Hi Schachus, thanks for the review!
Schachus wrote:
Ok, so until

, white uses a zillion moves to surround a very small area, while your moves are all good, surrounding area on a larger scale. One could discuss about exact positioning, but its not that relevant at your current level.
Thanks. I was hoping I played this correctly by ignoring the lower-left corner and building frameworks elsewhere.
Schachus wrote:
27: hane as a response to attach is a good natural instint. The first 4 moves you should consider to an attach are the 2 hanes(p8 and p6, one of them you played) and the 2 extensions(q8,q6). I would call all of these 4 moves good
Thanks for the bit about the extensions being valid as well. I almost always hane when attached so that's good to keep in mind
Schachus wrote:
29: ok, basically you already good a hane at the head of 2 now, so thats nice. Also worthto consider q6, after that is is tough for him to break in(which means he needs to live inside, or its gonna be your territory). If he goes on pushing, I would e xtend at q6 next
Q6 is a good alternative, and one I hadn't considered
Schachus wrote:
31: not good. Instead of this, you could have captured his one cutting stone in a ladder. Do you see how?
I do now, yes. First stone is the atari at R8, he extends to Q9, I atari again at P9, and then the ladder extends to the right border where he's captured by my final stone at T12
Schachus wrote:
32: now he extended and its not so easy. His move also put up a threat!
Yep. Less than ideal to be sure
Schachus wrote:
33: NO!. You've got to save your stone at q7. It is an important stone, cause it cuts white in half and it's in danger of being captured in a ladder. Do you see how?
Yes, I do now, and it's basically the inverse of the ladder I should've used to capture his stones back on
Schachus wrote:
35: your opponent let you of the hook, now its looking shiny again

Good to know, thanks
Schachus wrote:
37: also good, with 36 your opponent made a known bad shape, an "empty triangle", ehile you take your points with 37, very good.
That was my thinking, to build my wall and secure the corner
Schachus wrote:
39:
you opponent was threatening to cut you at p5. This cut does have some threats against your 3 stones and your one stone. At your level it's probably hard to readexactly (also for me), but IMO you should definitely be defending it. Your move does help with that a bit, because if he cuts now you will atari him at n7. Try to read the following sequence, its an amportant pattern in the end:
white p5, black n7 white o5,black o4 again atari. Now if black were to take at n6, your move at n5 would capture. However he can extend at n5! Now your stone at o4 helps you in the fight after the cut, but not a lot.
This is all probably difficult for you to foresee, but there is an easier reasoning, why your move is bad. Lets assume, black cannot cut now. he can, however extend at n7. Then he will have pushed through a small gap(good for him), will have extended his liberties by 2(so gained one compared to the situation at 38), and you are again thretendend with the cut. If you now come back to play at p5, then you should just have defended there immediately(you can search for "1-2-3 principle"). Hence I would recommend just defending to you. Hane from outside at n7 would be even better but its a more difficult move. p5 is very simple reasoning: he wants to cut your diagonal connection with 38, you take the other point and stay connected!
Wow, that's a lot, none of which I foresaw in the slightest.

All I had in mind when playing at O6 was to capture those three stones in a net. It worked, but only because my opponent played to my advantage. Had he played

at N7 instead of P5 he would've been out and kept fighting. I do see the sequence you mention now, and even how I could've messed it up during the process by playing O4 before N5. If white gets to play O4 he ataris my stone at P3 forcing me to extend, he captures my stone at N6 and then we're getting really messy.

Schachus wrote:
41: good! now he cant cut anymore, because this o5 stone will take him an important liberty(which means 40 was bad by him!)
43: very good, he went on to cut anyway and you saw the atari.
As I mentioned, this was the outcome I was banking on and it worked out here, but I can see how easily it could've (would've?) gone wrong against a stronger opponent
Schachus wrote:
I would say, this was a good game from your side, though your opponent made it easy.
Thanks! This was only my second 19x19 game ever so that is appreciated, but I definitely agree that quite a bit went in my favor.
sleepy