Fedya wrote:
So I've still been trying to play more aggressively, and the good news it that it's led to a string of victories against KGS 6k players that finally got me bumped back up to 5k for the first time in a good two years. (Whenever I put up a challenge, I was only getting responses from players equal to me or lower, so I didn't get to play many stronger players recently.) The mixed news is that I seem to be winning more because I'm doing a better job of spotting my opponents' mistakes than they've been of spotting mine -- in fact, I've been spotting some of my own serious mistakes during the game and hoping that my opponents miss them.
Sounds like you've turned a corner and are enjoying the game more. That's the most important part after all. Attitude and certain aspects of the game itself seem like a step forward, and the fact that you're winning by exploiting your opponents' mistakes is not a problem, rather it's a good sign.
I'll be going over a few things that jumped out at me, with my assistant Zero.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ +------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . O . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . .
$$ | . b . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . a . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . .[/go]
I don't like this kind of high approach. It does not threaten enough, and if White answers calmly it ends up just floating there without a clear followup. I sometimes like side invasions at C12, approaching a high stone with a knight's move. LZ wants to play B, which is also standard. But there's unfinished business in the lower left which is more important:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O O O 2 . . .
$$ | . 3 X X X O 1 . .
$$ | . . . . . X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ +------------------[/go]
A standard followup sequence in this joseki, strengthening Black and undercutting the left side.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ | . . X O .
$$ | . O O X .
$$ | . O X X .
$$ | . . . . .
$$ | . . 1 . .
$$ | . . . O .
$$ | . . . . .[/go]
Good! This is one of the moves I liked while looking at the game - it looks like pretty good technique to me, making miai of blocking on the second line or damaging the fourth-line stone.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . a . .
$$ | . . O O O X . .
$$ | . . X X X O O .
$$ | . . . . . X 1 .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ +----------------[/go]
Not too much point going into concrete variations, but perhaps this move (instead of A in the game) is worth mentioning. It strengthens you and makes it kind of difficult for White to deal with the cutting stone.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc19
$$ | . O X X . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . X X . . . . .
$$ | O X O O . . . .
$$ | . O X 1 . . . .
$$ | . O . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]
Pushing up here weakens your upper stones by encouraging White to pull out his two stones. Consider just leaving the situation - the black stone you played is a cutting stone which may still inconvenience White later.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . O 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . a . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$-----------------+[/go]
I was going to criticize this, but if you give it some time, LZ thinks this is indeed best (locally). My idea would have been to extend along the lower side, maybe at A. The idea is that White is already pincered, and maybe Black can find a way to put some pressure on the three stones at the bottom in order to discard his few scattered stones there on a small scale.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . a . . . |
$$ . . . . O X . . |
$$ . . . . O X . . |
$$ . . . O X . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$-----------------+[/go]
Since you asked: this is a move that's too passive. This is the avalanche joseki, and you already have a supporting stone further up the side. A hane at the head of two, at A, shows more spirit.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . a . . . |
$$ . . . . O X . . |
$$ . . . . O X . . |
$$ . . . O X 1 . . |
$$ . . . O X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$-----------------+[/go]
Ask yourself: what threat am I defending against? White could reduce your corner a little, but if you play at A instead (hane at the head of two!) you give his stones some problems, and expand on the right side.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ | . O X X . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X X X X . 2 . . . . . .
$$ | O X . . . X 1 . . . . . .
$$ | . O X X X O . O . . . . .
$$ | X O X O O O O . . . X . .
$$ | . X O X X O . X . . . . .
$$ | . . O . . O . . . X X . .
$$ | . O O . . X . X . O O O .[/go]
White's move is a large mistake, and so is Black's response. The black stones on the left are rock-solid 100% alive, so: don't play near strong stones. White's move threatens nothing, and Black's response is unnecessary. Black could have added a stone to the center group instead, which is still weak, and getting further weakened by these exchanges. LZ thinks the point A in the following diagram is the key point for both sides:
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[go]$$Wc19
$$ . X . X . O O O . .
$$ O X . X . . . . . .
$$ X O O . X X a . . .
$$ . X O . O O . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . . . .
$$--------------------[/go]
If White gets it, it forms a secure territory at the bottom. If Black gets it, some of White's groups might have to live independently.
At move 128 you say you felt like you had to stop White from taking the top. LZ thinks you can do whatever you want (but it still likes A from the previous diagram). If you just protect your top right corner, that makes three decent-size corners, plus a fair chunk of territory on the left. I think what you did was quite decent, up to a point.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$----------------
$$ . X . . . . . .
$$ O X O O X X O .
$$ . X . X X O O O
$$ . . . . . X . O
$$ O . X 1 X a . O
$$ . . X O X . . O
$$ O . . . O . . O[/go]
Just this, instead of A - and it seems clear there's one eye at the top and one in the center.