Life In 19x19

Thanks, Bill.

Hi mongus,

The top left is vulnerable at 3-3,

Maybe this is splitting hairs about semantics, but I don't consider 3-3 "vulnerable" here.
It is open -- B can jump in at 3-3, but B has to pay for it!
In other words, W will get something out of this trade.

Maybe others disagree, or have other ways to view it.
I don't consider 3-3 here "weak"...
I also don't see 4-4 as "weak" on an empty board --
there's a big difference between open and weak.

Variation.
( In your second variation ( at F15 ), the reply , connect at E14, is wrong. )

I don't see how I could kill those stones by playing at G15 which would allow black to cut at E14 which would be pretty devastating for me?

Would it ?

EdLee wrote:

The top left is vulnerable at 3-3,

Maybe this is splitting hairs about semantics, but I don't consider 3-3 "vulnerable" here.
It is open -- B can jump in at 3-3, but B has to pay for it!<snip>

I think there is a difference saying a stone or group is weak overall (as mongus did for top 2 white corners, definitely wrong), and that there is a weakness somewhere. Likewise saying a group is vulnerable versus has a vulnerability. So I wouldn't disagree much with saying the top left is vulnerable at 3-3, though I probably wouldn't choose to phrase it like that. So a lone 4-4 isn't weak (unless of course there is some monster thickness of opponent nearby) but it does have a weakness at 3-3 in that the opponent can play there to take the corner. I seem to recall Yilun Yang phrases it much like this in his Fundamental Principles book.

EdLee wrote: Would it ?

You are absolutely right. I've just sat here for the past 5 minutes trying to see what variations I was going through that made me think I couldn't play this, but I can't see it now...

Thanks Bill. I wish I could get these reviews before I played the game!

Another game. This time a victory. I made some embarrassing mistakes, but I think by concentrating on playing the largest move rather than just following my opponent around I was able to make up for them.

I really do need to work on my reading though..

Some thoughts on that upper left:

I would play at D15, taking liberties away from White's two stones.

Having played at C15, at B16 is bad shape (empty triangle). Don't you wish your C15 stone was at D15 now? I would still play at D15.

For I would still play D15. You need to remove D14 from your vocabulary entirely. This kosumi is the sort of move you make reluctantly when you're escaping and need to make a strong connection. It has no place here. D15 is better in every way; it sketches out more territory, it takes away liberties from White's two stones, and it reaches out to F17..

After that I like the fact that you didn't freak out when White invaded on the left, and were willing to let him live small in exchange for massive thickness. Missing the L&D issues isn't as big a deal.

A few comments. I am in agreement with dfan.

Thanks for the comments.I think the general gist I get from them is I could have been a bit more aggressive and put a bit more pressure on my opponent. Also it seems I often fail to see what the biggest point on the board actually is.

I tried to play a few games last night bearing this in mind and just got completely wiped out. No point posting them here - my mistakes were too obvious. I need to improve my reading skills at the same time.

Another game. This time I don't really think I made any major mistakes, but I think through a series of playing small moves I just lost the vital points, primarily in the opening.

I do need to focus on my opening more..

yes on var.

var: take Q4 yourself first, instead of R5.

C12.

small, slow ( not the first ; quite a few small moves from both sides before this ).

Thankyou. I hadn't thought of C12. Yes it would have saved that rather painful attack that came there later on. So it seems in this game I neglected the Corner, Sides, Centre rule in a number of places. I will make an effort to keep this in mind in my next few games.

K-13?

Edit: G-12?

General comment. Neither player played a dynamic game.