Life In 19x19

You're both welcome. Like a self-review, doing reviews can help other people, if only because it's practice at assessing positions. If I'm going to call a move a mistake, I have to figure out where exactly the best alternative would be, which is useful for me. So no worries, this is interesting and helpful.

Is it still a little premature to post a FFW? I sent Kiethlard a message once we were paired up and I have not heard back from him. However, I am leaving out-of-town tonight, so I won't be able to play tomorrow.

I notice Kiethlard hasn't posted in this thread really, perhaps he is only interested in the league and not in this tournament?

Well i checked his profile and it said his last login was 10 September, maybe his having some real life issues and cant play, it can be nuisance really.

Well kukula and I managed to get one of our games in on Tuesday night, I lost in absolutely dramatic fashion (game posting to come later). Unfortunately I was on a business trip at the time and learned not to play go in the evening when you've been up since 4:45am. The brain totally went to sleep about half way through the match and I dropped from a 24K to a 40K.

I had hoped to play our remaining game after I got back home but some family conflicts and duties prevented that and I've realized that the wife and I have a social engagement tonight for a couple of hours. So hopefully we can play a little later but it's not looking promising right now.

SinK not sure how you want to score this, but there would be one win for kukula (as white) but if we don't get to play tonight and I wasn't able to play due to scheduling conflicts a forfeit for me on the second? I don't know how tournament scoring goes in situations like this.

We'll call it a victory for your opponent psk31.

As for everyone else look for your match-ups tomorrow. Again Friday close of play Friday is the deadline.

threeve (15k) - 2.0
nnk (18k) - 2.0
Stephany93 (12k)- 1.5
noodley (15k) - 1.5
SinK (16k) - 1.0
iambadatgo (18k)- 1.0
kukula (22k) - 1.0
Maere (16k) - 0.5
Rafa (16k) - 0.5
Monadology (18k)- 0.0
psk31 (26k) - 0.0

threeve vs. nnk
Stephany93 vs. noodley
iambadatgo vs. kukula
Maere vs. Rafa
Monadology vs. psk31

SinK (bye)

how about playing one of us? i'm sure we can bend the rules somewhat . i'd gladly play you if it helps (something like: 0pt for me regardless, normal scoring for you, so as not to unballance the system?

So, I just played Rafa and it's a tie. The games were very exciting.
Though I'm going to write a hundred times: "don't make too many weak groups, don't make too many weak groups, don't..."

nnk vs threeve, tentative schedule: today in about an hour or two (depending on availability of both). probably will get one game in, supposing i won't fall asleep, two possible but not likely

Maere and Rafa: some thoughts on your second game.

3: This is kind of a style/preference thing, because you have to be willing to play a diagonal opening, but I prefer D4. Your opponent's 3-4 stone leaves an ideal approach from below (at C16 or D16), so taking this corner will let that approach work with your bottom corner.
4-7: Very solid choices. This sort of opening will carry you both quite a ways.
8: At first, I disliked this move, because it allows your opponent to hurt you in the top left. However, I kind of like the idea of this move, if you're planning something special. For example, consider it as a probe: if your opponent falls back to the right (as he does) you can prioritize the top, expanding to something like F16 to capitalize on the information. If your opponent pincers low on the top or something, you can change directions, for example, playing something like R14 to take the right side, which then has more development potential. This is kind of high-concept, and I'm hesitant to say it because it's a bit complex and risky for my level, as well (any other players have thoughts on this?). Just a few thoughts about the potential behind this sort of move. Regardless, simply responding in the top left with something like C15 or F16 is simpler and easier to follow up on.
10: One standard way to handle this situation (two opposing stones on the fourth line, with a one-space gap between) is to connect underneath, on the third line)

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$c This is a common joseki using this attachment
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 5 , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . 3 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 4 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 8 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

As an aside, if white really wants to tenuki during this sequence, the safest time is after playing 4. If need be, white could sacrifice 2, and still come out reasonably okay.
12: Be careful, black can start a fight by attaching at E17.
15: While this move is a normal approach considering the bottom corner, it doesn't consider the left side. You built up a bit of strength with your group in the top left, so you have a (albeit weakish) wall looming over the white stone at D12. If white pincers your approach here (for example at c7), the pincer serves two purposes: two attack your approach and to reinforce the weak stone on the side. Consider playing this move higher up, so that you are instead pincering D12. After that, you can always extend downwards to approach the corner, but pincering the group serves to be a more aggressive way to handle it.
As an alternative to dealing with the left side at all, consider pressuring the stone on the right side. A play at R8 is an extension in the primary direction of your bottom right enclosure, and it denies the lone white stone a two-space extension. That will make the stone weak and attackable.
25: If you're trying to build central thickness here, consider attaching at E12. The cap is often meant to deny center access to stones, yes, but in this case it kind of forces white to push through the hole where you want your wall to be.
30: I know that you are concerned with that center wall black just built, but any time you have sente, you should look around. If you have any weak groups, STRONGLY consider helping them out first before you play any kind of preventative measure. If black attacks R10, she can chase you around, making a huge framework below in the process. R7 is the safest extension, and it helps to reduce the value of black's corner enclosure (by denying it much extension).
31: When attacking a stone, Bruce Wilcox recommends you consider "left, right, and center". You chose to deny white center access, presumably in hopes of building a central framework, but that's dicey. White can't go anywhere to the right (towards the top), so attacking from the left (below) will make his group weak, forcing it to run. While white runs, you can give chase, ideally making a nice framework below (and netting any points between your pincer and the corner enclosure), all in more-or-less sente. The problem with blocking from above like this is that white can just extend to R7, buying a lot better stability.
44: You don't have to protect this cut (you can simply capture P10) so you would be better off with something around M11 or M12, as that helps you get out and preserves the link between your group and the lone stone. Remember, it's often best to escape when possible, as opposed to living small inside of enemy groups (which often gives the opponent thickness outside).
50: If you have a weak group nearby, make it safe before you invade so deeply. Something like L7 helps shrink black's prospects a little, while buying you some all-important eyespace. If you create two weak groups near each other, it doubles the chance that one of them will die outright.
117: Should be one space lower, if you're trying to save that stone.

nanok vs threeve, game 1. a bloody one, played very badly by yours truly, kindly commented by loons (to the extent he could see through the blood and destruction going on



second game. this time a total mess by me. not even worth reviewing . total score threeve-nnk 1-0

psk31 have had both our games now. I managed to win both.

Yeah, these were fun games. Still made plenty of 24K mistakes. Actually the one common theme in both games was how I allowed myself to get surrounded several times. And honestly, I think these are the first two games I've ever had that happen in multiple groups like that. Something to watch out for in the future that's for sure.

Here's my review of your second game. The three main themes:
1) Don't play moves that don't do anything.
2) Don't play moves that allow the opponent to separate your groups without getting separated himself (like move 14).
3) Don't save stones that are not doing anything. If a stone isn't holding onto territory (or influence) or cutting your opponent's groups, it is likely to be a useless stone.