Life In 19x19

Posted: **Wed May 12, 2010 7:00 pm**

Even game. I was white, and komi was 0.5. I thought I was winning by a lot more, but he managed to scrape out life for a dragon that I was sure I had killed. I managed to pull ahead by half a point for the unsatisfying win.

All comments will be appreciated, hopefully

Posted: **Wed May 12, 2010 9:00 pm**

K14 and M13 are both unnecessary, I think. Use these moves to do something useful.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2010 9:49 am**

you're right. I don't know what I was thinking at the time but those are both quite unnecessary. With two extra move I probably could have killed him and then this would be a very different game.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2010 9:57 am**

Well, you still won the game, right? A win is a win, so it doesn't matter if you made a big kill...

Anyway, here are some other thoughts:

Instead of M8, I might try something like K11. It puts a little more pressure on chasing black, and it also helps develop the center area.

L9 seems a little passive. You can probably do something like K10. If black cuts you like it seems you were afraid of, you are OK (if you K10, and b K9, then you can capture with L9 K8 K7).

After black has J10, your bottom left white group is a little weak. So when you get sente, you might consider playing something like C6 to help your group (eg. after you killed B15, and when he played L15, you had a chance to do this... Although, your hane at L14 is also good).

After his group lived, you kept ahead, which is good.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2010 5:00 pm**

Just a few comments, in no particular order of importance:

Move 22) After B jumps to G14, W should be looking to cut with G15 rather than F15. Both moves seem to work in this game, but G15 is better shape.

Moves 23-40) are a disaster for B, so he has to find something better. Playing the peep at J16 a few moves earlier would be a big improvement, before investing so many stones on the left. Blocking at G15 and giving up one stone when W cuts would also be a big improvement.

Move 52) again cuts with the wrong shape. W should be looking to cut at E7 in this position. However, this time both cuts look bad for W, if B plays a bit stronger. In the actual game, both players left the huge corner unsettled for a long time. W should just secure the corner instead of cutting at G6, locking down an easy win.

Move 118) was a good opportunity to play C6 to protect the corner. This is a "live and let die" situation -- B cannot make two eyes in the center.

Move 143) let W off the hook. There was really no ko -- B can capture outright by cutting at B7.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2010 10:21 pm**

mitsun wrote:Just a few comments, in no particular order of importance:

Move 22) After B jumps to G14, W should be looking to cut with G15 rather than F15. Both moves seem to work in this game, but G15 is better shape.

Moves 23-40) are a disaster for B, so he has to find something better. Playing the peep at J16 a few moves earlier would be a big improvement, before investing so many stones on the left. Blocking at G15 and giving up one stone when W cuts would also be a big improvement.

Move 52) again cuts with the wrong shape. W should be looking to cut at E7 in this position. However, this time both cuts look bad for W, if B plays a bit stronger. In the actual game, both players left the huge corner unsettled for a long time. W should just secure the corner instead of cutting at G6, locking down an easy win.

Move 118) was a good opportunity to play C6 to protect the corner. This is a "live and let die" situation -- B cannot make two eyes in the center.

Move 143) let W off the hook. There was really no ko -- B can capture outright by cutting at B7.

All of your comments make sense to me except for the ones about cutting shape

I have read books that show that shape to be acceptable. What is the problem with it?

Posted: **Fri May 14, 2010 9:37 pm**

SHADENINJA wrote: All of your comments make sense to me except for the ones about cutting shape. I have read books that show that shape to be acceptable. What is the problem with it?

The general rule is to cut at the "waist" of the knight's move. The other cut leaves an awkward diagonal shape.

Of course this rule has plenty of exceptions in real play, so you should read out both cuts. Still, the good shape cut works more often than the bad shape cut.

Example of good shape knight's move cut:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . O . . . . $$ . . . . 2 1 5 . . $$ . . . X 3 O . . . $$ . . . . . 4 . . . $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Example of bad shape knight's move cut:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$ $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . 4 . . . . $$ . . . . O 3 5 . . $$ . . . . 1 2 . . . $$ . . . X . O . . . $$ . . . . . . . . . $$ . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Life In 19x19

A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/

Re: A 0.5 point win. Not good enough :/