First post - KGS game 13k - 14k with some analysis

[Konijntje]

Hi all,

I'll do a proper introduction later. Trying to get back into the game after long pause. No idea what my ranking ever was though. I do have some Go books that I like to read, but family/job leaves me little time for serious games.

I've tried to give some of my thoughts during the game in the SGF. All comments and advise are very welcome! Thanks in advance, this forum looks great.

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=1830

[emeraldemon]

for future reference, it's better to post a game that you lost.

Your go lesson for today: ignore first-line moves in the opening!

11: I like K4 in this position, c3 or d2 ok also

17: don't block here, it's way to slow. capturing 2 stones isn't that big. Play around L4 to solidify the shape.

29: I think the double-hane is ok. White can play G13-H14-E13 and try to pressure the two stones on the left, but black can fight ok I think.

37: Yes, there's no point in protecting there.

49: again, these 1st line moves are too early. Play Q10. It's ok to tennuki!

59: same story

61: I'd stretch out to H11

65 & 67: I think the 1-space jump is ok, but you need to extend to L8. You're building huge influence towards the right. At some point you still probably want Q10 though.

105: Q7 is fine.

[Konijntje]

Thanks for the comments and the lesson emeraldemon! I appreciate your point about posting lost games, and no doubt there will be plenty of those, but I don't get to play many games, so I'm planning to review pretty much all of them, and they're going to be riddled with mistakes anyway whether they are won or lost!

[mitsun]

There is a Go proverb "vital points before big points" which would have helped you a few times in this game. Also, be very careful before playing moves which leave cutting points in your own shape. This could have hurt you many times in this game, if W had been a bit stronger. Specifically:

Move 19) should defend the lower left as you suggest. You have already invested four stones here; protecting that investment by keeping these stones strong is more important than making a big move somewhere else. W cannot cut at G3 right now (ladder), but W could certainly mess up your shape by peeping at H3. Or W could play around L3 and make a comfortable life on the bottom, with room to extend on either side.

Move 33) is an overplay. You are leaving too many weaknesses in your own shape. Suppose W responds by cutting at G13 and capturing either stone? Your external wall would crumble.

Moves 41) and 43) and 47) are excellent, very nice shape, very important moves for the center fight. Keep playing strong moves like this!

But moves 45) and 49) are bad overplays, creating defects in your own shape for no good reason. In both cases, simply extending -- leaving no cutting points -- would be great. At move 50, what would happen if W cut at L17 (threatening atari at J15)?

Move 54) threatened to cut through your jump to L12. You must defend against this, either by connecting directly at M13 or perhaps by playing something indirect like M11. If you do not defend, your weak cutting points should again get you into trouble. For example W L13, B M13, W J15, B J16, W L17, B K16, W M12 (threatening M14), so W gets to capture the L12 stone.

Moves 65) and 67) exposed the same cutting weakness again. At move 70, W could cut at M9 and destroy the B wall.

[Konijntje]

Thank you for the comments mitsun!

This could have hurt you many times in this game, if W had been a bit stronger.

This was exactly the feeling I had during the game, but it was just a feeling, and I also couldn't prove it in variations afterwards as clearly as you did in your post. I'm still very much in the "let's try this move and see what happens" stage, but I will certainly put strong shape and awareness of cutting points on top of my priority list for the coming games.