Life In 19x19

This was me and three others on KGS, ranging from 3D to 5K. The general opinion was that W misplayed the upper left and B misplayed the lower left. I'd particularly like to hear comments on moves 7, 52/54, and 82. The fight from about moves 100 to 200 probably has lots of room for improvement too. Thanks.

I do not claim to be an authority on opening theory, but I do not like the 7-8 exchange before W move 9. This just invites B to split and attack. More consistent I think would be to continue to ignore the O17 stone for now. Maybe look for an opportunity to play around K16, making O16 a good follow-up.

W definitely went wrong in the upper right corner starting at move 21. Move 27 was a loss of a full move. Sometime before this, the attachment at M18 looks like the way for W to settle this group. After killing the entire corner and linking all his groups at move 44, B has a won game.

The moves around 52-54 look a bit awkward for B, but I don't see anything better. The result up to move 60 seems reasonable. Up to move 76, W is perhaps a little better than B locally, but B has safely preserved the win.

Move 82 is interesting and I like the idea, but B should really just wrap up the game by settling his weak group in the upper left. The only chance W has to stage an upset is to capture this group.

THanks, Mitsun.

mitsun wrote:...
The moves around 52-54 look a bit awkward for B, but I don't see anything better. The result up to move 60 seems reasonable. Up to move 76, W is perhaps a little better than B locally, but B has safely preserved the win...

Not only did it feel awkward, but thru 76 is forced. W gets the lower left corner in sente and the ponuki extending his lower right corner;B gets an overconcentrated position on the bottom. I still am thinking that B got outplayed somehow.