A typical game of mine against GNU Go

[EdLee]

Hi Babelardus,

Depending on the global situation ( the whole board ),
suppose the 2 stones are not important to White:

$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O 1 W X . ,
$$ | . . . . . W . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O 1 W X . ,
$$ | . . . . . W . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Then White even has the option to give up the 2 stones,
and take a lot of territory on the left:

$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O X O X . ,
$$ | . . . 2 . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O X O X . ,
$$ | . . . 2 . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

I'm not saying that's the situation in your variation.
I'm saying for certain board positions, this is a possibility for White to consider.
The key word here is the global perspective:

$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O X O X . ,
$$ | . . . O 3 O . . . .
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O X X . . . .
$$ | . . . O X O X . ,
$$ | . . . O 3 O . . . .
$$ | . . . 4 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

[Bill Spight]

While I am sure that there are many plays that could use improvement, I tried to find where the game was lost. I think that the game was close at around move 100, but White quickly took the lead. Go to move 101.



Main focus: Do not follow your opponent around. Look for moves that threaten the life of groups or secure life while threatening to take away potential territory. Look for double sente.

[Babelardus]

Bill and EdLee: Thanks for taking the time to take a look at the game.

I'll definitely have to pick up a book on shapes (and joseki as well, as I don't know enough of them either). Mostly, in lectures, I see people saying that 'this is bad shape' or 'good shape', without really explaining why. So now, I often make a shape because I know it's a good shape, but don't understand why. I also play Joseki's without really understanding why they are equal.

I see that I indeed missed quite some opportunities around move 100 (and at other points in the game as well, probably). I also see that I seem to be way too afraid to play things like the hane or knight's jump, for fear of cutting and/or disconnecting; I'm playing too passive.

[EdLee]

I see people saying that 'this is bad shape' or 'good shape', without really explaining why. So now, I often make a shape because I know it's a good shape, but don't understand why.

Hi Babelardus,

Yes; this is a common experience.

On the topic of good v. bad shapes,
going back to post 4 -- as discussed,
your empty triangle (a) is bad shape --
the natural move is block with :

$$B Reference shape
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 2 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . . O a O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Reference shape
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 2 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . . O a O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

However, even if you're worried about the (a) push,
you can still do better than (a) -- this fixes it:

$$B Var 1
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . 2 O . O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Var 1
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . 2 O . O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Or:

$$B Var 2
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . . O . O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Var 2
$$ ---------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . 1 X . . . .
$$ | . . . O . O X . . ,
$$ | . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Of course, block in the Reference diagram is still the best,
but at least you could consider Vars 1 & 2,
instead of the empty triangle connect.

[Bill Spight]

BTW, best not to use [] in comments. Eidogo seems to have trouble with that. In the SGF file I uploaded White had lost four stones on the board by move 100. I corrected [] to O, and the file looks OK now.

Here is what happened. In your uploaded file, [] in the comments looks like this: [\]. Eidogo handles that fine. But GoWrite does not, because there are too many "["s in the file. So GoWrite converts that to \[\]. Eidogo responds by not showing the play that the comment goes with.