September DDK Swiss

[nnk]

ahem.. excuse me . so is it all over? or is it just sink being a bit busy for the moment? i'm completely clueless when it comes to this type of tournament, and how it goes/ends

[Monadology]

I think there should be a fourth round at least, since it was supposed to go through the month of September (at one round a week, that makes four).

[SinK]

Sorry. I have been sorting out my return to university and moving into my new digs so have been busy.

There is a fourth round and I will sort it out and post an update and pairings tomorrow.

[SinK]

iambadatgo and kukula get a draw and a warning like kiethlard if they miss their game again this round they are out.

threeve (15k) - 3.0
noodley (15k) - 2.5
nnk (18k) - 2.0
Stephany93 (12k)- 1.5
SinK (16k) - 1.5
iambadatgo (18k)- 1.5
kukula (22k) - 1.5
Maere (16k) - 1.0
Rafa (16k) - 1.0
Monadology (18k)- 1.0
psk31 (26k) - 0.0

This is quite a hard format to pair up fairly but here's my best effort. For the sake of tension perhaps the bottom 3 games could play in the next few days before the top 2 games are played. This would keep the tension since any of threeve, noodley or nnk could still win this thing.

threeve vs. noodley
nnk vs. Stephany
SinK vs. iambadatgo
Maere vs. Monadology
Rafa vs. psk31

kukula (bye) - NB. the bye earns same points as if he played and drew.

[nnk]

unless i misunderstand this, only one of the stars of the first board can win this now, as a draw in a non handicap game is impossible (except maybe triple ko) (?). not that it actually matters, i personally had a lot of fun, and am looking forward to playing stef who is rather strong from what i could tell.

cheers, have fun

[psk31]

Rafa and I will be playing our match tomorrow (Sat. Oct. 2nd) at 14:00 GMT.

[noodley]

Threeve and I played our games today and we each won one game.

noodley (W) - threeve (B) B+Resign

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2010/10/3/noodley-threeve.sgf

threeve (W) - noodley (B) B+Resign

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2010/10/3/threeve-noodley.sgf

Edit: Silly typo.

[Stefany93]

nnk and I have finished our games. I won both of them. But he played very bravely.

Here they are:

The first one -

[sgf-full]http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=450[/sgf-full]


The second one -

[sgf-full]http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=452[/sgf-full]

[Chew Terr]

Noodley vs. Threeve, game 1:
7: Not sure about this, but I'd rather leave it for now. Later, you can push white one way or the other, depending on if one becomes higher-priority. Instead, I'd prefer to approach the bottom left, as you do soon.
11: For the sake of balance in stones, this should probably be either high, or closer.
17: This should just be a simple pillar to D14. With the pillar, the top left corner is open to invasion, but with this, white solidifies the corner. You get a little more solidity, but not enough to be worth losing that aji.
20: Very big point. Pressures black a bit, as well as taking points. The only other place worth considering is R3.
22: Not sure if it's better or if I'm just greedy, but I'd have a hard time not taking B10 and connecting. It starts a fight, and you could potentially lose a lot, but it undercuts black's weak group in addition to threatening to take more points.
26: Since black's group is safe and the center is unlikely to become massive quantities of points for either player, I'd invade the bottom right 3-3.
48: Not bad (especially since you then invade the corner), but you risk your opponent shutting you off with Q3. Instead, I would either invade the corner directly, or perhaps try to reduce with K5.
58: Q2 is both better for your eyespace and hugely sente.
61: Good. It's painful to give white more below, but if the ladder fails, you have to do what you have to do.
64: Should be at Q2. Then, black cannot prevent you from saving O3, gouging out what used to be prospective territory.
71: While it's nice being sure, I would call those white stones dead and tenuki. Perhaps cap white at P10 and follow up with something like tengen. While plenty reducable, it's a scary moyo to behold.
75: While I like the idea of blocking white from the middle (and preventing white from making a little territory there, even), white's already there in a few places. I'd prefer to go to your highest potential area with N8 or M8. While you can't really expect to get all of it, it's seventh-line potential territory.
99: Not sente. You've been doing fairly good endgame prior to this, so keep the train rolling. Perhaps a massive point like K8.
104: Small. Black doesn't really have that good of a threat to follow up with. Better to nab K8, which is massive.
113: An odd choice. 15 is more normal.

Anyways, have to run to lunch, but this should give you some stuff to look at.

[Chew Terr]

nnk and Stefany, for your first game:
8: You seem to like taking these side star points (you also took two in your other game). While it can be useful, it prioritizes the center an awful lot. Taking this point here leaves your opponent R12 in sente, because it threatens to undercut this star point. Prioritizing the center in with the star point would be okay if it were important enough to offer your opponent that move, but in this game, I think it is not. I would prefer to play this move on the third line to emphasize territory and solid groups.
11: One usual rule of thumb for invading corners is to do it after the corner has extended in both directions, which is what your opponent just did. R3 at this move would be huge. Instead you play this shoulder-hit, and then tenuki from the response. One thing you could consider, is to run with that idea. If you use this shoulder-hit THEN invade the corner, white will be over-condensed on the bottom.
15: This is an elephant jump from K17, and leaves a weak spot in between. There are times when this is okay, but this does not seem to be one of them. J15 or K15 are safer, and still make territory/framework while threatening a followup invasion at F17.
16: When you see that elephant jump space, the first move you should consider is playing in the middle and separating the two stones. Even if H17 was split off from the top left corner in the ensuing fight, you would have the advantage in the fight, and likely get good recompense. Instead, you made the same elephant jump, with the same weakness. If you want to play a defensive move, F16 is safe and has better relation with your other stones.
17: Good. This is what happens to unwarranted elephant jumps.
18: I prefer G17. Less likely to get cut off, plus it gives you more stability with which to fight, if you end up doing so.
19: This is big and worth points, but not urgent. You were fighting, don't stop unless you're no longer in danger. While it is alive, G16 reduces white and threatens to cut off H17. As a result, it's worth connecting to it.
20: Big, but the fight is still more urgent.
32: This is inefficient. It forms an empty triangle, so it only increases your liberties by one, and it has no effect on black's liberties. To help this group, C13 is better. It increases your liberties, but reduces black's by 1. Black would have to run, and running would be harder.
33: I don't know if I could resist cutting at F14 and fighting =D.
37: When someone pushes your stone, reinforcing them is often most important. Jumping away this far leaves it to fend for itself, which means it can be picked on.
41: Elephant jump. The knight's move at P14 is better.
55: Good!
92: At this point, you have a lot of cutting points in the top left, and need to stop to defend them. As dmf says in the commentary, if you don't defend, B can cut at B15 and get something for it. Defending at B15 would fix everything.
131: Good!

Sorry, I know I tend to nitpick on really minor details. You both played well, and it was an interesting game to watch. The biggest weakness I would say is this: you often jumped too far (like with elephant jumps) and let your stones get cut off. There are a set of normal moves described on the Sensei's page for haengma (http://senseis.xmp.net/?Haengma) that are meant to preserve connectivity. While some can be cut, they tend to be faster, and can only be cut conditionally. I know Janice Kim talks about these moves in her books, which I recommend, as they helped me a lot when I was a DDK (which I was, by the way, for a very long time). If it is important that a move not be cut off, consider moves like these. In the beginning of the game, it matters less if a stone is cut off, because it still has plenty of room to make a base, live on its own, or it can be sacrificed. However, if a stone serves a big purpose (like surrounding territory, cutting off weak opponent's stones, et cetera), try simple moves like these that help to provide connectivity. Sorry for rambling, but if you have any questions, let me know!

[nnk]

thank you, chew, for taking the time to "nitpick". much appreciated, and very helpful for sure

[threeve]

Noodley vs. Threeve, game 1:

...

Anyways, have to run to lunch, but this should give you some stuff to look at.

Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate it!

[Chew Terr]

Okay, if these are useful to people, I may as well keep doing them. =D And if anyone catches errors in these reviews, please speak up. =D

Noodley and Threeve, game two: Just a couple of thoughts, mostly for white.

Noodley, through move 7: I see SOMEONE like the same opening I do. =D
8: This 'kick' does not defend your corner. It can still be invaded. The 'kick' is meant to do one of two things: to pressure stones that don't have room to get a base, or to make existing stones overcondensed. You know how in a 9-stone handicap game, black has the middle star points? If you have a stone around there, the kick is fine, because white could not jump to get a base. However, since K4 is black, that condition is not true. As far as making black overcondensed, the kick forces black to play F4, which makes K4 into an ideal three-space extension from two stones. If K4 were one or two spaces closer, the kick might be worth it, to make black's stones too dense. Does this make sense? If not, let me know and I'll draw some diagrams.
14: Jumping out the first time threatens to enclose black's corner. Since black chose to defend the south (which makes some sense, given the black stones below) perhaps consider something around O16 to seal black in. That would help you build some strength towards your top left corner, creating some potential in between.
18: You have a lot of power on the top, because of that running fight. Consider a pincer to work with that strength. Your opponent is jumping into the heart of your turf, and you don't have to take it. =D
22: Splitting this group from the bottom doesn't buy you a lot. If you split the weak top groups, you can either reduce or attack before you run out or live.
26: The opponent's previous move threatened to cut off L13 from either the top stone or the right three. The three on the right are worth more, so save them with M13 or M14. (or N13, et cetera)
For black, from 75+: To make two eyes, white needs both T18 and T16. If white takes one, take the other. Don't worry about taking either now, since you have miai, but remember that those stones will die if you respond properly.
124: This stone is too late to capture the H6 group. However, if you play on the other side (G4 (or G5, if you're trying to be tricky with squeezes)) you can try to cut off and kill those 8 stones to the left.

[Monadology]

Just as a heads up, Maere hasn't responded to my PM about scheduling our matches yet and doesn't appear to have logged in since Sept 30th.

[SinK]

Just as a heads up, Maere hasn't responded to my PM about scheduling our matches yet and doesn't appear to have logged in since Sept 30th.

No problem I haven't heard from iambadatgo either. This whole thing seems to have fallen apart attendancewise.