rikuge wrote:I really need to get better at fighting, most of my games I win because of a "strong" opening". Does anyone have some tips for me?
I can offer reassurance. I also had a good opening at around your level. In time the rest of your game will catch up, as you gain experience. You can certainly make dan level.
In your latest game, by
you had a good lead. There was still a big play on the left side, but you eventually got that, too.
(BTW, you should have played around
earlier, to support your group in the top right corner.) You didn't do anything stupid, and eventually you won. Winning a "won" game is not always so easy, but to improve you should try for more than just not doing anything stupid.
was a good reducing play, which you parried well.
was good, preventing Black from making good shape and threatening to push and cut.
defended, but Black still has weaknesses.
was a solid play, good enough to win the game, but Q-05 would have been even better. (You played there later.
) And O-07 would have been even better, threatening the push and cut and forcing Black to make bad shape to prevent that. O-07 remained a good play well into the game.
would normally be a horrid play, threatening only to take two stones on the side. The thing is, you were so far ahead that Black had to save those stones. Playing a good opening lets you get away with bad plays later on. (Not that you should play a bad opening, OC.
)
pushes from behind. That is not a good way to attack. You didn't need a good attack, so you got away with that. Better attack: White O-07, threatening to push and cut. Black P-07 connecting with a bamboo joint. White O-10, getting ahead of Black. White's aim should be to contain Black's group to the bottom right quadrant, where it is outnumbered, and currently eyeless. Can Black live inside? Maybe so, but make him prove it. Since he is only a 7 kyu, probably not. And if he does live, you will have made outside strength, which will do two things. 1) Make territory in the top right. 2) Attack Black's running group in the bottom left. For instance, you may be able to play the attachment at H-08 at cut his 5 stones off. Maybe he can live with them, maybe not.
It goes without saying that if he does live inside, you should take sente to attack the other weak Black group.
was a good play, preventing Black from playing there and threatening to push and cut. It would have been even better to start with O-07.
Very important. The jump to K-09 separates and attacks both Black groups. Black will probably run out with the group on the right, and then you can attack the one on the left.
You do not need this attack to win the game, as you demonstrated, and there is some risk that you will make a mistake and lose it. But the practice you get in attacking will make up for the occasional lost game.
You play a very good opening, which means that in the middle game you are poised to go for the kill. In his
Killer of Go series, still in print, I think, Sakata advised kyu players to go for the kill. If you review your game with bots, they will probably not tell you to do so, because you will not have to to win the game. But if you want to improve, go for the kill. In this game you could have confined Black to the bottom right quadrant, where he probably would have died, and if not, you could then turn your attack to the weak group in the bottom left. As tennis instructor Vic Braden used to say,
Go for the early lunch.
With your good opening, become a killer of go and you will advance rapidly.
Good luck!
Edit: After thought. While bots may not recommend attacking in order to win, you can use them in review to suggest attacking plays.
Once you start attacking, they can point out overplays, as well.
, white is at 52%, down from 53.6% on an empty board), but it doesn't really matter.
is overextended. The rule of thumb is that from a wall of n stones (if n=1,2,3,4), make an n+1 space extension.