Hi all, relatively novice player here. Just finished up Volume 3 of Janice Kim and Jeong Soo-hyun's series introductory series.

I played the black stones in this game. It was a very up and down game for me. Early in the game when I was able to take most of the sides I felt very confident in my win but there were also moments when fighting where I felt that I was about to lose by a large margin. While I felt that white made a few blunders, I feel I could do with suggestions on my fighting and reading skills. Another area I feel I can improve on would be on sente/gote type moves where I lose momentum fortifying a shape that would stand without it. Looking forward to all of your guidance.

The important thing about the fighting in this game is that a lot of it was unnecessary. At move 39, your group has two eyes. That makes it strong, and there is nothing worth fighting for in this area of the board anymore. You did well in some cases, for example playing away with . But there were also some completely unnecessary moves: , , - there was no threat from White to force these moves.

You overlooked some opportunities to play double ataris, for example could have been at M10 - but since your group is alive, you could also just strengthen one of your other positions, for example at O16, E16 or F3. If you want to use your strength, you need to attack something valuable, not just a single stone, and the move would be the cut at L5, followed by K5.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc19 Double atari
$$ . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . O .
$$ . . . . O X .
$$ . . 1 O X X .
$$ . . O X O X X
$$ . O X X . X .[/go]

You could have ignored , it attacks an unimportant stone.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc19 Avoid this kind of shape
$$ . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . X . .
$$ . . . 1 . . . .
$$ . . . O a . . .
$$ . . . O X X . .
$$ . . O X X . X .
$$ . . O O X . X .[/go]

The pattern in the previous diagram showed up a few times. This sort of move is usually not a good idea. It gives White momentum to wriggle through the gaps in your stones, like at a. In this position, Black should once again have played away, since the right side is already super strong. F4 instead would have been a good move.

It just continues like this from here - attacks a single unimportant stone. This is normal in beginner games, but you should be able to do a lot better if you can stop playing such unnecessary moves. At we have the above pattern again, squeezing White through your gaps.
Just in case that at there had been something worth fighting for, the following would be a better way to attack:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc19 Separate your opponent's stones!
$$ . . . . X O X
$$ . . . . X O O
$$ . . . O X O X
$$ . . 1 X . X O
$$ . . . O X X .
$$ . . . O O X X[/go]

If you put the URL of your sgf file (either uploaded here or hosted elsewhere like OGS or KGS) inside sgf tags you get an inline player that makes it easier for potential reviewers. Quote my post to see how.

Welcome to L19.

Both you and your opponent are playing way too many contact moves. He did even more of it than you, which is probably why you won.

You will become stronger if you continue to play even fewer contact moves. The easiest way to get territory is to play where your opponent has no stones.

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Help make L19 more organized. Make an index: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5207

But look at the good side. Moves in the range of 30-50, you are making big moves scattered all over the board while your opponent is playing concentrated in a single area. Not a matter of whether your spread out moves wee specifically on the best points, but they were in the right areas.

BOTH of you do not seem to grasp ladders and play them out when the outcome should be known. Instead you should treat lost ladders as threats. Either ko threats, or early in the game, making a big move snete because it is a ladder breaker. Similarly if it is a won ladder for you, think of it from your opponents point of view and try to forestall. For example, if you have a choice of two big moves, one smaller than the other but a ladder breaker, realize that because a sente move for your opponent it's reverse if you choose that one.