Path to 9Dan, step by step.

[Charles Matthews]

Somewhat of a meh defeat vs 1k
[/quote]

Here you don't get a great opening. I say needs to be one lower. Without variations, I would say the enclosure at O17 is looser than P17, so you can play looser. Certainly if you can stabilise the R6-R10 formation, it's better than the game.

- maybe J16 is better, because you may need M17 for a base.

- one line higher seems clearly better to me, because the upper side may be a fighting area, and corners are at a premium.

is "clumsy double contact", and this formation signals something has gone wrong. at D8 makes more sense of your overall formation. The upper left is more important for territory than the lower left.

Looks like you traded away the upper side, losing some, and then slipped up in the endgame. Fighting not so bad.

[Knotwilg]

50 & 59: connecting strong groups and enclosing a live group, while giving a ponnuki to the opponent

62: start of a successful invasion

80 no need to be greedy when ahead

by 95 Black has caught up again

131: start of the endgame; there are still opportunities here

[Knotwilg]

Key point in the game: 107

Otherwise small comments, mostly well played

[hl782]

2 games. 2 narrow squeaky wins. I really shoulda lost the game vs the 1k.


vs 2k


vs 1k

[hl782]

In the mean time, I'm just picking up some problems again.

I'm currently re-solving GGPB vol. 4 (particularly the latter 200 L&D problems).

I plan on redoing 1001 L&D Problems (only the 5 move problems) and get strong at tesuji again. Maybe after that, intermediate l&d by maeda nobuaki. Who knows?

[Charles Matthews]

2 games. 2 narrow squeaky wins. I really shoulda lost the game vs the 1k.

You certainly didn't win the second game on strategy. is criticised. It should extend out at O8. At this point you need to build up in the upper right by attacking the white group. Instead you push it into your framework.

[hl782]

my best game vs a 1k to date





and charles - i agree. I still need a better sense of direction to attack, build, etc.

[Knotwilg]

Well, that was bizarre ...

[Bill Spight]

That a 1 kyu could make a play like is a great tribute to the rest of his game.

[Uberdude]

Do you know that throw in doesn't kill if he plays correctly? So assuming a strong opponent it is a bad move as it wastes a ko threat, but can become good if you think your opponent has a chance to answer incorrectly.

[hl782]

Yeah i knew he had to extend upwards to live but i just gave it a shot and it worked out rather well

[hl782]

Wow - yesterday I game back from a baseball game, after a few beers - played a few games, got tilted and lost 5 in a row.... AWFUL! New rule - never play drunk games and never play on tilt. I really need to be harsher on myself.

New Goals - 1kyu by the time I go back to school (End of August), Hopefully 1 dan by the end of the first semester of school (End of December), and 2 dan by the end of Spring semester (End of may)


On a brighter side, the tilted games i played against 2kyus arent bad at all.. which gives me a nice reassurance that I am really comfortable at this level now.

[hl782]

two pretty tough losses against 1kyus. (These were sober games)

4.5 point loss - i think if i had a better endgame i could have won?


Slightly larger loss - even though i had all 4 corners



Any detailed reviews would be appreciated. i dunno why but it seems like all the fighting always goes on in MY areas.

[Charles Matthews]

Slightly larger loss - even though i had all 4 corners



Any detailed reviews would be appreciated. i dunno why but it seems like all the fighting always goes on in MY areas.

Actually the lower right in this game is a "well-known" ko. I do remember a 1 kyu opponent looking at it in disbelief. Exercise.

Generally, you are getting into a stratum of slightly sharper opponents.

looks like urgent point versus big point. If you consider the C6 and R6 stones, these make the big points on the left and right sides less valuable. So do yourself a favour and cover the N5 weakness right now.

- side versus centre. Are you more concerned with the White weakness at P13, or the invasion at R9? On balance I think I'd play Q15 rather than capturing, assuming the game will be won in the centre.

- White did well, in sente.

By W114, I think you're losing.

[Knotwilg]

The game against Albert03 was lost in the opening and middle game. In the endgame White mainly managed his win.

The major focus is SHAPE:

At 23 & 25 you play two bad empty triangles.

At 73 you manage a weak group by an aggressive kosumi, rather than fixing your shape and escape.

Full review: