8k trying to improve

[ParadoxGo]

I was told that I can post here for some analysis of my games and advice on what I need to improve! I'm black in the first game and white in the second.

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3496

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3495

[emeraldemon]

A few comments on game 1. I'm only 2k-3k so take is with a grain of salt. Also a note on time: You averaged 7.3 seconds per move. Not as bad as some games on the forum, but It might help you to play a bit more slowly. You would most likely have won if not for that misread/misclick at the end.

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3497&sid=7e012ba8a2242260b8fdd3e9b30a2996

[DJLLAP]

It seems to me that your biggest problem (besides a few obvious misreads) is being inconsistent. You will make a move and then abandon it to try a different strategy. For example, move 9 in the first game indicates that you want the corner, but when your opponent blocks, instead of taking the corner, you decide to give it away and try and make the F3 stone strong. If that stone was important to you, the 3-3 invasion is a bad choice in the first place. Better to jump to F5 or e5 at 9. Before you make your move, you should at least imagine what the most obvious responses will be and how that will affect your plan, so you don't end up throwing away moves like that.

[ParadoxGo]

To the inconsistency point: I agree with that 100%. I've noticed myself changing my goals a lot throughout the game when I see something that I think I should do. I'll start thinking about what my opponent will do and what I'll end up with.

As to the misreading: I think I do that a lot too. I think my opponent will respond in a different way. What's the best way to gauge how my opponent will respond?

[DJLLAP]

As to the misreading: I think I do that a lot too. I think my opponent will respond in a different way. What's the best way to gauge how my opponent will respond?

I guess that depends on what the source of the misread is. If you have considered many variations but failed no notice something (like a shortage of liberties) then I would say practicing with go problems would be the best way to improve. But for mistakes like 137 in the first game it just seems like you didn't read ahead at all. Probably the best thing you could do to fix these kind of mistakes is to slow down a bit, and take the time to explore what moves your opponent can make after the move you want to make. I find it hard to believe that you don't have the ability to read that 137 will kill your stones.

[ParadoxGo]

As to the misreading: I think I do that a lot too. I think my opponent will respond in a different way. What's the best way to gauge how my opponent will respond?

I guess that depends on what the source of the misread is. If you have considered many variations but failed no notice something (like a shortage of liberties) then I would say practicing with go problems would be the best way to improve. But for mistakes like 137 in the first game it just seems like you didn't read ahead at all. Probably the best thing you could do to fix these kind of mistakes is to slow down a bit, and take the time to explore what moves your opponent can make after the move you want to make. I find it hard to believe that you don't have the ability to read that 137 will kill your stones.

I'm looking at it again and I don't know why I played where I did. "Even a moron connects against a peep"
So that was probably just playing too quickly.