9x9 game: where did I go wrong?

[PeterPeter]

I have played about 60-70 on 9x9, and about 5 on 19x19.

[xed_over]

This thread is so sad to read... I understand Peter's frustration as a beginner... and everyone is trying to be helpful and offer hints -- but he keeps guessing the wrong answer (as he continues to do in his games) -- thus his requests for help.

Sometimes, an outright answer (even if hidden) is better than hints.

Peter, your best results are going to come from live "face to face" reviews where you can get some immediate feedback to your questions, and the reviewer can take control of the game and give concrete examples (rather than just hints). Not to discourage you from posting here -- please do continue.

-- you probably should have turned the corner on the top (f7) to avoid the L shape. That way, regardless of which side white blocks, you can stretch out further in the other direction.

-- same place (f7). turn the corner solidly to avoid the L shape. the 1-space jump created additional weaknesses and ultimately the bad L shape. its not actually necessary to keep all your groups connected.

-- not necessary. that move doesn't help you. and as you discovered later, your corner was/is in serious danger. protect your corner first (such as connecting at g7 -- remove the cutting point)

Hope this helps.

play out these suggestions on a real board (or paper and coins -- whatever you have). try different things. I think it will help.

[EdLee]

I have played about 60-70 on 9x9, and about 5 on 19x19.

Thanks. Continue to play. Try some 13x13.
For my first feeling was F5. (There are possibly multiple good moves.)

For many people, especially those with very few finished games, actual experience is very valuable.
So valuable, in fact, that just finishing more games is more beneficial to any reviews,
to hints, to answers. Just play more. (Think of a baby learning to crawl or to walk --
all "instructions" and "reviews" to the baby pale in comparison to JUST TRYING TO WALK!
In other words, tons of ACTUAL EXPERIENCE first; the discussion can come later.)

[mitsun]

Ideally I want to find my biggest mistake in each game, then fix it in my mind so I do not repeat it. In a lot of my games, the tactical error is obvious and I quickly move on. Other times (like this game) it is not obvious to me which single move lost the game ...

That is a good study plan. In this game, the tactical error was move 26, which lost a large group of stones. Nothing else was close to this in importance. Learn to recognize and avoid this mistake (fatally filling in your own liberties) and you will have made good progress from this game.

[Bill Spight]

Ideally I want to find my biggest mistake in each game, then fix it in my mind so I do not repeat it. In a lot of my games, the tactical error is obvious and I quickly move on. Other times (like this game) it is not obvious to me which single move lost the game

Have no doubt. It was .

Some comments.

(;CA[ISO8859-1]FF[4]SZ[9]AP[GOWrite:2.2.21]GM[1]ST[1]GN[ ]AB[cg][gc]FG[259:]PB[Human]PM[2]KM[0.0]VW[]HA[2]C[Human strength is 13 Kyu. Computer playing at level 5

*** Black 26 was the game losing move. Which moves led up to that situation?]PW[Igo for windows]RU[Japanese]
;W[fd]
;B[gd]
;W[gf]
(
;C[*** First move. All it does is attempt to make territory. See variation.]B[he]
;W[eg]
;B[cc]
;W[hf]
(
;C[*** The second move. All it does is threaten to push out. See variation.]B[ge]
;W[fe]C[*** The result is that Black has strengthened White. Black cannot cut. See variations for next.]
(
;C[*** The third move. See variations.]B[ec]
;W[fc]
;B[fb]
;W[eh]
;B[ce]
;W[ie]
;B[id]
;W[if]
(
;C[*** The fourth move. See variation.]B[dd]
;W[ci]
;B[ch]
;W[dh]
;B[df]
;W[bh]
;B[bg]
;W[ic]
(
;C[*** Oops! See variation.]B[hd]
;W[gb]C[*** White wins.]
;B[fa]
;W[ga]
;B[eb]
;W[ef]
;B[ee]
;W[dg]
;B[ah]
;W[bi]
;B[ag]
;W[ff]
;B[ed]
;W[di]
;B[ai]
;W[tt]
;B[tt]
)
(
;C[*** You could make ko, but you can also just sacrifice the single stone.]B[ib]
;W[hd]
;B[hc]
;W[id]
;C[*** Sente. Big threat.]B[ef]
;W[ff]
;B[gb]
;W[ee]
;B[ah]
;W[bi]C[*** Black wins.]
)

)
(
;C[*** No problem.]B[gb]
)

)
(
;C[*** Solid, but . . .]B[fc]
;W[ce]C[*** White gets chances.]
)

(
;C[*** How does White win?]B[ce]
)

(
;B[ff]
;W[ef]
;B[fg]
;W[fh]
;B[gg]
;W[hg]
;B[gh]
;W[hh]
;B[gi]
;W[hi]C[*** The cut does not work because of the ladder.]
)

)
(
;C[*** Black claims the left side. Even though White will get more on the rest of the board, how can White win?]B[ce]
)

)
(
;C[*** Divide and conquer. White is split in two, and the F-06 stone is in danger. Black dominates the whole board.]B[fe]
)

)

[PeterPeter]

That’s very helpful, thanks.

I am now going to take EdLee’s advice and give priority to playing a ton of games, so I might not be posting on here as much for a while, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given up.

[cyclops]

For , would g5 be better?

(1) Whether at G5 is better or not depends on your follow-ups -- you need to show your variations.
(2) See if you can find a move better than G5 for .

If it is Ed you can be sure it is something about connection.

$$Wc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . , . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . , . , 2 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . . 4 1 . . |
$$ | . . X . , 5 6 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . 9 8 0 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . , . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X . . |
$$ | . . , . , 2 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . . 4 1 . . |
$$ | . . X . , 5 6 7 . |
$$ | . . . . . 9 8 0 . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Probably he wants you to cut at 2. With 4 you can alternatively kill the central white stone, but it is more fun to harass the two white stones at the side first. After for example w is in dire straits. So is impossible, he should extend, then you can kill the lone w stone ( or maybe extend again? needs reading ). Remember you are 1 move ahead on the right and the other handicap stone is also helping.

edit: oops, i posted before finishing reading the whole thread. Sorry for the duplications. I got triggered by Ed.

[Bill Spight]

That’s very helpful, thanks.

I am now going to take EdLee’s advice and give priority to playing a ton of games, so I might not be posting on here as much for a while, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given up.

May I give some advice, then? Play against stronger players (5 stones or more). Otherwise you will pick up bad habits of your opponents.

The analogy to walking misses the important point that humans evolved to walk. Practice, then, makes perfect. Humans may have evolved to play go, but not to play good go.