Life In 19x19

Dear EdLee,

as always, thanks for the guidance, especially the upper left corner. I will go study variations and experiment with it.

I'd mis-typed Jate's post-game review. He wrote that he would have played at R11, as you noted and the basic joseki.

My play at M1 was silly. I don't know what I was thinking.

Hi Josh, have a nice and safe Tuesday.

Recent game, 12k vs 1k, played even.

Comments on black play especially welcome.

This is not really a family rivalry game. I can't keep up with my sons anymore.

Hi Josh,

Maybe consider what B got out of these moves/exchanges:
, , , , ,

103 G7

105, 109: Why ? After 103, these are no longer cutting stones.
Dragging out this heavy chunk doesn't help your M5, R10 groups.

107 Locally, what does the exchange ( 107 - N18 ) do for B ?
If anything, push at N18 first. Globally, too small.

109 candidate: L10, etc.

117 candidate: K10, etc.

118 Game very difficult for B.

To consider:
- Contact fight (e.g. shortage of libs: 103 ) ;
- Important/unimportant stones (e.g. cutting/non-cutting stones: 105, 109 ) ;
- Global evaluation (e.g. , , , , , , 105, 109, 117 ) ;
- Example: awareness of weak groups, groups in trouble (e.g. 109 -- M5, R10 groups ) ;
- Correct handicap can help toward both W & B having to fight until the very last moves.
( i.e. fair game for both, from start to finish )

BTW:

The most recent game isn't showing up for me, and as far as I know I haven't made any changes to my browser (Firefox on Linux Mint).

Post 10 wrote:something wrong with the link to download the SGF in the frame that contains the games. I couldn't download either of them

Post 35 wrote:The most recent game isn't showing up...(Firefox on Linux Mint).

More data points:
- iOS Firefox (9.3): "There was a problem retrieving the game data" of post 33's SGF link ;
- iOS Safari: displays post 33's SGF link OK ;
- OSX Firefox (56.0.2) displays post 33's SGF link OK ;
- OSX Safari (9.1.3) displays post 33's SGF link OK.

Raw SGF: (reliable way, IMO)

Post 11 wrote:These games are on KGS, so I just use the links to the KGS archives.

Hi Josh, I highly recommend to embed the original, raw SGF, instead of any links.

EdLee wrote:Hi Josh, I highly recommend to embed the original, raw SGF, instead of any links.

Ah, I hadn't read that far in the how-to-post-sgf post: https://www.lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=833
Including the raw sgf is actually easier than what I've been doing.

Most of a game from yesterday. To my (20k) eyes, I think white was already comfortably ahead when recording stopped and the unrecorded remaining moves didn't change that (W+res).

Hi Josh, were you ?

It's interesting "casual game" is in Japanese カジュアルな手合い.

Hi Josh,

Splitting W's thin shape is OK,
and probably a good idea, as long as you are aware
a messy fight starts, and you have to take care of all your groups
( top left corner, and sides ).

The sequence matters. If you turn now, which is not small,
W can happily capture your stone in a ladder
with G16, and make good shape for himself.
You can take the local shared vital point yourself: G16.
If W connects underneath, then you can still get the turn;
but the resulting W shape is not as good as if W captures with G16 himself.

, Before you bump your head against W with this exchange,
consider if you can or want to cut at F9 on .
If your plan is to "push but not cut" at F9, consider
if there are alternatives that give better results for B, globally.

Again, if you cannot or don't want to cut at F9,
consider alternatives (e.g. C10).

Proverb 'hane at the head of two'.
W gets this proverb twice here.
It means you probably did something wrong (or missed something) previously.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W [i]In general[/i], not good for B. Could B have done better? (Sometimes, no.)
$$ . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . .
$$ . . O X X O . .
$$ . . . O O . . .
$$ . . . . . . . .
$$ . . . . . . . .[/go]

Notice on top, W also has a shape with 'hane at the head of two', twice.
But there, W can capture G17 (with G16 ladder),
whereas here, you cannot easily capture F10 .

Compare this result v. you taking C10 yourself on or .

Important reminder: the problem is not .
The problem is after , and before ,
B messed up this local fight and got a bad result here.

Before you pulled back, did you read B G10 atari:
if W connects at H11, and you push at G9,
what's W's liberties situation ? ( To make use of . )

Which atari (if any) gives B the best global result ?
Did you ask yourself this before deciding on ?

Take a step back and study this board.
- B's resulting shape from this local fight is quite miserable:
it's good to review how B got this result;
- Is B B15 atari sente ?

G14.

Re: If you find yourself (as ) in a similar situation:
( 'hane at head of two', thrice! )

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W [i]In general[/i], not good for B.
$$ . . . . . . . .
$$ . . O . . . . .
$$ . O X . . . . .
$$ . O X . . . . .
$$ . . O X X O . .
$$ . . . O O . . .
$$ . . . . . . . .[/go]

In the review, ask if B could've done better.
During the game, plan ahead; see if you can avoid this shape.
( Sometimes, unfortunately, no. )

Hi Josh,

Re:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . X O O X . O . .
$$ | . . . X X X . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Notice B has this sequence:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ------------------------
$$ | . . . 8 . 4 . . . . .
$$ | . . 7 6 2 1 O 3 . . .
$$ | . . . X O O X 5 O . .
$$ | . . . X X X . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Whether it's good for B, or when to play it -- that's another issue.

I feel it's already worth this game to review how B got this result.
( After . )

NB above sequence is normally good for black, so white may sacrifice and take sente:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ ------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . 3 1 O . . . .
$$ | . . . X O O X 2 O . .
$$ | . . . X X X . . . , .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Some tournament games from the handicap division of the Boston Open today.
First, Jin's Games. The first and fourth are only as much as he could remember from the start of the games:

Game 1, Jin was white, lost. In post-game review, we discussed continuations on the left side invasion (instead of his tenuki for move 30).


Game 2 (complete SGF)


Game 3 (complete SGF)


Game 4 (partial)
White won comfortably, but that was partially the result of black making a mistake that cost a big group which could have lived in seki (not shown in this sgf).

Jate's games. The first one we recorded 60 moves on paper, but he and his opponent had a pretty thorough review of the rest of the game, with commentary from a 4d who was helping with the tournament.

Game 2 (Jate won)


Game 3 (Jate lost; not sure if this includes the losing moves toward the end where a blunder cost a group in the corner):


Game 4 (Jate won):

Game from this weekend, part of the AGHS young lions tournament.
I would be curious to hear feedback about how you respond to such an aggressive opponent.
FWIW, the two players are friends who met at the AGA youth summer camp this July, but they haven't played each other since then.