... the less I know what to play. It suddenly seems all so playable and big. I'd like a few (general) comments on the game if one of you could spare a minute or two. Please ignore the ko fight at the end.

Although I sometimes had the feeling that W was stronger than (possibly) 6k, especially while he tried to build the big moyo in the center. Opinions on that?

Thanks
Mic

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Go is easy: don't play bad moves.

b51: It is never* ok to let white make that shape while splitting your side.


[*] except when it is. Except that's never.

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5: It is hard to say that this is a bad move, but it feels just a tad too casual. I'd play D15 or D14.
Remember, as black you have conceded komi to white, and in return you get the advantage of first move. If you do not play forcefully early in the game, he can negate the advantage of your first move. Then you are behind by komi with nothing to compemsate for it.

7: Again, this is not aggressive at all. ( It would be a fine move if there were a white stone at Q16 ) It does not use your advantage of the first move. K15 would be better.

8: See what this does for white?

15: Joseki is D2. This is one that would be worth making a habit, as it is common to many pincer josekis.

26-36: It hurts to watch black get pushed around like this, especially when he outnumbers white by so much. I'm not sure what is best for black, but it can't be this. Since black has committed to making territory on the side, maybe 26 should be at S16. [ Anyone else got good advice here? ]

37: A very risky move. If he pincers you, when you try to run out you will bump into his stone at H15. C14 was probably more prudent.

38: He misses the pincer and overconcentrates himself.

51: You MUST crosscut. Even if you gain nothing else from this review, please resolve never to do that again.
When the majority of nearby stones ( especially R10 ) are yours, it is to your advantage to be aggressive.

129: You have a big opportunity here. The kibbizer's comment that '...chopin seems to be retarded..." although unkind, has a grain of truth to it.
White's upper right group has one eye. You might be able to kill it. L14 looks best at first glance.


My overall opinion of your play in this game is that you let white get away with bad play by not playing aggresively enough when you had the advantage. Except for one about move 37, all of my comments above fit into that category.

I think that you are a much stronger player than white, and if you regularly ask yourself "Who has the stronger position here?", you will be able to crush people like chopin.

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Daniel's right of course. You have a much better move at , which you can probably guess. What were you afraid of about it during the game? You'll be just fine no matter what he does, which you can try to verify for yourself, or ask if you still have concerns.

Other comments:

- Often you'll approach white's 3-4 or 4-4 stone here, or perhaps play sanrensei. This seems to indicate more of a special strategy.

- Not very enterprising. I'd rather play Q10 or F3.

- You should hane at D2 first. After white blocks, you play C2, and white plays E3, this jump is good. Right now though, white can cut you.

- Aji keshi.

I have to go now, but maybe I'll post more later.

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Each of us woke up one moment and here we were in the darkness.
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No understanding of what is now, no knowledge of what will be.

Thanks for your comments.

Regarding 51 I played out some variations and you're both definitly right. In one of my last games the crosscut ended quite bad for me so I thought about trying something else.

- mic

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Go is easy: don't play bad moves.

Lower left joseki: see previous comments. The actual game result favours black, but only because white didn't immediately cut at B6.

: when there is a big knight's move shimari, like in this game, you normally play just R16 rather than this. In the actual game, the big knight's move gives white too many possibilities to push around and make good shape. R16 is more solid.

: I actually think a shimari in the bottom right is bigger than this. Reason: both black and white have a lot of potential facing the bottom side, so it's big to develop for both. A shimari on the top left would be somewhat biggish for white but (a) black's position is low (ie. uninteresting) there and (b) you run the risk of being pincered after .

: I agree with Joaz and Daniel. The result here is bad for you, mostly due to this move.

: small. Better reduce the center.
: small and unnecessary!

109 : because you're thick in the center, the endgame tesuji H18 seems to work. If white submits with G18, you get like 3 points extra. If white tries to cut with J18, then b J17, w G18, b H16, w G17, b J15 and due to your big wall it looks like his group is about to die. When you're thick, torture the opponent

Anyway, after 117 you should be torturing his group! L14 looks like a really nice point.

But, of course, as you were playing the entire opening and midgame in blitz pace, you could never have been expected to notice any of this. I mean, you don't take the time to consider the positions seriously so you automatically miss the sharp moves. 5*30 s byo-yomi is there for a reason

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My name is Gijs, from Utrecht, NL.

When in doubt, play the most aggressive move

You play really softly. I didn't see you pressure your opponent once in the beginning or middlegame, even though he put weak stones into your framework.. If you attack those stones and take territory while he runs, you'll be doing much better.

You seem to be stronger than him but you may have played too timidly because of this psychology.

Your subconscious:
"Look there he has a weakness. But but but, this must not be a weakness because he is strong and must be seeing what I see and probably deeper. So let's play safely..."

I got that impression from your play. I understand it because I also play in that psychology sometimes. You get rid of it and gain a couple of stones in no time...

By the way, in the end, he did not have anything in the center.

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If you say no, Elwood and I will come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

In addition to the others' comments, how about playing O3 on move 47? Your move was pretty strong, but if you're going to play here anyway then I believe the largest point is the attachment. You should end up with sente, too, while your actual move was not sente.

Also, 51 was, as the others said, probably the worst moment for you. But you won't make that mistake again

Right back in the opening, on move 7 how about K15? That move strengthens you, builds a framework and prepares a later invasion into his side. Also, DuskEagle's suggestions here seem pretty righteous

BTW, I thought you handled your opponent's silly remarks very well. It's always annoying when a player starts kibbitzing on their own moves in such a big-headed way. Next time, you'll silence him with your skill

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I would try M14 not L14 to kill the top group.

Your opponent was an idiot. This kind of comments is why KGS allows to escape from unpleasant opponents.

You probably should play moves that look like overplays once in a time. It will bring you in situations where you have to rely on reading. You may do tsumego, but you have to make this reading strength bear results in the game as well. I felt you have some "let us avoid reading here" moves in your game. 51 is such a move, the way how you gave away 3 stones at the top and the many stones spent on connecting the center are others. And despite all that, you won the game easily, you can allow yourself a little more confidence next time.

From the kibitz, I had the impression he is a child

That's why I still feel uncomfortable with any human interaction apart from face-to-face. You can never be sure about his real attitude and the reasons thereof.

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If you say no, Elwood and I will come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

I was glancing through the game, and when I saw 51, I thought "This had better be the first thing anyone mentioned about this game..." (=

If nothing else it is an issue of consistency. You are right in that sometimes (not this time) the crosscut will end poorly, however if you can't crosscut, you shouldn't play B49 to begin with. After 49 you have to cut with 51. The basic rule for cuts is the closer two groups are, the more severe a cut is between them. A crosscut is ok, because both sides will have two cut groups close to each other (both will have to manage a weakness). The 49-52 exchange in game is black creating an extra weakness and giving white a severe cut, virtually for free. If you aren't going to go for the crosscut/connect, better to move your groups apart so the cut is less severe (maybe something like O11). Of course in this case as others have mentioned, the crosscut _does_ work and is the move for B.