2k/3k KGS threshold since returning to Go after a hiatus. A while ago I ended up having a terrible day and going 2-and-13. That pretty much tanked my KGS rating, and it's taken about a month to recover. Anyway, today I was finally re-promoted, and this seemed like a good occasion to post a game for review.

I've added some of my thoughts to the SGF, but I would be very grateful for any other comments on my play.

Joaz Banbeck · #2

21: B2 is the only move. It is eye space for both of you, and sente for both.

25: Of the alternatives that you suggest, 'e' or 'f' seems best. If you tenuki and he plays around C8 or C9, he has a good grip on most of the left side.
Move 'd' is pushing from behind, and pushing him on top of your weak group.

26-28: Normally you should be happy when your opponent forces you to take fourth rank territory by pushing from behind, but your left side stones are so weak...

41: Nice move.

43: Bad shape. Try C8 instead. You have the 'table' shape, and a better grip on eye space.

44: See the bad shape? If you had played C8, you could now slide under at B10.

49: Your left side group is still iffy, so you do not want to encourage him to build strength in the upper left - you may need to run that direction. You're setting up double attack opportunitoes for him with a move around F15.
If you look at the board purely with en eye toward big space, the lower right is bigger than the upper left. How about Q4 or R4?

Wife is fixing breakfast...gotta go...maybe more later.

Joaz Banbeck · #3

2nd pass:

9: Good judgement to tenuki

15-21: Try to mentally organize your groups into 'heavy' and 'light', or 'expendable' and 'non-expendable'.
As of move 15, your lower right corner group has become too big to lose. Your C6 stone is light. These considerations should make move 21 a no-brainer. You should just reflexively play to protect the non-expendable group when he hanes at B3.

31: This move should never have made it on to your short list of candidates. Not only is it a 2-space jump ( which usually needs local support to be played instead of a 1-space ), but you should be avoiding his wall. Something like B10 - as far as you can get from that wall - should be your move. If the white D10 stone were low at C10, the preferred move would probably be the cap at E10 - again, as far as possible from the wall.

37-39: This is not too bad for you, considering the situation that you are in. His D10 stone is becoming weak.

60: As predicted: the double attack. This can be forecast way back at move 49.

63: Clever play! That's a dan-level move.

111: This doesn't make eye space, but H15 does.

----------------

You're clearly capable of making shodan. Your counting is dan quality, as are plays like 63. Move 25 is a DDK move, though. Just study basic priciples of good play, such as not playing close to a wall, or starting two weak groups near each other, and you'll be shodan.

Numsgil · #4

Had a go workshop with Yilun Yang over the weekend, and one of his lectures comes to mind. Without trying to repeat it here (and horribly mangling the whole thing no doubt), with regards to 25, I'm pretty sure he'd say:

1. Fix your weaknesses before trying to attack.
2. You have two stones in the bottom left. They are heavy. Don't tenuki.
3. The stones are fine in terms of liberties and connection, but they need a base. Don't be fancy.

Which would indicate simply C9 as the only move. Better to fix the weakness entirely than half fix it for questionable additional gain. E or F on your chart would leave C8 as a real weakness still. Even if the invasion doesn't work right away, you're going to need another move in the area eventually, and then it'll be hard to make it work with your E/F stone and not be over concentrated.

If there were only one stone (say, you're C6 stone), it would be fine to treat it lightly and tenuki or play e/f, but because you made that B5 exchange, you need another move here to protect this weak group.

...

I'd say 'A' is especially bad because if white plays at 'F' he is pincering two weak groups at once.

mitsun · #5

(the two space jump near the W wall) is definitely too loose, and in the game W punished this move by cuttting through immediately. Your game comment on the result was "Simply terrible for B, but what option did I have?" I think B can still salvage something from the position, by blocking with :b35:

at F8. If W cuts below, B sacrifices three stones for pretty good outside thickness. This seems like a better result for B than the game sequence. Try playing out some continuations and see if you agree. The idea behind F8 is to be consistent with the other stones on the board, using them as effectively as possible.

3k vs 3k

Who is online