This is an unrated game that I played recently on KGS.

I would very much appreciate any suggestions, constructive criticism and pointers on where/how I can improve any aspects of my game play.

Welcome to Go. Do you know approximately how many games you have finished so far (total, since you started Go) ?

Hi Ed. Thank you for your comments; Going through them now...

I have played maybe around 15-20 (?) games so far.

Unfortunately, due to my weekday schedule, my go activities have tended to be more on the side of study (reading and listening to lectures) than on playing I plan to rectify this by trying to play more on weekends.

Nice -- as your time allows, try to finish 100 games as quickly as you can.
( After that, reviews will be even more beneficial. )

Just re-played the game on my board, paying attention to some of the variations you suggested. It was very helpful

A related question : For understanding shape in a way useful for games, are Tsumego problems the best way ? Or already at my level should I slowly pick up a set of good/bad shapes from a combination of books, lectures and articles (eg: I have heard from our forums here that "Shape Up !" is a classic ?)

I think, in all things, you should learn from the biggest variety of sources possible, and from experience. Don't be scared to revisit the same book a year later, either. Such is life: it's not possible to develop a very deep understanding of each aspect of go one at a time - you'll learn all aspects, more or less simultaneously, very gradually. I find the best way to improve (short of hardcore planned study, which I simply don't have time for) is to dip into books and lectures and tsumego as the mood takes me and play lots of games.

Tsumego (if you mean strictly life-and-death puzzles) are strange creatures, and I don't recommend anything other than the most basic below about 15-12k. (The 'most basic' I refer to are the ones here of size 6 or less, completely surrounded, in the centre of the board. Check that you know their status (dead, alive or unsettled).) If you mean just go problems, not necessarily life-and-death, then Graded Go Problems for Beginners is good. Start with vol. 1. Neither type of tsumego will teach you shape in quite the same directed way that a book or a lecture will, but by doing lots of them you'll gain a partial appreciation for shape (and tesuji and other things).

There is shape to tsumego, but it is special. Its aim is to make or break eyes in a small space. Shape is about local efficiency. Outside of tsumego, that can involve making or breaking eyes, but there are other aims. Shortage of liberties can be an important factor, tsumego or not.

I first got a book about shape when I was around 3 kyu. It made a big difference in my game. I do not know about when is the best time to study shape. My guess is that it is not too early, if you can understand the material.

Certainly it is not too soon to look for shortage of liberties. Even 10 kyu players make many mistakes by not paying attention to it.

There is a popular misconception about shape, that some shapes are good in themselves, without regard for the opponent's stones. If you just went around making such shapes while your opponent took big points elsewhere, you would lose. Certainly you can make bad shape all by yourself, but good shape depends upon where the opponent's stones are, what they threaten, what your stones threaten.

The study of shape goes hand in hand with the study of tesuji. Often good shape prevents an opponent's tesuji, sometimes it threatens your own tesuji, or is tesuji itself.

Here is a rule of thumb that you can apply at your level. If one player or another has two more stones (or more) than the opponent in a local area, that may indicate inefficiency. As the game goes on, such situations are unavoidable, but the earlier in the game that it occurs, the more likely that the side with more stones is inefficient.

So if you already have one more stone in a local region than your opponent and you are thinking of playing another stone there, ask yourself whether you need to make that play now or whether there are bigger or better plays somewhere else. (OC, that rule of thumb does not apply when the opponent makes an invasion, for instance, because you start out with more stones than the opponent. )

_________________
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At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.