Life In 19x19

I lose > 50% of games against stronger players. I win > 50% of games against weaker players. I think stylistically I'm playing so close to the edge that games favor the stronger player (that is, I'm leaving lots of weaknesses in my position in exchange for leaving weaknesses in my opponent's position.) (I'm open to other ideas, of course ).

In this game specifically, I felt like I was either playing too passively in parts, or not coming back to positions to defend them at the appropriate time. And it felt like my opponent was overplaying in places to capitalize on my weaknesses (which is a fine thing to do in a handicap game, after all), but apparently he didn't think so.

Anyway, this is the full game. Comments please


This is the position we were arguing about. I couldn't find a good refutation in game (I did read out what I actually did play, for the record), but I would be surprised indeed if this were kosher, just because I've never seen the super long jump as an answer to any endgame problems I've seen. But my opponent swore up and down that it wasn't an overplay, so I dunno. I did end up with sente (which I admittedly squandered), so maybe that was refutation enough?[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . X . X O O O . . . 1 . . . . X . X . |
$$ | . . . X X X O . . . . X . . . X X O . |
$$ | X X X X O O O . . X . X O X . X O O . |
$$ | O X O O . . . . . , . O X O . X O . . |
$$ | O O . . . . . O . X X X X O O O X O . |
$$ | . . O O . . . O X . . O O O O X X O . |
$$ | . X O X O . . . . . . . O . O X X O . |
$$ | . X O X O . . O O O . O . O X X O . . |
$$ | . . X X X O O X X X O . O X . O . . . |
$$ | . . X , X X X . . , X O O X . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X X X O X X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X O O X . O X . . . . |
$$ | X . X . . . . . X O . X O O O O . O . |
$$ | O X . X . . . . X O O O . X . . O . O |
$$ | O X X X X X X . X X O . O X . X X O . |
$$ | O O O X O O X . . X O . X . X X O X O |
$$ | O X X X O . O X X O O O O X . X O X . |
$$ | O O O X O . O O O . . X O X . . . X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . O O X X . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Is it really that long? Sure, it's a fair way from his own stones, but in relation to your stones, it only intrudes underneath by one.

Because of White's g19 stone, he can safely jump that far as long as you do not have a stone on j17, in which case you can play j19.

Not an overplay - you can play a "long monkey jump" from a two space high wall in most positions.

EDIT: you passed on move 96? The SGF (or Eidogo) seems broken.

ethanb wrote:EDIT: you passed on move 96? The SGF (or Eidogo) seems broken.

hmm, looks like the code for that move is , which the forum software interprets as the go tag for diagrams. Explains some other weirdness I had when I was trying to post it.

For the record, it was G5.

If anyone wants to quote my original post and figure out how to fix it for future reference, I'd be greatful.

Wow, white's pass in the end gives you 7 points, nice. A little xmas present, I guess.

Btw. You should have really played that ko-fight in the center. Don't be afraid of ko, especially not in such a situation, where everything is lost without the Ko anyway.