Please review beginner’s 9x9 game

[Falcord]

Sorry if someone mentioned it on the SGF (I can't read them from the uni computer) but what happened to your left side is called the Monkey Jump, and it's an annoying little move you'll learn to hate (or love). Watch out for the setup: a stone on the second line "peeking" at your open territory.

[Bill Spight]

A review.

[PeterPeter]

A review.

Thank you.

This position on the left of the board comes up quite a bit in the variations:

$$Bc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . O O . . O X X X |
$$ | . a X O , O X . . |
$$ | O . X . . O X X . |
$$ | O X X . X O O O . |
$$ | B b . X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . X . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . O O . . O X X X |
$$ | . a X O , O X . . |
$$ | O . X . . O X X . |
$$ | O X X . X O O O . |
$$ | B b . X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . X . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Instead of White playing at A, suppose they play at B? Looks awkward for Black.

[EdLee]

$$Bc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . O O . . O X X X |
$$ | . a X O , O X . . |
$$ | O . X . . O X X . |
$$ | O X X . X O O O . |
$$ | B b . X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . X . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . O O X . |
$$ | . O O . . O X X X |
$$ | . a X O , O X . . |
$$ | O . X . . O X X . |
$$ | O X X . X O O O . |
$$ | B b . X . X O O . |
$$ | . . X . X . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Instead of White playing at A, suppose they play at B? Looks awkward for Black.

Good question, Peter. Your homework: what DOES Black do if W cuts at (b)?

[PeterPeter]

I think Black needs to give up his stone on a4, and instead try to cut off White along row 7, probably starting at a7 since that puts immediate pressure on the White group on the A column.

[xed_over]

I think Black needs to give up his stone on a4, and instead try to cut off White along row 7, probably starting at a7 since that puts immediate pressure on the White group on the A column.

very close (with your reasoning) -- but I wouldn't call it "giving up" on black's a4 stone.

You're actually sacrificing it for something much larger. And you won't have to give up the corner at all -- do you see it yet? That's why white will not cut at (b). You can count on it. But you need to see what happens if they do, how black can punish.

[PeterPeter]

I am no good at playing against myself, but after Black's a7, White cannot connect at the top, and I do not see enough space left in the bottom-left for White to create a living group.

[EdLee]

Peter,

I am no good at playing against myself, but...

That is exactly what people do when we want to improve: improve our reading.

[xed_over]

I am no good at playing against myself,

me neither. I always hate it when I lose to myself.