The January Tourney Thread.

[SinK]

Thanks

bye: Mnemonic

This probably means I get a default win in the first round, right?

I think it is standard in Swiss style tourney's to get 0.5pt for a bye. Same as a draw.

[Koroviev]

Hey, space for one more? My rank is 12k, sexiness around 5d.

[SinK]

Hey, space for one more? My rank is 12k, sexiness around 5d.

Sure. You and Mnemonic will play this round.

[Mnemonic]

In case anyone is interested: Me and Koroviev will be playing our first game tomorrow 6pm GMT EGR on KGS.

[Stefany93]

In case anyone is interested: Me and Koroviev will be playing our first game tomorrow 6pm GMT EGR on KGS.

And me and Mona will play at saturday 5 - 6 PM Bulgarian time.

Good luck to Mnemonic and Koroliev

[viprr]

And Sink and I will play at 11am UTC, Saturday
cheers,

[robinz]

And, to complete the fixture list, Rafa and I are going to play at 2pm GMT on Saturday.

[Mnemonic]

I won the first game between me and Koroviev.

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2011/1/6/dude13-Koroviev.sgf

[Koroviev]

Thanks for the game Mnemonic, I enjoyed it. Fuming about my L&D blunder at the top , but I think you had it won anyway. Bring on the rematch!

Any comments on the above game would be appreciated.

[Chew Terr]

Mnemonic and Koro: a few thoughts...

7: Not big on this one. It doesn't seem to do enough of anything. In a similar situation last night, I had O5 used against me, which is similar, but I like the shape more. Alternatively, options like attaching at R3 seem interesting.
20: Good timing on this move. The opening thus far has been fairly reasonable and sensible. Good job to both.
29: At a glance, I would like to be even more aggressive, and play D14. If you can break through above or below that attaching stone, you'll hurt white.
30: This seems to be trying to prevent black from getting the middle? Each player has lots of access to the middle, so it's unlikely that the middle will become a large territory anytime soon. Instead, let's look for areas that are big. Are there weak groups? The white group in the bottom left and the attached stones in the top left look dicey. K4 would help the bottom group, or D12 would take control in the top left. Either are fairly urgent.
32: Diagonal stones count as a contact play, and if you're going to try to attack with contact plays, you want to have a clear idea of what you're going to get out of it. I recommend being prudent and pulling back to a cap with G15 or a looser enclosure with H15.
35: Better to get out than to live small inside (especially if you're not sure you'll live). Keep pushing up with G15 until either you're out or your opponent draws a line in the sand.
36: Good. Sealing is always worthwhile.
45: Again, try to get out. L16 is a good place to start.
50: While this is by no means small, I think there's a bit better if you zoom out and look at the global position. The bottom left group is still weak, so helping that more directly would be nice. However, take a look at the top. Sure, black lived inside your turf. However, you got great local thickness. Now's a good time to throw your weight around to pressure local stones there. For example, D12 solidifies territory on the left and will also let you cut off some of black's stones in the area to start building a decent middle territory as well.
51: Good, for the reason that it's where W really wanted to play. Helps your stones, and the added strength helps nullify white's new thickness. Just in time.
55: I prefer B11. You'll get to capture C11 or B12, so your stones will be fine.
61: This shape is bad/weird. If you want to cut off J6, unless you've read out a full sequence with this move, just use J5.
65: Connecting at H5 is more urgent.
145: H19.

Good game overall! Thanks for sharing!

[SinK]

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2011/1/8/S1NK-viprr.sgf

1-0 to SinK

[SinK]

My thoughts on the game:

7: Wierd approach F16/17 is more usual. This isn't horrible but is gote.

9:A general rule is don't attach to weak stones attack them more indirectly in this case N/O17 encloses the corner while attacking OR J17 builds a base while attacking but does mean the natural response for white is a corner approach and a base builder.

18: See my Study journal thread for a fantastic explanation of 3-3 invasions with and without the approach stone by Chew, Marcus, Redundant and Judicata (link in signature, starts on page 2)

32: This is a shoulder hit you almost always respond by extending into the stone like so:

$$c Position at move x
$$ --------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 1 2 . . . .
$$ | . . . , W . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Position at move x
$$ --------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . 1 2 . . . .
$$ | . . . , W . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]

43: F18 is a better move to fight for the corner and G17 is better for giving up and building a basse on the outside your move creates a weak group and a dead group here for you.

54:This is an elephants jump. Never do it (it is horrible shape) and almost alway cut it when someone else does it.

$$c Position at move x
$$ --------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . B . . . . .
$$ | . . . , 2 . . . .
$$ | . . . . . 1 . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Position at move x
$$ --------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . B . . . . .
$$ | . . . , 2 . . . .
$$ | . . . . . 1 . . .[/go]

69: and again.

71: Just build a base you move does nothing to settle and little to escape. C5 builds a base and if it works the whites F6 group starts looking very attackable.

73:E9 or F8 to start connecting is better. You will need to sacrifice something here or risk losing it all you have weak groups everywhere and most move that save a group help white attack the other.

82: Look at what happened here perfectly natural moves here and pretty much the but result you could hope for from the invasion but you have practically forced white to attack the C8 + E7 stones, take away the base from from the G4 stones and reinforce his own F5 stones and he gets to do all this in sente.

94:Here is where the game ends to my mind this sequence is what I mean about saving the one group forces white to attack the other. The left side is cut off and in horrible shape to make eyes and white has a way into your massive framework moyo on the right.


Those are my thoughts on the game... obviously my rank of 11k should act as a caveat. Anything I say could be wrong... except the bit about elephant jumps that stuff is gospel.

[Aphelion]

G16 is fine, I see high dan players play it all the time . I don't know a single joseki for it, but it certainly looks good and completely playable.

[robinz]

Rafa won our first game - I had an advantage early on, but he played very well to take advantage of some poor play from myself Aphelion has just given us a very comprehensive review, but if others want to add any comments (try not to point and laugh too much about my obvious blunders, which became bigger as the game went on ) then feel free.

We have agreed to play our second game tomorrow night at 7pm GMT - and I promise I will try to be more awake when the time comes

[sgf-full]http://files.gokgs.com/games/2011/1/8/Camarao-robinz.sgf[/sgf-full]

[Rafa]

This game was awfully played by me,black should have won calmly. I hope next game will come out smoothly without any major errors like this was.