I guess this is a good as place as any to start getting more involved in this forum! Today I just bring one game that I played at my local go club. By far, not one of my best games as I made some serious mistakes and misreads throughout the game. I have a commentary of my own and tried to keep it lighthearted, I think there's a good few lessons from this game that I can bring to my next one!



I still need to review this game with AI. I threw it into Ai Sensei to see what moves were mistakes and thankfully there weren't as many as in the past!

Besides this I've been lacking in studying, but I'm almost done with the The Basics of Attacking chapter in The Second Book of Go by Richard Bozulich. I can't tell how much it's improving my game, but the in the last few games I've had I feel like I've made more solid moves than I did a few months ago when I started playing. With some time off work for Thanksgiving I'll try and play some more games online, maybe some wins against players at a similar strength to me will boost my confidence.

Welcome!

Btw I'm not sure why this post went unanswered for three days

About the game. I think you are already getting into some problem when you let white double approach, it is good to always consider some simple and safe variation before anything else. This is especially true in handicap games and when 20 kyu. In the game you could simply extend from the corner, as shown in the diagram, it is worry free and can't be bad.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

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

Next the decision to let go of the stone that was in atari was something that weakened your shape instead of strengthening it. If you just connect then you will have many ways to surround some space in the corner, surrounding space is an easy way to make strong groups and it is quite big because it is territory too. You could have played as in the next diagram.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 3 . X 1 X O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . X O 2 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

or if white changes tack it is still OK to play safety first. Basically, once you have a weak group it is hard to go back and the game becomes more difficult and you can get pretty far in Go by avoiding having weak groups

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . 2 . X 1 X O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . 3 . X O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I try not to give many comments on the same game, it just confuses people. If you can learn to avoid what happened in the lower left that is actually quite the lesson

Thank you for the input! I find openings difficult because once the first few stones are on the board my mind feels almost blank of what to do next.



I see what you mean by double approach, not answering that appropriately seemed to be my downfall the lower left corner. I'm aware in your chart is a standard opening move, but its a response to white's approach rather than just a regular opening move like I did in my game with .



I remember thinking that sacrificing that stone in atari would be less painful than trying to protect it, my gut isn't always right when it comes to go! Even my opponent pointed it out when he captured it and we went over that play later. Interestingly, in his review later he suggested playing here:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X 1 X O . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . X W . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Doing so is a bit more conservative, but plays for central influence and gives up white's marked stone.

Recognizing and making good shape is something I need to work on, I've started making flashcards in Anki of common shapes (good and bad) and I'm hopeful that'll be useful.

Yes, white can play various moves. The diagram is only meant to show that black can surround a large area in the corner and doesn't need to find more advanced moves. Basically, you could still keep it quite simple and then try to solve whatever problem white tried to pose next.