Lost on move 53

[Phelan]

I felt completely outplayed on this one.
I was Black.
I think it was move 53 that lost the game, since letting him live big made me too fragile. Is this true, or were other plays worse?

[daniel_the_smith]

Yeah, 53 is pretty bad.

It isn't even necessary to kill the group, locally white can only get one eye. Sensei's library somewhere lists the term "pommern" as meaning "to kill a dead group". I think that's what you did here...

[ZeroKun]

Usually I don't reply to these threads, but you should have done a geta to save those stones, if white played your move or around it, T9 removes the eye, you also have Q12.

[judicata]

I'm around your strength, so this is just FWIW:


11 - Maybe the wrong side, but I don't think it is a game-changer since you have stones at R9 and Q16 (anyone disagree?), and white gets a bit larger corner if you block at Q3. Just IMO.

That said, in your variation I don't think white's block at Q6 is good because black can push and cut. White normally plays at S6 instead I think. Maybe this is different with the two-space pincer.

[EdLee]

A few ideas.

[gaius]

There's an interesting tsumego in the top right corner, that might interest other players also. The question: black to kill unconditionally

$$c Real-game tsumego
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . . |
$$ O X X O . . |
$$ . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . O . |
$$ . . X X O . |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Real-game tsumego
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . . |
$$ O X X O . . |
$$ . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . O . |
$$ . . X X O . |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |[/go]

The answer:

It's an elegant throw-in:

$$Bc The Kill, part 1
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . 5 |
$$ O X X O 6 . |
$$ . . X 2 1 4 |
$$ . . . 3 O . |
$$ . . X X O . |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc The Kill, part 1
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . 5 |
$$ O X X O 6 . |
$$ . . X 2 1 4 |
$$ . . . 3 O . |
$$ . . X X O . |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |[/go]

$$Bc The Kill, part 2
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . X |
$$ O X X O O b |
$$ . . X O . O |
$$ . . . X O a |
$$ . . X X O 7 |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc The Kill, part 2
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . X |
$$ O X X O O b |
$$ . . X O . O |
$$ . . . X O a |
$$ . . X X O 7 |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |[/go]

... making 'a' and 'b' miai.

If white gives the other atari, the same sequence is basically the same:

$$Bc Variation
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . 5 |
$$ O X X O 4 . |
$$ . . X 2 1 6 |
$$ . . . 3 O . |
$$ . . X X O 7 |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Variation
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . 5 |
$$ O X X O 4 . |
$$ . . X 2 1 6 |
$$ . . . 3 O . |
$$ . . X X O 7 |
$$ . . . X X X |
$$ . . . . . . |[/go]

This position is derived from a very common joseki that results from a 3-3 invasion. In the position below, 'a' is sente; otherwise you can initiate the kill with the cut at 'b' and the resulting squeeze shown above. It's a nice way to test your opponents tsumego

$$c Joseki
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . . |
$$ X . X O . . |
$$ . . X O b . |
$$ . . . X O . |
$$ . . . X O . |
$$ . . . X X a |
$$ . . . . . . |

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c Joseki
$$ ------------
$$ . . . . . . |
$$ . X O O . . |
$$ X . X O . . |
$$ . . X O b . |
$$ . . . X O . |
$$ . . . X O . |
$$ . . . X X a |
$$ . . . . . . |[/go]

My estimated level would be about 4k-2d, so no worries that you missed it. The tsumego is just too nice to resist posting though

[Phelan]

Thank you all!

I missed a lot of things in this one. :S