Life In 19x19

This is a game I played after reading several pages of Opening Theory Made Easy. I tried to translate some of the things I read about how stones work together in the beginning to my game.

After the first 10 or so moves, I felt as if W was playing very small moves on a global scale, and tried to counteract that by playing big moves. I feel like I succeeded on that front, but usually when you think you're right, you're wrong.

The bottom was a huge mistake for W. On Move 135 I offered the trade. I connect, and he connects. However, he didn't like my offer and suffered for it. At least that's the way I see it. I feel like maybe if he let me capture and connect, he could have had a chance for the kill at the bottom. Either way, it was a close game until this point.

Another thing I have been doing for serious games is playing the moves out on a real go board and facing the real board to play the move there before playing it online. Not only has this slowed me down immensely, but I feel it is helping my game considerably. But again, I could be wrong.

What do you all think?

I think your early game needs some fangs. I think you're noticing your opponent making mistakes, but then just not punishing for it.

5: This is not the widest side, nor is this an unfinished corner, nor is this an extension from two developmental stones. High approach would be normal? Maybe sanrensei.

9: White just made a big mistake by playing contact. Why would you not respond? Now it is you who did not respond to contact.

15: You made yourself thick bottom right: Why play here?

17: Tenuki contact again.

19: My first thought would be to make a two space extension, but who knows

21: Better just to let white have awful broken shape.

Sorry if I'm harsh, but I think these are important points.

Also, not playing on the left and specifically the top left through this fuseki is just weird. I didn't survive past 21.

Just while I'm still feeling passionately about it, playing a strong fuseki doesn't mean your fighting skill takes the back seat. Neither does being flexible with star points. In fact your fighting skill is still in the front seat, specifically the driver's side. Your fuseki/direction is the awesome navigator in the other front seat.

7: proverbs say to approach from the wider side and from the weaker side, youi are approaching him from your strongest, closest corner. r9 is a wide extension which makes White extend upward, giving you an excuse to take cash in the corner as well.

9: this is not how to respond to a contant move . I would play r4 without blinking here.

15: could go all the way to f3, at least. I would approach d17 at this point.

17: blocking at r13 is a lot bigger than k17

19: take the extension and let White deal with his own weak stone

25: at r15 to capture q14 is better, I think. If he wants to live in the corner he will live small

31: how much do you think capturing at s16 is worth? do you think it is sente or gote?

The result to 34 is very bad for you

45&47: if you were intending to respond to n17 at n18 why not protect with o18 instead, to avoid giving White that sente?

51: contact play, respond at d4 immediately

55: Kill this unreasonable invasion by playing at l4

move 135: after W gave you n7 and n5 there was now cuts at m6 and m4, sohe couldn't take that exchange

147: why??? and since we're in the endgame, why not take the t16 sente?

159: why??? should be at s3!

211: why???

225: why???

227: why???

235: why???

Those meaningless endgame moves - how many points more do you think you would have if you omitted them?

hailthorn011 wrote:I felt as if W was playing very small moves on a global scale

Exactly your . What Sverre said: R9 is a very natural first feeling. Re-read your opening books.
Also what Loons said about fighting and reading: although was not good, it did not cost you your game.

Thanks for the observations. The reason I played is because the book said that playing on the right side was more beneficial than playing on the top. Maybe I took it the wrong way or read it the wrong way, but I'll go back and study up on it some more. And no need to worry about being harsh, Loons. Sometimes harshness is required.

Sverre some of the moves I played in the end game, I played because I was worried about something happening there. I tried reading ahead to see if something COULD happen, but I couldn't reach a decisive conclusion that something couldn't happen. Looking back now though, I see maybe there were a lot of moves towards the end that were unnecessary. I guess being in the heat of the moment, and looking back afford different perspectives.

hailthorn011 wrote:The reason I played is because the book said that playing on the right side was more beneficial than playing on the top.

Yes, but both your and R9 are on the right side; R9 was better.

EdLee wrote:

hailthorn011 wrote:The reason I played is because the book said that playing on the right side was more beneficial than playing on the top.

Yes, but both your and R9 are on the right side; R9 was better.

Point noted.