Breaking past 7k

Lhet · #1

Hey, thought I'd post a couple games to see if anybody could tell me what I might be doing wrong. Right now, I think I'm mainly attacking wrong, a lot of my wins come from big kills. I feel I can read quite well, and that I can rank up quickly if I can just figure out a few of the bigger leaks in my game.
Tiny bit of history, I learned go a long time ago, but only really played it on and off for a few weeks at a time until last march, and I've ranked up from about 12-13k to 7k since then. Currently reading direction of play, attack and defense, and doing tsumego.

I tried to attack to make territory, and I think I neglected the corners too much. This game may have been me misapplying A&D, which I've only started recently.

Another one, I pretty much won because of the endgame capture.

Thanks.

Solomon · #2

Hehe, hey Mark

. If you want, I'll be free Saturday so we can go over these games at CC. Nice to see you've improved quickly

.

Jonas · #3

Mannnnnn maybe I should migrate to the USA, discussing games with Sol would be awesome for sure

Regarding the games I think you play most of the time really well, but sometimes there are single moves which make my gut crumble. Nevertheless I think while playing more games, reviewing them and keep up your tsumego work I'll bet you hit Shodan within the next year.

Harleqin · #4

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 8 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . X . . . 1 . . . O . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The most natural thing to do here would be to combine an extension
with a pincer.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 13 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O . . . . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . 3 O X . . . . , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . 2 . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

White should play atari here. :b2:

helps White. When Black gets the
point of :w1:

, his shape is very good and the white corner is still
open.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 17 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O 1 . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . . X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

must simply defend. This makes the white group on top strong,
and it is also big in terms of territory. The game move just forces
Black to swallow a lot of points and leaves the white group thin while
the black one is very strong.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 21 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

should just play in the lower right directly, aiming at 'a'
next. White's group on the top is strong enough, and forcing Black to
take fourth line territory, like in the game, is not a very prudent strategy.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 28 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4 . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . 2 O O 3 . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . 1 X 5 . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

should push here first. A very common sequence is shown.

I believe that :w29:

should still block to keep Black separated.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 30 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X a . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

should play at :b1:

or 'a' to keep the connection to the outside
stone.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 31 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

should separate Black. Note that the result is tremendously
better for White than the joseki shown before.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 36 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O 1 O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

absolutely must connect against the peep. The game move
concedes the whole right side to Black, for a swing of more than 30
points.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 43 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

should extend on the lower side. The game move is just a weak
white stone between two strong black groups.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 44 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In response, Black should just threaten to swallow the white stone on
a large scale while ruining White's shape on the outside. He should
then aim at 'a'. The game move just defends a few points in front of
a very thick group.

:w47:

should still extend on the lower side.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 48 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

in the game is much too close to White's wall. While that wall
does have some defects, White has some more helping stones facing the
centre, so Black would be well advised to hold back, for example with
the move shown above.

The then following three white moves are spot on. Very good!

However, the next two are then very bad.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc Move 55 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . . . O X O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . 3 O , X . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . 1 X 2 . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

White should simply hane and connect. He would have transformed his
wall on the right into a wall in the centre facing the most open, and
therefore most interesting part of the board. The game moves let this
opportunity slip for a few points in an enclosed area.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc Move 60 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O X . X . O X . O . . O . X . . . | $$ | . . . O X . . X X , . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . O . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . O . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . . . O X O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X O . | $$ | . . . . . . . . O . X . . . . X X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . O 1 . . O . . . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . X O . X O . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . X . X O . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

absolutely must connect against the peep. (Perhaps someone
should design a tsumego series entirely consisting of answering peeps
by connecting.)

I stop here, but allow me one last comment: Note that in the end, you
really made 10 points around O3, and Black really did not make 5
points at R11. However, the tradeoff was that Black made 30 points in
the lower left. You should always try to contest the most open area
on the board, not the most cramped, like you did with R11 and M3.

Breaking past 7k

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