Review request, please and thank you!

[sleepyEDB]

Hello,

Another game review request, if I may. The chat gets a little weird at 217 because white paused the game unexpectedly and I wasn't sure how to proceed. I also chatted with them for a while after the game and found out they were a 19-20k at one point but haven't played in a while, for whatever that's worth.



Thanks,


sleepy

[BlindGroup]

Interesting game. Going forward, I think one thing to consider as a focus is keeping your groups connected and thinking about how they could work together.

Here are a few specific comments:
Probably easiest to jump up to Q14.
This is an example of where you need to be sure your stones are connected. O15 would have kept your stones connected and his separated.
The two stones that are now cut-off are not worth saving solely for points, but doing so puts pressure on whites stones in the upper right. I'd suggest O15 followed by N15.
I think L4 is stronger. The shape created by is called the "Elephant's Eye". The key weakness is L4, which cuts the white stones and keeps yours connected. Also, while this board is a bit more complicated because of the K5 stone, but generally you don't want to approach a corner by jumping in between two white stones like you did with your . You're effectively pincering yourself and giving white an extra move. I'd have approached at C6 or C14.

[sleepyEDB]

Hi BlindGroup, thanks for the review!

Interesting game. Going forward, I think one thing to consider as a focus is keeping your groups connected and thinking about how they could work together.

Thanks for that tip, I will definitely keep it in mind. I probably should've stated in the original post that this was my third ever 19x19 game so I'm sure there was a lot that was unexpected during the review.

Probably easiest to jump up to Q14.

Interesting. That makes so much sense now, though I hadn't even considered it during the game. Thanks!

This is an example of where you need to be sure your stones are connected. O15 would have kept your stones connected and his separated.

Huh. Another move I never would've considered

The two stones that are now cut-off are not worth saving solely for points, but doing so puts pressure on whites stones in the upper right. I'd suggest O15 followed by N15.

That's assuming he takes the two black stones at N17 and O17 with correct?

I think L4 is stronger. The shape created by is called the "Elephant's Eye". The key weakness is L4, which cuts the white stones and keeps yours connected. Also, while this board is a bit more complicated because of the K5 stone, but generally you don't want to approach a corner by jumping in between two white stones like you did with your . You're effectively pincering yourself and giving white an extra move. I'd have approached at C6 or C14.

Great stuff, thanks! I will definitely research the Elephant's Eye and pincering.


sleepy

[Joaz Banbeck]

9: Your hoshi stone is afflicted with a double high approach. You could get locked in the corner.
The theoretically ideal play - if O17 were not there - would be to split him with P15.

Your play is generally in the right direction, but lacks tactical punch.

Since O17 is there, P16 may be best. It keeps your stones connected, makes territory, and prepares attacks on both of his. He can play P15 himself, but now you can cut him apart if he does.

13: You have contact moves in three different locations. The first player to make a hane in such a situaion gets a big advantage. N16 is probably best, although R14 or P14 or R11 are strong too.
See https://senseis.xmp.net/?WrapAroundTheContactPlay

19: I agree with BlindGroup on this: O15 is the standard tesuji in such a position, and when used here it connects all of your stones by ensuring the death of his.
See https://senseis.xmp.net/?BellyAttachment

And if you must tenuki from the upper right, plays like R4 or F3 or C14 or C10 look better.

23: Step back a bit, look at the whole board. You have all of your stones on one half of the board.
Unless they are participants in a major fight, this is no good for you.

27: Split him with L4. This is elementary go strategy.

31: Good! You extended from a crosscut.

39: H6 would be a hane at the head of two stones. It is a crushing move. But D6 is not bad.

43: Try to connect your stones with F6. ( Remember, go is sometimes referred to as 'The Surrounding Game" )

55: Were they going someplace? You already trapped them. You are ahead in liberties. You do not have to follow up here.
Better is Q4 or Q5. ( Q4 is tolerable because you have Q7 )

57: Good! You are playing a hane against a contact move.
( The other hane might be better, but that is a minor quibble at this level )

59: The lower right is not settled. One move there could be the difference between life and death.
I'll grant you that it is a good extension from your left side strength, but the lower right is still urgent.

61: This is the right area. Q5 would be better.

======= I'll stop here =======

Some general advice:

1) You could become a lot stronger if you adopt the fundamental idea of connect your groups and separate his. This is a really basic idea in go.

2) On a one-on-one contact move, try to be the first one to hane.

3) You are tenukiing a lot - which is a good policy for you. Too many players of your strength get stuck in the habit of following the other player around.
But you can get the greatest profit from this if you put a bit more thought into what is going to happen when you do tenuki. Is the position stable? Or can one more move by either side tip the scales dramatically?
Try to fine tune your tenuki judgement.

[sleepyEDB]

Hi Joaz Banbeck, thanks for the review!

9: Your hoshi stone is afflicted with a double high approach. You could get locked in the corner.
The theoretically ideal play - if O17 were not there - would be to split him with P15.

I hadn't heard of the double high approach. I will keep in mind to prevent it in the future

Your play is generally in the right direction, but lacks tactical punch.

Thanks, and I am not surprised

Since O17 is there, P16 may be best. It keeps your stones connected, makes territory, and prepares attacks on both of his. He can play P15 himself, but now you can cut him apart if he does.

Interesting. I like this much better

13: You have contact moves in three different locations. The first player to make a hane in such a situaion gets a big advantage. N16 is probably best, although R14 or P14 or R11 are strong too.
See https://senseis.xmp.net/?WrapAroundTheContactPlay

I hadn't even thought to follow up my own attachments with a hane later on

19: I agree with BlindGroup on this: O15 is the standard tesuji in such a position, and when used here it connects all of your stones by ensuring the death of his.
See https://senseis.xmp.net/?BellyAttachment

I will do that. I feel like I should just crawl into Sensei's Library and not come out for a long while.

And if you must tenuki from the upper right, plays like R4 or F3 or C14 or C10 look better.

I like those variations

23: Step back a bit, look at the whole board. You have all of your stones on one half of the board.
Unless they are participants in a major fight, this is no good for you.

Agreed, and with at K3 I began following him around for a bit so it seems like I waited just a bit too long to get my stones onto the other side

27: Split him with L4. This is elementary go strategy.

I'm trying to look for the large moves and think globally, but I'm not yet a good judge of which groups can be left alone for a move and which can't

31: Good! You extended from a crosscut.

Thanks!

39: H6 would be a hane at the head of two stones. It is a crushing move. But D6 is not bad.

Yes, I definitely missed that one, and with it some of that 'tactical punch' you mentioned earlier

43: Try to connect your stones with F6. ( Remember, go is sometimes referred to as 'The Surrounding Game" )

Will do

55: Were they going someplace? You already trapped them. You are ahead in liberties. You do not have to follow up here.
Better is Q4 or Q5. ( Q4 is tolerable because you have Q7 )

Ha, no they were not. I must admit that the beginner's bloodthirst clouded my judgement here.

57: Good! You are playing a hane against a contact move.
( The other hane might be better, but that is a minor quibble at this level )

My thinking with haneing on this side was to split his stones and force him into my stones above

59: The lower right is not settled. One move there could be the difference between life and death.
I'll grant you that it is a good extension from your left side strength, but the lower right is still urgent.

Clearly I need to work on when to look for large global moves vs. finish playing locally

61: This is the right area. Q5 would be better.

Duly noted

1) You could become a lot stronger if you adopt the fundamental idea of connect your groups and separate his. This is a really basic idea in go.

Thank you. I will spend some quality time with this strategy

2) On a one-on-one contact move, try to be the first one to hane.

Also duly noted

3) You are tenukiing a lot - which is a good policy for you. Too many players of your strength get stuck in the habit of following the other player around.
But you can get the greatest profit from this if you put a bit more thought into what is going to happen when you do tenuki. Is the position stable? Or can one more move by either side tip the scales dramatically?
Try to fine tune your tenuki judgement.

Yes, definitely. If nothing else your review has illustrated that I'm going too far out on the tenuki limb too often, and a stronger opponent is going to make me pay for it

Thanks again,


sleepy