[10k - 8k] Returning after two years

[singular]

After two years away I'm going through that familiar process of rebooting Go in my brain. Some things are still clear, other things are just perplexing and I don't know what to do differently.

Take this game for example. I didn't make any game-ending blunders (with the exception of move 48), but the whole game was kind of a blunder. I lost by a wide margin. Reviewing the game I'm finding it difficult to decide how I should have done it differently-- I'm not getting any strong vibes from alternative moves I could have made, which I take to mean that part of my Go brain died.

I've played a bunch of games over the last week, returned to go problems, etc. For some reason I'm still in the dark as to how to review my own games. Can you help resurrect the Go-playing homunculus from its resting place?

I'd really like to get to 6k this time around. I was white in this game.

[EdLee]

Hi singular,

Welcome back.

Q10. Extend ahead of B; your move falls behind B.
-- What happens if B resists with Q12, Q13, then cuts at P14 ?

$$Bc :b5: fills at :w2:
$$ ---------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . X . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 O O O . |
$$ . . . . . O X 3 4 . |
$$ . . . . . O X 2 X 8 |
$$ . . . . . . O X 9 . |
$$ , . . . . . O 6 7 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . 0 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc :b5: fills at :w2:
$$ ---------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . X . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 O O O . |
$$ . . . . . O X 3 4 . |
$$ . . . . . O X 2 X 8 |
$$ . . . . . . O X 9 . |
$$ , . . . . . O 6 7 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . 0 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

-

Locally, unhappy shape for White:
"Hane at the Head + Hane at the Tail" :

$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . X . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . O # X . |
$$ , . . . . . . W # . |
$$ . . . . . . . W # . |
$$ . . . . . . . # . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ , . . X . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O O . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . O # X . |
$$ , . . . . . . W # . |
$$ . . . . . . . W # . |
$$ . . . . . . . # . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

, , ( related to above ) Reduced your own liberties.

E3 natural. Continue to pressure B while you profit LL corner.

R16.

, Similar problems as ( , , ).
Bad sente moves.

$$
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . a # # . . . .
$$ | . . # W W O . . .
$$ | . . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . a # # . . . .
$$ | . . # W W O . . .
$$ | . . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]

- You reduced your own libs. ( Re: , , ).
- You make bad shape for yourself, good shape for B.
"Hane at the Head of 2 stones"
- You fix B's shape problem here; no cut at (a).
( Without your sequence, B has a weakness at the 4-4 --
Elephant's eye -- you fixed it for B. )

Consider:

- Does it make any cash for White ?
- Does it split any of B's weak groups ?
- Does it build anything in the center ?
- Do you run out because your corner group is in trouble ?
- Is it good shape ?

No. takes your cash.
No. G3 group is strong, and C8 can take care of itself.
No. Nothing to build there -- neutral area.
No. Your corner is OK for now, but not for long if you continue to let B slide right into your space.
No. Your keima has shape problems (e.g. can be cut.)

is almost a pass. ( For example: C6 better. )

- returns the favor. ( Re: - )
Locally, should drop to B5.

Can you find a better local sequence for W ?

- Bad habit, bad exchange for W. ( Re: )
How useful is your stone ? How does it help you ?


( Up to here, various, similar bad habits: basic shapes; self-reducing libs; bad sente moves; helping your opponent, etc. )

[Charles Matthews]

I'd really like to get to 6k this time around. I was white in this game.

General comment: misplaced stones and loss of sente are enough to explain the margin in the game. Starts with which is incorrect shape (play at P9).

Breaking up the side is bigger. and are poor exchanges.

doesn't fix up the cut or the group: think H13 at least. doesn't do much. at C7 causes more problems for Black. is worse than the peep at D7. To , White loses points top left, so looks like an overplay.

White 104 ends up losing sente for small endgame. Looks like White will struggle from here.

[singular]

Thanks very much EdLee and Charles Matthews