Even Game Review

judicata · Post by **judicata** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:23 pm

I would really appreciate some feedback on the game below. I've been improving a lot recently (and have had quite the winning run), but I haven't had many reviews from stronger players. I appreciate any comments or questions (even from "weaker" players). A few notes about the game below:

I'm black-I was 9k and my opponent was 6k. This was a tournament game, so there was no handi, AGA rules (which explains some of the strange endgame) with 7.5 komi. White won +6.5.

3 - Maybe I should've gone with a Chinese opening here, but I've been trying to do different things.
7 - Maybe approach at F3 instead?
9 - Again, F3 seems to work well with the bottom, but I didn't want white to take the left side. Wrong idea? It looks a little funny...
19 - Through 19, even if 9 was a bad move, I think it turned out okay for black. No?
31 - Something around J7 to push white around a bit?
43-50 - I thought I was being clever here, but maybe white got more out of this deal.
91-93 - Yeah, way to misread the ladder. :oops:

Website · Post by **Chew Terr** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:44 pm

3: This is my move 3 as black, in this situation.
9: I am a little torn about this one. For one thing, the top corner is low, so this side is not super-interesting. However, so is the bottom. In one sense, it blocks a double-wing of your opponent... but in another, it just makes the double-wing an ideal pincer. You lucked out and he didn't pincer immediately to gain this advantage, but because a pincer would also be a double-wing, I would probably just F3, or maybe even M17.
31: Should be high, 100%, if you're going to play this area. However, an alternative to this area is something like D12. That would let you push white low, THEN take J6 or J7, having walled off some of its support.
33: I still like somewhere around E11. Splitting white threatens to invade or cut off the running stones.
37. I like the other direction. White will have some trouble saving both the corner stones and the two on the outside.
63: Remember you were chasing some stones? Don't get distracted. Jump to K8 to cut them off, making your attack much more severe. You can always come back and cut here later.
165: Take the peep at H7. It's fairly scary to white, and all it costs you is a ko threat for later.
177: This move threatens nothing, and is part of a pair of miai.

There's more, but this is a start.

mitsun · Post by **mitsun** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:56 pm

Move 13) The left side is fairly well settled, so you could switch to the upper right. If W extends to H3, B can jump to K5 and be pleased with the exchange.

Moves 22-29) W misplayed badly here, letting the center stones get cut off with almost no compensation. B is connected and thick, so the W stones are nothing but a burden. If B capitalizes on this advantage, he should have a won game.

But looking ahead to move 44, W has connected his weak stones and even made a large moyo, while B has just secured unrelated territory. Taken in isolation, the B moves are not bad, but B has failed to take advantage of the situation, and it is no longer clear who will win.

Move 31) The high move at Q10 is better shape locally. But a better global strategy is to start attacking the weak center stones, with the added bonus of reducing the W moyo. G10 looks nice, maybe prepared first by attaching at D11. Even the simple F10 would be good.

Move 33) again fails to punish W for his weak group. D11 or E11 would be simple and effective. W should not be able to simultaneously defend his weak stones and consolidate the moyo.

Move 41) is an impressive tenuki. W realizes that fixing the weakness here and concentrating on the center moyo is worth a large sacrifice in the upper right. (Though W should at least atari first at P18, since B is sure to respond.) After move 44, W is back in the game.

Move 49) should atari at M15 first, as a matter of technique.
Move 51) is very small, too close to B thickness.
Move 67) should be at M11 to make territory, or better at K8 to attack.

Move 77) stakes the game on rescuing these stones, but living inside the W moyo seems unlikely. Count the score first and see if this is really necessary. B already has a lot of territory, there is aji around J8, and there is still a cut at O7.

Move 80) defends a cut which is already protected by a ladder. E12 is necessary.
Move 81) should be D11, giving up four stones to break into the W moyo effortlessly. Count the score and verify that this would be enough to win.

Post by **Joaz Banbeck** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:02 pm

7: Yes, F3 is theoretically just a tad better. As black, you are starting out down by komi. You have to push and bully white as much as possible in the opening.

23: A good strategy. He bungles the defense with 28, an instead of just a cut, you get a connection. By move 29, you are well ahead.

31: Your observation that the three stones should be attacked is good, but J7 is the wrong direction. It pushes the target toward his friends. It is better for you to push him toward your strength. You are strong on the bottom. That is why Mitsun's suggestion of G11 is better.
Even better than that, IMHO, is K14. It is a whole board move. It threatens to invade white's territory up top, it prevents him from expanding into a serious moyo, it prepares a large scale attack if he invades the right side, and it prepares a large scale attack on the three floating stones. ( Consider what the board looks like if white gets K14. )

33: Both of the previous commenters have noted E11. It is an obvious move, and it is huge. From 33 to 43 you are overfocussed. You are concentrating on the upper right corner at the expense of the rest of the board.
You get the small upper right corner, he gets a big corner with E11, and eases the pressure on the floating group in the center. Now he is back in the game.

44: A very pretty move by your opponent. Now you are behind.

43-50: Yes, he got more out of it. 50 is another nice move.

51: This is too close to your strength. If you want to play around there, N13 is bigger, and it threatens to reduce him.

52: Fortune smiles on you. He is ahead, and invades way too deeply. This is perhaps the move for a desperate man, but not for one who is ahead. You now have a chance to regain the lead.

53+55: Good!

57: Nooooooo! When fortune hands you a chance, you must seize it with both hands. Don't cower along the side. Force his running group toward your strength. Attack with M8.

59: Good. It may be a bit late, but you can still get something by attacking.

63: Have you counted recently? If you play K8 - and presumably kill - who is ahead?

Overall opinion:

1) You seem to get over-focussed on one area when there are bigger moves elsewhere. You focussed on the upper right corner white he tenukied to E11. You focussed on trying to make your center group live with move 81, when - as Mitsun pointed out - you get more if you sacrifice them and take the left side.
Step back now and then and look at the whole board.

2) If you are attacking, force him toward your strength. Think of hammer on anvil. Push him to the anvil and then kill him.

3) Count.

judicata · Post by **judicata** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:37 am

Thanks for the comments. Sometimes, it is hard for me to tell whether I am forcing an opponent toward my strength or into my territory, so I try to expand my territory by pushing them in the other direction. This is why I suggested J7 for 31. In this case, I can see I don't actually lose much if he manages to live around the center.

Not the first time I've been told to count

. I didn't count, but the upper left looks sooo big. But you all are right - I certainly don't need to cut.

Harleqin · Post by **Harleqin** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:19 am

must be D5. :w24:

is a blunder.

:w28:

must cut.

is completely meaningless. The white stones do not have any value. White should reduce the lower side, e.g. with L4, or probe first at Q2.

I would play :b31:

high, for better balance, but I think G10 would be better here. That could be either seen as extending your moyo (if White realizes that his stones are worthless) or attacking those stones (if he doesn't). At the same time, the white moyo is reduced.

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