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Game against (much) stronger opponent
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:01 pm
by PROVOK3
http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=557
In case its not obvious, I'm the black one.
Now that I can't play BaToo anymore, I have gotten back to playing Go. Almost on a daily basis, however, a much stronger opponent offers me a no handicap game. I have a lots of difficulty trying to match this player, who I am not sure could be playing seriously or a teaching game. Regardless, my opening moves are very weak, and my opponent is really good at invading and reducing my territory. I need to have a stronger opening game and better responses to invasions and reductions. Aside from the many mid-game errors that I commit, could anyone give me some tips on how to improve my opening game?

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:06 pm
by EdLee
9: Try S5 instead.
21: You are in atari. Connect at P6, then White's R7 group only has 3 liberties. Study the resulting capture race.
Work on seeing ataris, be aware of liberties, and try to read a few more moves ahead.
Re: Game against (much) stronger opponent
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:17 pm
by Joaz Banbeck
Think 'connect your stones; disconnect his', and get a copy of "38 Basic Josekis".
Re: Game against (much) stronger opponent
Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:58 pm
by Dusk Eagle
I don't know how necessary it is to get a copy of "38 basic joseki". If you're going to spend money on books, I think there are more important subjects than that. If you want to learn some joseki, at your level eidogo.com might be best. However, I think most of your problems weren't as much about joseki errors as they were about basic principles, so that's what I've mainly addressed here:
(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[-5.50]TM[600]
PW[sit555]PB[shinigami]WR[4k]BR[15k]DT[2010-11-17]CP[Copyright (c) PANDANET Inc. 2010]PC[IGS-PandaNet]RE[W+43.50]
;B[pc]
;W[cp]
;B[qp]
;W[op]
;B[pn]
;W[qq]
;B[rq]
;W[pq]
;B[qj]
;W[ql]
;B[pl]
;W[pk]
;B[qk]
;W[pm]
;B[ol]
;W[qm]
;B[om]
;W[qn]
;B[qo]
;W[po]TR[pn]C[This stone separates your opponent's too groups. White's underneath group might not even live if it doesn't connect up. So saving this stone is the most critical thing you could possibly do.]
(;B[rn]
;W[on]
(;B[rm]
;W[rl]
;B[qr]
;W[pr]
;B[rr]
;W[sm]
;B[ro]
;W[oj]
;B[pj]
;W[ok]
;B[ph]
;W[nm]
;B[ep]
;W[nl]
;B[cn]C[This move leaves a severe weak point right in the middle of your stones. If white splits you, you will be forced to deal with two groups while white has only one.]
;W[do]
;B[hp]
;W[jp]
;B[jq]
;W[kq]
;B[iq]
;W[eo]
;B[fo]
;W[eq]
;B[kp]C[Good! Cut white into two.]
;W[lq]
;B[jo]
;W[fp]
;B[gp]
;W[fq]
;B[gq]TR[jp]C[This move is rather slow. Your group is already safe thanks to the captured stone and the fact that your group has access to the center. Meanwhile, no one is claiming the fourth and final corner. Corners are huge.]
;W[go]TR[fo]C[Since this stone is NOT cutting white's two groups, saving it will be a big mistake.]
;B[ho]C[Good!]
;W[fn]
;B[lo]C[Again, too small. Look at that empty corner!]
;W[mo]
;B[lp]
;W[mp]
;B[kr]C[Ditto.]
;W[ln]
;B[ko]
;W[lr]
;B[jr]C[Ditto.]
;W[hn]
;B[in]
;W[cl]
(;B[ch]C[Playing somewhere in the corner would be better. Shown are too non-exclusive possibilities.]
(;W[cf]
;B[cj]
;W[dl]C[Rather slow by white.]
;B[bk]
;W[bl]
;B[ce]
;W[df]
;B[bf]
;W[bg]
;B[be]
;W[cg]
;B[bh]
;W[ag]
;B[eh]
;W[de]
;B[ek]
;W[cd]TR[be][ce][bf][df][bg][cg]C[Since you let white kill these stones, it might have been better to have not made these exchanges in the first place.]
(;B[pf]C[See variations, end of comments.]
;W[nc]
;B[jc]
;W[hc]
;B[ld]
;W[ne]
;B[mf]
;W[nf]
;B[ng]
;W[mg]
;B[og]
;W[me]
;B[lf]
;W[le]
;B[mc]
;W[ke]
;B[lg]
;W[mh]
;B[lh]
;W[mi]
;B[nb]
;W[pe]
;B[qe]
;W[qf]
;B[qd]
;W[oc]
;B[ob]
;W[oe]
;B[ih]
;W[gh]
;B[gj]
;W[hi]
;B[ii]
;W[hj]
;B[hk]
;W[ij]
;B[hf]
;W[ie]
;B[fg]
;W[if]
;B[hg]
;W[he]
;B[hh]
;W[gi]
;B[fi]
;W[gg]
;B[jj]
;W[ik]
;B[jk]
;W[il]
;B[jl]
;W[jm]
;B[gf]
;W[ff]
;B[fe]
;W[ef]
;B[im]
;W[hl]
;B[hm]
;W[km]
;B[gl]
;W[gk]
;B[fl]
;W[fj]
;B[fk]
;W[ej]
;B[ei]
;W[dj]
;B[dk]
;W[eg]
;B[di]
;W[fh]
;B[dd]
;W[ed]
;B[ge]
;W[gj]
;B[gm]
;W[ck]
;B[bj]
;W[em]
;B[gc]
;W[fc]
;B[gb]
;W[ki]
;B[kh]
;W[hb]
;B[fb]
;W[ji]
;B[jh]
;W[li]
;B[ec]
;W[fd]
;B[gd]
;W[dc]
;B[hd]
;W[kc]
;B[kd]
;W[ic]
;B[id]
;W[jb]
;B[jd]
;W[lb]
;B[mb]
;W[ia]
;B[lc]
;W[kb]
;B[qg]
;W[eb]
;B[sn]
;W[sl]
;B[sp]
;W[ai]
;B[lm]
;W[ll]
;B[nr]
;W[mq]
;B[ns]
;W[ks]
;B[js]
;W[ls]
;B[ps]
;W[gn]
;B[fr]
;W[er]
;B[gr]
;W[sj]
;B[rh]
;W[oi]
;B[pi]
;W[nq]
;B[ea]
;W[da]
;B[fa]
;W[ha]
;B[cb]
;W[db]
;B[bc]
;W[bd]
;B[ab]
;W[ba]
;B[or]
;W[oq]
;B[es]
;W[ds]
;B[fs]
;W[cr]
;B[la]
;W[ka]
;B[ma]
;W[jn]
;B[io]
;W[mm]
;B[nh]
;W[ni]
;B[of]
;W[oh]
;B[pg]
;W[sh]
;B[sg]
;W[si]
;B[rf]
;W[el]
;B[os]
;W[rk]
;B[ri]
;W[rj]
;B[]
;W[ah]
;B[]
;W[mr]
;B[qs]
;W[ee]
;B[]
;W[]C[You can check your score with the score command, type 'done' when finished.
Click on a group of stones to mark it dead and remove it from the board.]
;B[]TW[aa][ca][ja][ab][bb][cb][ib][ac][bc][cc][ec][ad][dd][ae][be][ce][af][bf][dg][fg][bh][ch][dh][eh][bi][ci][di][ei][fi][aj][bj][cj][jj][kj][lj][mj][nj][ak][bk][hk][jk][kk][lk][mk][nk][sk][al][jl][kl][ml][ol][pl][am][bm][cm][dm][lm][om][an][bn][cn][dn][en][mn][nn][pn][ao][bo][co][fo][no][oo][ap][bp][dp][ep][np][aq][bq][cq][dq][ar][br][dr][as][bs][cs]TB[na][oa][pa][qa][ra][sa][pb][qb][rb][sb][nc][oc][qc][rc][sc][md][nd][od][pd][rd][sd][he][ie][je][ke][le][me][ne][oe][pe][re][se][if][jf][kf][nf][qf][sf][ig][jg][kg][rg][qh][qi][so][ip][jp][rp][hq][sq][hr][ir][sr][gs][hs][is][rs][ss]C[Game 416 sit555 is removing @ K9
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ P15
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ O17
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ E4
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ J15
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ C6
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ B15
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ B10
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ B17
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ C18
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ E11
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ A18
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ C12
You have typed done.
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ K4
Board is restored to what it was when you started scoring
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ A18
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ B17
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ C18
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ B14
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ C10
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ E11
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ B12
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ C6
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ E4
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ J15
Game 416 sit555 is removing @ K10
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ M15
Game 416 shinigami is removing @ O17
You have typed done.
sit555: 112.5 to shinigami: 72.0])
(;B[pe]C[This offers more control on the corner.])
(;B[qe]C[So does this, but it feels too low in this circumstance.]))
(;W[ce]C[I might have gone here for white. It's somewhat close to the corner, and it pincers your last move.]))
(;B[dd])
(;B[cd]))
(;B[rl]C[A disaster has occured, but this will at least let you connect up your two groups.]
;W[rm]
;B[sm]
;W[pn]
;B[ro]))
(;B[on]))