Life In 19x19

Played a game over the weekend and would appreciate some constructive feedback. I was black (handicap 2 stones) Thanks!

Hi abenthy,

, , , Please read Toothpaste and related pages, and Elephant's Eye.

Liberties problems ; mis-read ? Your stones simply die.
You can fix your shape in sente with F4.

Not a game-deciding mistake at these levels,
but blocking the other direction, R16, is natural.
The game move has no fighting spirit ; too soft on White.

, , Bad habit.
If you push with , your plan is to cut -- either S16 or S14.
But you didn't cut with .
The net result is:

• you reduced your own liberties ;
• you forced White to fix his weakness here for him ! ( you helped White )

, Bad habit. Liberties problems (again).
Before this exchange, the two Q9 stones are dead.
After this exchange, they can escape with P9 atari.
Net result: you help White !

Recurring problems: Liberties, basic shapes, basic reading, helping your opponent.

Thanks a lot for your input. Will try to keep those in mind for the next games.

For 36 though I blocked the other way thinking the top portion was worth more than giving white the top territory. Mostly because white already had two stones outside my wall had I blocked at R16. Was that an incorrect thought process?

abenthy wrote:Thanks a lot for your input. Will try to keep those in mind for the next games.

For 36 though I blocked the other way thinking the top portion was worth more than giving white the top territory. Mostly because white already had two stones outside my wall had I blocked at R16. Was that an incorrect thought process?

The right way to think about that position is Divide and Conquer! You could separate the White stones and then, after White lives in the top right corner, attack the two outside stones.

Hi abenthy,

Supplement to Bill's notes:

A few things to notice about your result:

• Your ( Q16 stones and o16 ) shape is inefficient.
  Given the two Q16 stones, you wouldn't put a stone at o16 --
  you'd put it farther away. So, this shape is inefficient for B ;
• Letting W connect gives W a lot of cash:
  instead of W having to deal with two groups (re: Bill),
  W is very happy to link up with R16 ; no more worries here for W --
  this is too easy on W ;
• If you split W (at R16), W's two outside stones become weak ;
  the evaluation part is difficult... that's why you chose Q17.