In lieu of posting hundreds of games individually...

[Kris2476]

snip

Hi ed,

Thanks so much for giving me such thorough feedback. I can always count on you to give helpful and extensive commentary.

I want to make sure I'm understanding the toothpaste idea. You've mentioned it before in my games, and it seems to be a mistake I make a lot.... now I want to ensure I understand what the mistake is.

Toothpaste seems to be closely related to the idea of vulgarity in moves.. cases where I peep instead of cut, allowing or even forcing my opponent to fix his/her shape. As I understand it, toothpaste is a series of moves that force my opponent to do what they want to do, which often means driving a spike through my territory.

If my understanding above is correct... then in future games I need to be careful. When I play a move, I should ask if I am helping my opponent in the followup move. For example, in game 2 should have been a cut.. if I wasn't comfortable cutting, I should not have played in the first place. Or rather, playing requires me to have already read out white's hane, my cut, and then white's atari. Since I was reluctant to give white the atari, I ended up strengthening white's position.

[EdLee]

Hi Kris,

As I understand it, toothpaste is a series of moves that force my opponent to do what they want to do

No.

Please study the following diagram,
and please point out some differences (you consider significant),
about the left shape (x) versus the right shape (y):

$$B
$$ x . . . . . . . ? y . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . X X . . . . .
$$ . . X X O O . . ? . . . O O O O . . .
$$ . . O O X X . . ? . . . . . X X . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ x . . . . . . . ? y . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . X X . . . . .
$$ . . X X O O . . ? . . . O O O O . . .
$$ . . O O X X . . ? . . . . . X X . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

[Kris2476]

Hi Kris,

As I understand it, toothpaste is a series of moves that force my opponent to do what they want to do

No.

Please study the following diagram,
and please point out some differences (you consider significant),
about the left shape (x) versus the right shape (y):

$$
$$ x . . . . . . . ? y . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . X X . . . . .
$$ . . X X O O . . ? . . . O O O O . . .
$$ . . O O X X . . ? . . . . . X X . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ x . . . . . . . ? y . . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . X X . . . . .
$$ . . X X O O . . ? . . . O O O O . . .
$$ . . O O X X . . ? . . . . . X X . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . ? . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Black is much weaker in the right diagram. White has split him clean in two. Black has two weak groups, and white has thickness affecting both.
In the left diagram, there is a fight, and both white and black are split. Advantage perhaps to the first mover?

[EdLee]

Hi Kris,

Black is much weaker in the right diagram.

Yes.

White has split him clean in two.

Yes.

Black has two weak groups,

B has two groups.

and white has thickness affecting both.

White is in one piece. The split is not mutual.

there is a fight, and both white and black are split.

Yes. The split is mutual.

Advantage perhaps to the first mover?

Unclear (not relevant to this discussion).

[EdLee]

Hi Kris,

The key is on the left, the cut is mutual;
but on the right, Black is broken.

There are two parts to learning about these shapes
(much like when we first learn about the atari):
(a) recognition;
(b) evaluation.

We're only at part (a).

Now please go back and review your games again,
and do part (a) ONLY -- see where your shapes were broken.

Part (b) is much more difficult --
we need to examine each case to see if the broken shape is good, neutral, or bad for you.
( Whenever I pointed out a toothpaste reference, it was probably not good for you. )

[Kris2476]

I feel the more I play, the less confident I am in my rank. KGS keeps suggesting 6k(?), and now 5k(?), but the following game is ripe enough with blunders that I don't feel proud of that. I can only conclude that I am a weak player.

I have a tournament next weekend - My first ever go tournament. Hopefully I can snag a win or two.

I'm black. What should I do instead of ?

Also, in general, how should I make the most of my wall on the left side of the board?

I feel was wrong. How do I punish white for not trying to escape?

Is there a way to save the 4 stones, instead of 101?

Around 137, what should I be doing differently? Or would s13 at 129 be better at r13?

Something better than 141?

200 is just embarassing.

209 I don't know why I keep going.

I feel like I had some very nice thickness, and then white managed to reduce me to barely any advantage at all. White lost on time, and I think I would have won by a handful of points... But I could have played so much better.

[EdLee]

Hi Kris,

What's wrong with it ?

D17.

D17.

D17.

H17, maybe.

Atari, then connect at G3.

Can you find a sequence to link up with your E2 group ?

P5.

Why the urge to atari W and force him to get out & ahead of you faster ?

See .