Another game (19kyu)

[Ian Butler]

After having so many people reviewing my last game, I couldn't help but to try and put their good advice in action. My focus points for this game were:
- what is the best move? Not just locally but globally.
- Keep my groups strong
- Don't play too slow, don't attach attach attach
- Think, read out some sequences.

There were other things at play but these were my main points to work on during this game.

I feel like the first three went fairly well. The last one, sort of. I read out some sequences, but again not enough. I think that's mostly because it's an online game and I can't seem to focus enough to read on a computer screen, while I do it more automatically on a real board.

I was black. Any criticism appreciated. I really learn a lot from it!

[Bill Spight]

Two questions.

Can kill?

Can live?

[Joaz Banbeck]

12: This move does not cooperate well with your other stones.
Look at your upper right group. Consider its future expansion.
West: No room, white just played O15.
East: No room, edge of board.
South: Not much room with white's recent Q10.
North: Not much room there also, and maybe less if white plays the natural move at R19

It is only the 12th move, and fully half of your stones have a dismal future.

Consider this:
12: P17
13: P18
14: O16
15: N17
16: O10

I won't claim that sequence is best, but it does show how you can make your stones work together.

I suggest adding "make stones cooperate" to your list of goals.

[Ian Butler]

Two questions.

Can kill?

Can live?

Maybe S15 would've been better for ?
kills with S15, too?

12: This move does not cooperate well with your other stones.
Look at your upper right group. Consider its future expansion.
West: No room, white just played O15.
East: No room, edge of board.
South: Not much room with white's recent Q10.
North: Not much room there also, and maybe less if white plays the natural move at R19

It is only the 12th move, and fully half of your stones have a dismal future.

Consider this:
12: P17
13: P18
14: O16
15: N17
16: O10

I won't claim that sequence is best, but it does show how you can make your stones work together.

I suggest adding "make stones cooperate" to your list of goals.

Your variation is quite interesting. It does bring all my stones together. Then again, at M17 was because my opponent didn't make a base there and I wanted to punish him for it. Was that not good, then? Or does R18 simply make a base for my opponent?

I think "making stones cooperate" should definitely be on my list, but it's not something I've read/heard much about yet and it may be a bit above my level, at 18kyu. Or do you think it could be learned at this level?

[Joaz Banbeck]

...Do you mean move 11? Move 12 is my opponent's move...

Ooops, yes. (I took the liberty of changing it in the above posts.)

... at M17 was because my opponent didn't make a base there and I wanted to punish him for it. Was that not good, then? Or does R18 simply make a base for my opponent?

The pincer works better if your R14 stone is at Q14. ( Another example of making the stones work together ).

[Schachus]

I disagree with Joaz, for two reasons:

1. I would have played 11 as you did and probably just extended to j17 with 13 and have been very happy. You reasoning seems good: he didnt make a base and you should punish him, you get points in the corner and a solid group up top, while he just has floating stones-good!
Also you can look at it that way: Had you been pincering with 9 at 11, which is joseki, then taking the corner is pretty much the only move for him in the joseki, while tenuki for 10 would be punished by taking the 3-3, denying his base and leading to the same position as in the game.
In comparison, I like Joaz suggestion much less: here black helps white to fix the baseless group that white shuld have fixed on his own, getting a wall that will be pointing in a weird direction, after white settles on the right(yes he will maybe struggle, but not too much I think)

2. This really isnt that important at your level and takes away your focus from the basics. I suggest you think about Bills questions instead.

[Uberdude]

I agree with Schachus, m17 is fine, and Joaz's p17 is worse (attaches to a weak group that you could attack; and ignoring that strategic consideration, in local technique p17 for p18 is a bad exchange and better to o16 directly). o10 cap seems rather speculative to me: you might just encourage white to live with 15 points on the right side and get less in return, but if you do really want to cap then do so directly and only play the p17/o16 bad exchanges if white runs towards the top and they become necessary to separate.

The first move that stands out as needing a comment for an 18k is 15, should extend at f16 as key local shape point, white ought to defend at d14 and then you can play j16 (or maybe a more adventurous move like m15). Ian put in a pincer for white 14, seems also possible: Schachus recommended just simple j17 extend instead of f17 approach, both ok to me, f17 obviously offers white more choice for complications, but I don't think black needs to be afraid of such fighting with o17 weak.