Here's an even game I played on KGS against a player who was apparently about my level (rated ? since they'd had a break in play). I was pretty satisfied with my play, apart from misjudging a rather important capturing race in the midgame. I ended up losing by 2.5 points. I'd appreciate any comments, especially general things about my weaknesses in the opening and midgame.

I'd also be curious to hear whether the endgame ko turned out "correctly"; during play I had a feeling that I was getting more points than I should have due to my opponent being in time trouble, but in our review afterwards I realized that the ko threats required for black possibly are rather large and not easy to find.

I'm white:


Thanks!

Opening:

Move 6) is normally played as a kakari against the open B corner, according to the theory that it is bad to allow B shimari in two corners. But this is a very minor point, and I think the W game move is fine.

Move 30) seems too complacent. B already has three corners, and his thin upper right moyo has as much potential as the thick lower left W moyo, if both sides secure territory uneventfully. So I think W needs to reduce or invade the B moyo more severely. P15 is pretty deep, but looks like a good starting probe. W could also probe along the edges of the B moyo in several places.

Middle game:

Moves 32-38) are the right idea. Once the fight gets this complicated, W has equal chances.

Move 40) is excellent. B played a slow move, and W took the opportunity to play the vital point in the center fight.

Moves 51-56) leave B broken. The focus is still the center, so I guess B must hane at L6. Once W captures at move 60, the game looks good for W.

Endgame:

Moves 85-86) are normally very large, but in this game so much is still unsettled that this area seems small. As just one idea, how about attaching at S12? If B captures this stone, W breaks into the center of the B moyo, but if B simply blocks, W secures his only weak group with a lot of territory, likely in sente.

Move 100) should just be C13. B is really short of liberties here -- picture a W placement at F14 -- so he will have to defend in gote or suffer a big loss, while W secures a large side.

Move 124) I guess you already figured out where you went wrong here, but this is one situation where the bamboo joint is wrong. Connecting at J14 gives W an extra liberty, and still threatens to capture with F14.

Move 126) was just careless counting. W could still capture with the clamp at J9. B can squirm, but cannot get an extra liberty.

Move 191) should of course defend at B1, but probably everyone gets burned like this once before learning caution. Still, B should see the problem after W plays atari at C1, and it is not too late for B to give up four stones and avoid disaster by playing B1. This would still give B a comfortable win.

9: Makes good play too easy for black. With the obvious 10, he is solid everyplace, and your extension could be in trouble. I'd play light with R5. He must split, else you connect for decent size group. You follow up with plays like S2 and S12.

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Thanks for the comments!

With move 6 and later 10 I was trying to deny black extensions from their enclosures. I guess preventing the second actual enclosure is generally considered more urgent? If I'd played 6 approaching the lower right, black would probably get to play the extension, right?


Move 9 is black's move, not mine, I assume you mean move 8? If so, that's interesting, I wouldn't have thought of it. Wouldn't that be creating two weak groups, and isn't that generally a bad/desperate move? If so, were any of my earlier moves (6?) bad since they forced me to do that?

Yes, I did mean move 8. ( Actually, if you can play R5 on move 9, it is very strong. )

Creating two weak groups is generally a bad idea. But when the 'group' is just one stone, you can treat them lightly and use them for aji.

Was 6 bad? That is a good question for it gets to the heart of the issue. I think so. As Mitsun noted, the approach against the lower 3-4 stone is common. The problem with 6 at R10 is that it leaves you two possibilities: letting him have two comfortable corner enclosures while you have an attackable 2-space extension, or fighting with two isolated stones. I recommended the latter because it is fluid and offers better chances, whereas the former is fixed and offers no chances.
Best, of course, would be to avoid the whole unpleasant issue and play 6 at R5.

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