Life In 19x19

I'm having issues getting the file to work in the forum's SGF reader so I have just attached it.

I felt lost for most of this game and going over it afterwards raised these questions.

11. I feel I played the opening reasonably well but how does one deal an invasion of the style white has carried out here?

17. Rather than attacking here where he's strong should I build territory with K16-17? In this position white is already looking dominant and I think I need to stake out more of the board.

19. I should connect at C13? WC13 looks like it pretty much kills C12 and consolidates whites superiority in that area.

20. Is this better for white than C13? If so why?

25. This is something I do a lot; choosing the area grabbing move over the more solid move and I think it leaves behind a lot of weakness. Though in this particular case I'm not sure it's the wrong move.

29. Is this jump safe it looks like I can connect if he jumps in but does the fact that he is already peeping at the lions mouth that the connection would make, make this a dangerous move. Would F15 result in the same connection with less risk?

35. This seems wrong. G14 looks much stonger it separates white more effectively and it connects black better.

43.Does the "If 3 jump 4" rule apply when you are jumping away from the centre and toward enemy encampments?

51.This is a common move I make and I think it is often an error. I make these cuts with little idea how to follow through and in this case is comes back to bite me on move 61 when I find myself in one of several ladder problems from this game.

From here on in it would be quicker to list the moves I'm sure are good. My stones are unconnected and weak with dead stones littering whites extensive territory. I would love some advice on how to deal with the invasion at on move 134 better I think C3 deals with it but I'd love to know if there are any rules regarding this sort of thing.

General comments on areas I should be looking to work on and/or methods for improving my game are welcome as well as game specific commentary.

SinK wrote:I'm having issues getting the file to work in the forum's SGF reader so I have just attached it.

I felt lost for most of this game and going over it afterwards raised these questions.

11. I feel I played the opening reasonably well but how does one deal an invasion of the style white has carried out here?

You don't, it's not really an invasion, he's just stopping you from getting the side. The contact play at was bad, but otherwise the side looks very normal.

SinK wrote:17. Rather than attacking here where he's strong should I build territory with K16-17? In this position white is already looking dominant and I think I need to stake out more of the board.

I'm not sure how much of an attack it would have been if he'd simply push through and cut, but yeah, I would extend to the top area. Even if you killed the b13 stone, so what? It's only a point or two, and the top is huge and undeveloped. Don't underestimate the value of cutting at D8. He should never leave a hane like that, either you seriously damage the left or the whole D7 -> J5 area looks like it could become Black points.

SinK wrote:19. I should connect at C13? WC13 looks like it pretty much kills C12 and consolidates whites superiority in that area.

20. Is this better for white than C13? If so why?

19. Nope. It's too small, it's a single stone - leave it

20. No, C13 is better, but it's too small for the same reason. You want lots of territory, not to capture single stones.

SinK wrote:25. This is something I do a lot; choosing the area grabbing move over the more solid move and I think it leaves behind a lot of weakness. Though in this particular case I'm not sure it's the wrong move.

Actually, here this is not so bad, though it's a slightly funny shape. It helps keep White separated so it can't be that bad. I'd prefer H17 though I think.

You also didn't mention 27, which is an important bad move. You must block at K17, which makes his shoulder hit a bad move and is just big generally for you. If he plays it he is mostly settled and threatening to make a lot of points on the top.

SinK wrote:29. Is this jump safe it looks like I can connect if he jumps in but does the fact that he is already peeping at the lions mouth that the connection would make, make this a dangerous move. Would F15 result in the same connection with less risk?

Yes, it does definitely have cutting risks. To be honest, even if you connect that thickness isn't doing much for you, if White follows with M16 you've been really ripped off at the top. I'd much prefer the block at 27, but having got here, I'd play M16 as Black and aim to keep White as low as possible. Hopefully you won't have to connect if your group gets strong enough this way.

SinK wrote:35. This seems wrong. G14 looks much stonger it separates white more effectively and it connects black better.

Very complicated. It's more solid, but White's playing dangerously and cutting is powerful if he can't easily kill you (which he can't after you connect with H15 as you did. I think what you did is fine, it stops you being pushed around, but it does create an important fight.

SinK wrote:43.Does the "If 3 jump 4" rule apply when you are jumping away from the centre and toward enemy encampments?

The rule is really for edges, but the direction here is wrong, you must carry on this fight because you have a good advantage in it. Cutting at J11 is very reasonable, you must carry on this fight. G14 is also ok, but don't let his overplayed stones get away so easily.

SinK wrote:51.This is a common move I make and I think it is often an error. I make these cuts with little idea how to follow through and in this case is comes back to bite me on move 61 when I find myself in one of several ladder problems from this game.

Nope, in this case, it's fine, though I'd extend twice instead of bending around White's stone. You do have a capturing race going on, but White has problems of his own and I think stopping you from making two eyes will be difficult for him. You are now also hoping for G14 and the cut at J11.

Ask yourself, are his stones in the middle alive with two eyes yet? If not, cutting is often sensible.

SinK wrote:From here on in it would be quicker to list the moves I'm sure are good. My stones are unconnected and weak with dead stones littering whites extensive territory. I would love some advice on how to deal with the invasion at on move 134 better I think C3 deals with it but I'd love to know if there are any rules regarding this sort of thing.

General comments on areas I should be looking to work on and/or methods for improving my game are welcome as well as game specific commentary.

If you want to handle 134, you shouldn't have opened as you did in the corner. The shimari at the 5-4 and 3-5 is not a normal corner shimari, and doesn't have its security. It's an unusual way to play, and I'd want an extra stone down there. His stone may be dead outright anyway, but it'll be a messy fight

11. This move is bad. Don't attach when the white stones are weaker than the nearby black stones, which is true in this case.

17. This is another bad attachment. O3 or K16 look good.

19. Good to switch elsewhere. Connecting at C31 is very small.

20. Seems to help black a little.

25. I think black should cut at D11, starting a bigger attack on two separated white groups.

27. Must block at K17

29. doesn't doo much. The white group is no longer in danger since white was able to play L18. That is why black should have blocked at K17.

35. I would just connect G14, but your move is possible, an aggressive fighting move.

43. Should be at L11

51. A complicated fighting move that is hard to see the final result of. Seems ok to me, if you want to play a fighting style.

59, 61, 63, 65: are just bad because of the ladder. Each stone added increases the loss. But at least you realized it and stopped - that's a sign of good thinking.

An invasion is a move into an area that the opponent could reasonably make his own territory. This is more like a wedge--it goes into a large area where the opponent has just sketched out a framework. A wedge typically has an easy time living and settling. (See: http://senseis.xmp.net/?SplittingMove).

This is just terminology, but perhaps you'll find it a helpful way to think. The issue is that with an invasion, you often want to attack. With a wedge, things start out more peacefully. You may end up attacking, but it usually requires preparation.

See this thread for detailed instructions on how to embed SGF files.

Thank you for all the comments. It is incredibly generous of players of your ranks to give up your time to look over such an amateur game.

Fwiffo thanks for the link. I did actually use that guide to try and post it but when I previewed it the SGF reader gave me an "Invalid File" message. Looking at the example code in Harlequins message I think there were an extra 3 or four digits at the end of the URL when I did it so I may have pasted it into a line with some text on it already. I'll make sure to get it right next time now that I know it was my own technical illiteracy not a computer glitch.

SinK wrote:Thank you for all the comments. It is incredibly generous of players of your ranks to give up your time to look over such an amateur game.

No problem SinK. Our pleasure.

I would say if you only take one lesson from this game, let it be: play 27 at K17.