Life In 19x19

Below is a 3-stone game that I played against "kugutsu" on OGS. I have lost to kugutsu before on even games. This time, I took a 3-stone handi and won the game by 14.5 points. Although... I wonder whether Black 28 was rather timid or a good move to keep the surrounding Black groups connected, even if it does appear to be overconcentrated. As well, should I have played on G14 before White played 107 at H15? I believe that saving the Black 12-stone group at the top center side of the board helped me win the game. Had it been captured, White would have won the game. Much obliged in advance for your comments.

You're letting white settle too easily in the opening. You have more supporting stones in comparison at the start of the game so you should be more active in attacking.

oren wrote:You're letting white settle too easily in the opening. You have more supporting stones in comparison at the start of the game so you should be more active in attacking.

So, to make things hard for White, I'd, let's say, have to play at F17 and see what happens from there? Let me try that out and get back to you

tekesta wrote:

oren wrote:You're letting white settle too easily in the opening. You have more supporting stones in comparison at the start of the game so you should be more active in attacking.

So, to make things hard for White, I'd, let's say, have to play at F17 and see what happens from there? Let me try that out and get back to you

No, as played is fine (f17 fine too), but is a bit lackadaisical. p3 then j3 for example would be a way of applying pressure. Also a bit later why did you play s4? What did you think the status of that corner was? You seem to follow your opponent around the board like a dog on a leash. Didn't you tell someone else to tenuki more in another thread?

I do not understand these reviews. I see nothing wrong at all with B opening play in this game. If B can preserve his handicap advantage and win comfortably without fighting, why not do so?

In fact the first B move I find somewhat questionable is , which is overly risky, compared to a simple and safe approach from the other side at C14.

may be timid, but if W invaded here, he would very likely live, and it is not clear that B would get adequate compensation. B still has a very large lead, so why not play safe? The game move may very well be the play which gives the best winning probability.

If you want to take your play to the next level, reduce the handicap, so that you cannot win by playing safe comfortable moves.

Uberdude wrote: No, as played is fine (f17 fine too), but is a bit lackadaisical. p3 then j3 for example would be a way of applying pressure.

I was obeying gote no sente on this one. A bland move indeed, but I was thinking about later on in the game.

Also a bit later why did you play s4? What did you think the status of that corner was?

A small move, but it defends against monkey jump. You can call it evidence of my territorial tendency, I guess. A monkey jump early in the game is a small loss, but I yet have to get to where I can say to myself "I'll get 20 points elsewhere."

You seem to follow your opponent around the board like a dog on a leash. Didn't you tell someone else to tenuki more in another thread?

I got bitten by the dog more than once, so I can sometimes tell them how to avoid that Blind response to local moves is a habit that will take some time to disappear. I still need to get a handle on tenuki.

mitsun wrote:I do not understand these reviews. I see nothing wrong at all with B opening play in this game. If B can preserve his handicap advantage and win comfortably without fighting, why not do so?

In fact the first B move I find somewhat questionable is , which is overly risky, compared to a simple and safe approach from the other side at C14.

I was thinking that F17 is bigger as it limits the amount of territory White can get at the top. One habit of mine is letting the opponent get big territory early in the game.

may be timid, but if W invaded here, he would very likely live, and it is not clear that B would get adequate compensation. B still has a very large lead, so why not play safe? The game move may very well be the play which gives the best winning probability.

White's E3 group would be of big help if White played invasion at C7.

If you want to take your play to the next level, reduce the handicap, so that you cannot win by playing safe comfortable moves.

Sounds like a good idea. NOw if I can just shed my timidity...

tekesta wrote:

Also a bit later why did you play s4? What did you think the status of that corner was?

A small move, but it defends against monkey jump. You can call it evidence of my territorial tendency, I guess. A monkey jump early in the game is a small loss, but I yet have to get to where I can say to myself "I'll get 20 points elsewhere."

No, s4 isn't small and the monkey jump is a minor consideration (if it even worked, which it doesn't). How about my second question?

Uberdude wrote: How about my second question?

I thought I answered it already. In that game the OP not only followed White around the board much of the time, but also got into fights for which he/she was not yet sufficiently prepared. It's good that he did fight in the game, but he still lost by a big margin.

Uberdude wrote: What did you think the status of that corner was?

This question about the status of White's corner after black s4.

P.S. aren't you the OP (original poster) and black the winner? Why write about yourself in the third person?

The lower right corner would survive after So I tried cutting it off. Perhaps... I should have tenukied at that moment.

I know there was a thread on which I advised tenuki. http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 44#p190044

tekesta wrote:The lower right corner would survive after So I tried cutting it off. Perhaps... I should have tenukied at that moment.

Nope s4 was good, but you don't seem to realise why so I will ask less subtle questions.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 44? What would be a better move than the one you played?
- What was the status of white's corner on move 46? What would be a better move than the one you played?
- What was the status of white's corner on move 48? What would be a better move than the one you played?
- What was the status of white's corner on move 50? What would be a better move than the one you played?
- What was the status of white's corner on move 52? What would be a better move than the one you played?

Uberdude wrote:Why write about yourself in the third person?

Bill Spight approves this message.

Uberdude wrote: Nope s4 was good, but you don't seem to realise why so I will ask less subtle questions.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 44? What would be a better move than the one you played?

This move played at S2 will hurt the White corner group.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 46? What would be a better move than the one you played?

Ditto.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 48? What would be a better move than the one you played?

Ditto, but I did not think it was urgent, as it was a small-scale position.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 50? What would be a better move than the one you played?

Now that I observed it more closely, I could have gotten 25-30 points from killing that White corner.

- What was the status of white's corner on move 52? What would be a better move than the one you played?

Ditto. In hindsight, I now realize that the bottom right White corner is the only weak White position on the board at the time

Bingo!

After black s2 the white group doesn't have enough eyespace so would die. That's why I was surprised you played s4 but then didn't follow it up with taking the stone when white didn't defend. When you played n2 it looked to me like you wanted to attack/kill white's corner, and with s3 white tries to increase his eyespace and you block, expecting white to defend, but he doesn't. If white didn't play s3 but just tenukied for move 41 were you planning to play s2 to kill the corner? The s3 s4 exchange doesn't help white if he doesn't then continue, s2 killed before and it kills after. There are some shapes in which making this sort of sente 2nd line hane and block exchange can actually be beneficial and alter the life and death status of a group, but they are rare.

Now in fact because white made the bad exchange of q3 for r4, when white plays s3 I think you have a better move than the s4 block which would actually allow you to kill the corner now even if white continues, but there's some bad aji I didn't read completely. This one is probably a dan-level problem, but is a fairly standard tesuji in this sort of corner position.