Say no to small moves

Ian Butler · #1

Playing kgs again, I think I won this game mostly because I refused to play small moves in the early game.
Later on, I had a nice center build, which my opponent tried to invade, but couln't live in.

Some comments already in the file. Hoping for some additional insights or blindspots in my thinking, maybe some good pointers on what I need to work on more.

Overall I feel I played okay. Kept my eye on the bigger points, didn't cling to stones, tried to keep things simple. But I also think I played too passively at times (playing it too safe), I also believe I was too loose with a certain cutting point at one time. And probably played a bit too weak after I got a lead on the board, feeling secure I'd win.
Let me know if you agree with my observations and have others to contribute. Thank you!

Ps I'm spoonsy

Tryss · #2

lack ambition. Your 4 stones are connected to the top group (E11/C12 are miai), so you can attack the black two stones, for example, with the F9 peep. If black connect, the kosumi at G8 start to build a nice center while putting more pressure to the black group.

Ian Butler · #3

Tryss wrote:

:w94: lack ambition. Your 4 stones are connected to the top group (E11/C12 are miai), so you can attack the black two stones, for example, with the F9 peep. If black connect, the kosumi at G8 start to build a nice center while putting more pressure to the black group.

Very true. Thanks for your observation. I guess it was a habit-move, not considering my connection. Though it was also "dual-purpose" to deny black a base on that side and pick up some easy points. But it was far from optimal and I could've come down harder on my opponent for sure, you're right.

jlt · #4

When Black plays the small move

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ --------------------+ $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . a . . O . . O B . | $$ , . . . . . O . X . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . X . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I think it is usually a good idea to extend at a. Probably not in your game at move 10 since one corner was still unoccupied, but later, since if :black:

pincers at M17 then :white:

lacks eyespace (Black at Q18 is dangerous).

Ian Butler · #5

jlt wrote:

When Black plays the small move

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ --------------------+ $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . a . . O . . O B . | $$ , . . . . . O . X . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . X . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I think it is usually a good idea to extend at a. Probably not in your game at move 10 since one corner was still unoccupied, but later, since if :black:

pincers at M17 then :white:

lacks eyespace (Black at Q18 is dangerous).

Interesting. If it were not that early, my defensive move would be at S18 (especially if black should play M17 himself later on). But, yes, perhaps L17 is better. It's rather low, though.

jlt · #6

This may cause trouble (I mean, generally speaking, not necessarily in your game).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ ------------------+ $$ . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . 1 . O . | $$ . X . O . . O X . | $$ . . . . . O . X . | $$ . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . X . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Uberdude · #7

Ian Butler wrote:

jlt wrote:

When Black plays the small move

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ --------------------+ $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . a . . O . . O B . | $$ , . . . . . O . X . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . X . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . | $$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I think it is usually a good idea to extend at a. Probably not in your game at move 10 since one corner was still unoccupied, but later, since if :black:

pincers at M17 then :white:

lacks eyespace (Black at Q18 is dangerous).

Interesting. If it were not that early, my defensive move would be at S18 (especially if black should play M17 himself later on). But, yes, perhaps L17 is better. It's rather low, though.

s18 is lower :lol:

Also, s17 for s18 is a good exchange for black: s17 is a big endgame move which maybe white should get, maybe black should get, but if you answer then black got it for free. There are also eyespace implications which is why extending to l17 makes sense to keep the group strong and stop black attacking it at m17, If black does play m17 and you didn't answer s17 then coming out into the centre with a move like q14 (best if black already defended at r11 in which case you don't mind making a strong group stronger, if he didn't extend then you may prefer to keep attacking options), o14 (fancy shape I like, aims at q14 and l16), m16 or even humdrum o15 are generally better first ideas than s18. These moves can also make s18 better in future as they affect a ladder that can arise if after s18, black peep q18, white resists at p18.

ez4u · #8

You need to answer Black's 17. Indeed Black should have ignored your 18 and jumped down in the top left. That would have split your stones and turned his "small" previous play into a big, urgent move.

Joaz Banbeck · #9

I agree with your title. Unfortunately, :w64:

is a small move.

Position at move 64

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ Position at move 64 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . | $$ | . . X X . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . O . . X . . . . . . . O . O O X . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . W . . . . . O X X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X O X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . O . O O . X . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . X X O . O O X . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . X O X O O . O X X . . | $$ | . . . . . O . X . . X X X O . O O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O X O . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This shows a bit more ambition.

Position at move 64

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c Position at move 64 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . | $$ | . a X X . . . . . . . . . . . @ X . . | $$ | . . O . . X . W . . . . . @ . @ O X . | $$ | . . . O . b . . . , . . . . . @ X X . | $$ | . . . . . . . b . . . . . . . @ X . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . @ X . . | $$ | . . . . b . . . . . . . . . . @ @ X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X @ X . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . . | $$ | . . O , . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . O . O O . X . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . X X O . O O X . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . X O X O O . O X X . . | $$ | . . . . . O . X . . X X X O . O O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O X O . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

You have a strong wall. A play at H17 is sente, threatening to play 'a'. He probably has to take it himself. Then you have a handful of nice continuations, some of which I have marked 'b'.

Ian Butler · **#10**

@ez4u: very interesting, thanks. The approach on the left bottom would've indeed isolated my stone and given me 2 weak groups to work with!

@Joaz: I kind of figured when I played it. Funny thing is, I originally wanted to play your move, but backed off a bit because I was worried what'd happen if he jumped in it.
I know, unforgivable and not an excuse. Fear has no place on a Go board. Next time, I'll be more ambitious

@jlt: Yeah. If black had M17 in place and would play S17, I'd rather jump out then hane, I think.

@Uberdude: it is lower, that's why I tenuki'd

I see your point, though. L17 seems like a small-ish move but it prevents from it ever becoming an urgent area/group/move if my opponent plays there. I guess that makes up for it being "small".

Say no to small moves

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