Beginner need some advice.

[brize99]

I have playing go for around two month
This is my second 19x19 game with human in KGS.
(I played black)

my opponent gave me 4 stones handicap.

please help me improve my game.

Many thanks!

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2011/2/27/goCoder42-brize99.sgf

[Phelan]

14: This is a bad shape, play P17 instead.
70: Just connect at D2 instead of descending.
152: Black at K12 kills that group. See [sl=CranesNest]Crane's Nest[/sl].

The game hadn't ended when you passed, you needed to close off black and white's borders before passing.
Other than that, you're playing well for a 23k, and should improve rapidly just by playing more games.

[Magicwand]

my advice to you:
do not play game with someone who doesnt know how to play go.
you are stronger than he is (not by much) and he is giving you 4 stone.

[brize99]

14: This is a bad shape, play P17 instead.
70: Just connect at D2 instead of descending.
152: Black at K12 kills that group. See [sl=CranesNest]Crane's Nest[/sl].

The game hadn't ended when you passed, you needed to close off black and white's borders before passing.
Other than that, you're playing well for a 23k, and should improve rapidly just by playing more games.

Many Thanks for your time, "Phelan" and "Magicwand"

14 : I still not get it how it become a bad shape, I should be study more on this topic.
70 : hmm.. quite not understand the difference between connect and descending in this situation.
152: just saw it after you told me

[Phelan]

14: I can't quite explain why, but it looks bad shape. Just try to take my word for it, or maybe ask a stronger player.
70: If you descend, your opponent can descend as well, and force you to connect. If you just connect and he descends, you can play elsewhere.

[Dusk Eagle]

Well, I really want to review more for white, as he made far bigger mistakes than you did. But you both ended the game before it should have been over. For instance, playing K16 captures three white stones. Playing F3 captures two.

You also have not finished enclosing your territories yet. For instance, white clearly should have territory at N14, and you should have territory in the top-right corner. But neither of you finished enclosing your areas, which is what endgame is for. That is why you were confused about a "program bug" - there is none, the game just wasn't actually finished when you both passed, so there was no sensible way to count it.

For your next game, focus on finishing the entire game. Anywhere you can gain points in the end, take them. Anywhere your opponent can still possibly gain points, take away. You will learn a lot through that.

As an example, toward the end of the SGF file below, I play out some of the endgame in one section of the board, to demonstrate how many points are still at stake. The endgame is still not finished, just so you know.

http://lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=759

No offense Phelan, but I think what I am saying is far more fundamental and should be focused on first.

P.S. If you need more clarification, just ask.

[EdLee]

14: This is a bad shape, play P17 instead.

14 : I still not get it how it become a bad shape, I should be study more on this topic.

B move 14 (P16) is OK; it is not bad at all. B P17 is too submissive. Better is B N16 hane on the W O16 stone.

[Phelan]

None taken, I should probably only have commented on low level stuff. I just wanted to review something.

[brize99]

Again, thanks a lot everyone especially "Dusk Eagle"

All comments help me a lot