Life In 19x19

Hey everyone. I've been meaning to post a game and request a review for 10-15 ranks now, but every game I've played I could spot plenty wrong without any external advice.

I can see plenty wrong with this game as well, but I'm trying to push for shodan and some fresh insight would be very helpful. I thought it was close through the middle game, but as soon as things were settled I was further back than I realized. (I play black in this game).

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Well, my first reaction is that you play a lot better than that against me.

DrStraw wrote:Well, my first reaction is that you play a lot better than that against me.

You say that, but I lost pretty spectacularly last time and have spent a lot of time crawling along the second line this game

Some games the stones seem to flow logically, and some games everything just collapses.

No comments on the fighting, but a few comments on middle-game technique:

is a strange move, making the previous stone at L16 look misplaced. There is a middle-game joseki (N16-O16-M18-M17-L17-N18-K18), which B can use to help fix his shape in sente, at the cost of also strengthening the W group. Here that seems like a reasonably strategy, since the B stones along the top are weak.

After the joseki in the lower left corner, the W invasion at C8 starts another common middle-game joseki. It is time in your Go career to study the continuations, starting with B7 (not B6). It is fairly large for B to defend earlier at E11 to prevent this invasion.

is a contact move, which typically ends up strengthening both sides. But here the lone W stone is weaker than the three nearby B stones, so the strategy seems dubious. I would prefer to simply run out at P13, leaving the position unsettled. A far more positive approach would be to pincer around R9, to start a running fight after both sides jump into the center. In the game sequence, B gives up quite a bit of territory, and it is not clear what compensation he gets.

:b101: and :b105: miss a middle-game tesuji, the sacrifice cut at R7. This cut is worth considering when it will make your opponent over-concentrated to capture the cutting stone. Try playing out some sequences to see if you agree that B can get a better result than in the game.

A few comments.

mitsun wrote:
is a strange move, making the previous stone at L16 look misplaced. There is a middle-game joseki (N16-O16-M18-M17-L17-N18-K18), which B can use to help fix his shape in sente, at the cost of also strengthening the W group. Here that seems like a reasonably strategy, since the B stones along the top are weak.

Or n16 o16 n18 instead of r17 to emphasise the top side rather than corner as you already have f17. That has the added bonus that pretty much every kyu and low dan even will make mistake in that rare joseki.

Thanks everybody, tons of very helpful feedback. Midgame joseki are clearly an important hole in my knowledge I'll work on filling now. As I expected, there were lots of opportunities I'd missed along the way to make the game more interesting.

I've got to say, too, that it's awesome how helpful this community is. Every review request is met by multiple people going through the kifu and finding very helpful things to point out. Does a heart good to see people being so generous with their time.

An extra comment from me:

The losing move at this (our) level IMO is 107. After all the leaning and giving territory to White at the right side, the attack on the central group should be something more vigorous than continuing the split. Striking at the vital point of F8 would harass the group more and maybe result in some benefit on the lower side.

Before that I agree with Bill's comments, especially the one at 61. We seem to suggest that your moves should be a little more severe.