Life In 19x19

I would be really grateful for a review on any/all of my 3 games below. I'd especially appreciate comments on where I could have made better/more efficient moves, or probing moves, instead of just my fighting errors(which I can mostly review for myself). Thank you!!

Game 1


Game 2


Game 3

siowy wrote:...instead of just my fighting errors(which I can mostly review for myself).

How do you know ?

I hope you're correct, that you can mostly review your fighting mistakes
for yourself -- that would be great. I'm curious what's your evidence for
saying so ? For example, if multiple pros have told you so, that they think
you can mostly review your fighting mistakes by yourself, that's brilliant!

To help answer that question, you're welcome to see posts 51 to 59 of
this discussion --

How do you know you have acquired "enough" Go-dots
in your fighting areas ? How do you know whether your
Go-dots in areas relating to fights -- basic shapes,
basic tesujis, basic contact fights, etc. -- how do you know
whether you are doing OK with the Go-dots or you are
deficient in them ? Even greatly lacking in them ?

What I meant was probably: Instead of pointing out where I made mistakes in the biggest fights that cost me a lot of points. I do go over the game to see where I think I made really bad mistakes and see how what was the better move, or what I think was the source of the problem. But then again, I suppose it would be hard for a reviewer to know what I think I know, assuming what I think I know is correct in the first place

For the first game:

is a response that white seems enamoured of, but it leaves a lot of aji. Playing normally in response is good, as you'll be able to take advantage later.

is too early. Your response is good.

is sort of a trick move. It's really an opportunity to keep white pressed down to the second line, especially since it was played so early. You can just respond with the kosumi to keep white low and relatively eyeless. It's a pretty standard situation, so you can find it someplace like josekipedia if you want to look it up.

:w20 hurts, but connecting also hurt when white breaks black's shape.

: black has a lot of cutting points, so for the stones black played to mean anything, black should probably fix this and take gote. White's result still isn't all that spectacular if black doesn't have aji laying around.

Black's local position is in tatters now, but it's probably better to save the other two stones, as they are supporting F3 somewhat.

Black's previous move says "I will make a base for F3." But this move says, "I want the corner. You take F3 and that stone I just added to it." Better not to play the previous knight's move, or to attach at D4 to try to make eyespace.

to This is a poor exchange that just helps white. Why not just play F6 and be done with it, since that's all black gets out of it? Then again, why play F6 instead of saving the aji for later. Maybe you'll want to run with those stones, if you get more outside strength.

I'm not sure this sequence is good, even taking gote, because it creates white strength peeping into the left side that black's been working on building up.

Starting around white kind of threw the game away with a series of passive responses and an ill-considered fight.

Some comments on game 3.

I do not like the exchanges for and for . It seems a shame to give W so much secure territory, eliminating the aji of a corner invasion. Your one B stone was not particularly weak, so just leaving this area alone would be fine. If you really feel the need to defend, I would prefer a simple jump to E10, leaving the corner aji intact.

seems overly agressive to me. It is undeniably a fine attacking point, but after W cuts the fight will be difficult for both sides. You could instead attach at Q6, leaning on the stronger group. That way B remains uncut and strong, so the fight is one-sided.

Another option is to defer the attack until later, and just play a really big move around P12 or P11 to defend and expand the B moyo. This area is actually quite urgent. Imagine instead that W gets to peep at P13, then play something like O15. The B thickness could end up completely wasted. Moves which preserve the efficiency of other stones already on the board are really big.

does not work if W spots the capturing tesuji at S4. That means that was an overplay. Simply defending the cut is no good, as the ladder starting with P7 works for W. B could continue the fight by playing O6 first in sente. W probably has to play M6 (N6 would be a fatal blunder), then B can defend the cut. This would lead to a complicated fight.

Even after B captured the corner ( was the final mistake), the result was not really good. If W invested a final move around M6, his center thickness would be good compensation for the B corner territory.

is a serious attack. I think it would be prudent for B to give way a little and answer safely at O16. is dangerous and unnecessary. Once the B cutting point is secure, this is always sente, and there is no danger of W playing first in this area. B has a nice move around N14 which defends the cut and attacks W below. This move is even possible after cuts, offering W a trade.

Out of time for now ... but the rest is complicated fighting.

siowy wrote: Game 2

Black's fighting is not brilliant here, but the players seems quite well matched: and it does help to have a cunning plan.

Could think of playing tenuki here: White has been very tight in taking territory so far.

At D13 now could be interesting. really should have been on the fourth line.

No, this makes it too easy for White to settle.

This choice of joseki is poor in the overall picture, though.

:W36: should be at S18. Up to isn't joseki at all.

Timing is off.

Good - White is heavy. Since White has also omitted a key play at O4, Black can aim at N4 to make a serious framework.

At K11 is "attack with the knight's move". Since you don't have to kill White, aim for pace.

etc. are premature.

is good, but the cap one to the left can also be played (White J11, Black K9). Sente to play at N4 is key.

But you can't make much territory here!

Very much gote.

W100: Ouch.

B141 begins a fightback. Black seems to need 30 points in the lower right area? B149 is no doubt already thinking about killing the corner.

W194: Oh, just make two eyes! W200: Try something else. Black did win. Go is a great game, at several levels.