My game on KGS, I would appreciate youe opinion

[breizhoo]

Hi,
Here is a game I played on KGS, I am Black on this one. Unfortunately my opponent run far far away (you coward ).

I'm looking for some advices regarding my play.

[Calvin Clark]

So basically the game is still in progress? I would prefer to wait for a result to be fair to your opponent.

[breizhoo]

No the game isn't in progress unfortunately... My opponent decided to run away without a word...

[Calvin Clark]

It seems you have at least 4 choices:

• Resign. That way we have a result.
• Find your opponent and finish the game.
• Wait until KGS credits it as a win. I am not sure how that works or even if it works.
• Provide another game.

I just don't think it is ethical to provide comments on games that could be resumed. Others may disagree but that's their choice.

[jeromie]

I don't mind commenting on the portions of the game that are completed. Actually resuming a game on KGS after someone escapes without comment is super rare, anyway.

Q17, while a tempting move because it makes territory, is generally considered too small in this situation. You can also look at alternative moves for

I can't definitely say this is a bad move, but it doesn't seem to work very well with the move at E4. It looks to me like you're inviting white to split you up into two weak groups.

Denying white a base here looks like a good move to me.

At this point, I like black's position on the bottom much more than white's.

Since the ladder works for white after , I think you need to go ahead and cut at G5 here. It's a messy fight, but once white gets a strong living shape, your E4 stones aren't doing much work for you.

Oops. Even at , keeping your stones connected is more important than saving the two stones. Just play D6 and then connect and do your best to recover from your mistake. Things are difficult for black from this point, though.

You recovered nicely after this point, and I think you have learned one of the most important lessons at your level: an early mistake doesn't mean the game is over, because your opponent is likely to make mistakes that are just as big (or bigger!) later in the game. You appear to be comfortably ahead when your opponent quit, though there are still opportunities for more mistakes to happen!

[breizhoo]

(...)

Since the ladder works for white after , I think you need to go ahead and cut at G5 here. It's a messy fight, but once white gets a strong living shape, your E4 stones aren't doing much work for you.

Oops. Even at , keeping your stones connected is more important than saving the two stones. Just play D6 and then connect and do your best to recover from your mistake. Things are difficult for black from this point, though.

(...)

Thank you for your comment

Can you be more precise on the ladder? I don't think I see it here.

I fully agreee with you. But instead of you seem to say I should have kept my stones connected. But how? Playing D6 doesn't work, right?

[jeromie]

After 36, if you cut at G5 then when white connects at G4 to save the stones, your cutting stone will be caught in a ladder (if Black H5, White plays J5).

If you play 41 at D6, then when white captures the two stones you can connect your two big groups with D5. Giving up the two stones is better than losing the four at the bottom, which is very likely if they get cut off. Those two stones are only helpful if they keep the white group weak.