Week 2 Game 1

This is a record of my first game on 4/3/16 at the Columbus Go club meeting. It is also, unfortunately the only one that I recorded. I am black in this game and I got horribly out matched right at the beginning. I let white, Jeff, have too much at the beginning of the game and felt obligated to attack after attack against a much stronger player. As you can see from the record, it didn’t last long. I kept letting myself get separated and didn’t take advantage of the one group I managed to isolate well enough.

Feel free commenting on this game, and how I could have played better.

On a positive note, I won my second game, and although I don’t have a game record I had a really exciting third match.20160403_165553 This picture is the final result. The prisoners are not in the picture, but black won by about 10 points. I was white, but the match was really fun, I love close games the most, even though I learn more from the ones where I get crushed completely.

If I go to the Go club next week I’ll record all of my games. I wish I had this one on record so that I could share the fights in this one.


5 Comments so far:

  1. Cr4zyP4nd4 says:

    Hello Ray,

    Here’s a review:
    17: White has initiated the small avalanche. The joseki continuation is C17. The simplest versions of this joseki will all be favorable for white, since white will get thickness facing your 4-4 stone and probably sente. However! since black has the ladder, black can play more aggressive patterns that may be disastrous for white. For more, check out a joseki dictionary.
    25: This feels slack. What does this move accomplish? Back owes a move on the top.
    26: White’s stones are the hands of a judo master, catching blacks punches, slowly lowering him to the ground.
    33: Playing away here is impossible.
    34: A ponnuki in the middle of the board is worth ten billion points. White will attack the bottom left black stones and take the left side.
    41: “Check your strength before you attack.” Black has almost 3 weak groups. It is impossible to counter attack effectively.

    49: “Don’t push from behind.”
    53: Black is in a difficult position. reinforcing the bottom side is urgent, but black desperately needs points. Black’s only hope is to play cooly and wait. White may blunder or play a series of slack moves. If black makes over plays, white will punish them at his convenience, solidifying his lead.*
    55: This kick is only good if you can check the white stones’ extension. It is a local loss. The corner is not sealed off and white gains influence.
    57: If black wants to back away he could just omit 55.
    58: Even if black lives, white gains too many points.
    73: Unfortunately, white is too strong and blacks position on the right is too thin. This attack cannot work.
    91: A good match.

    Summary:
    White takes the lead after the joseki mistake, move 17. Black 25 is slack and ignores his shape problems on the top side. White punishes on the top, then on the left. Black again undervalues strong shape, allowing white a devastating ponnuki. Black tries to recover and sacrifices a large group for influence and sente. However, after black chooses the wrong pattern on the bottom right, white launches the decisive attack, gaining influence, destabilizing the bottom right, and killing a large group.

    Takeaways:
    1. You should work on your understanding of shape. Internalizing basic proverbs about movement should help, as well as paying attention to how vital your groups feel in games. If a position ends up being cramped and turned-in on itself, this is a sign that you left out an important move.

    2. Slow moves are never alright.** If the game is even and you play a slow move your opponent will take the lead. If you are ahead by 20 points and play a slow move, your opponent will close the gap. When developing stones, look at the farthest conceivable extension and work your way closer. Don’t say: “One point jump or knights move.” Say “4 lines or 3 lines? Arg.. not 4 lines. 3 lines or 2 lines then? He can cut 3… I see… 2 lines then… YES it WOrKs.” No matter how decisive the lead, playing a slow move is disappointing.

    This game demonstrates excellent fighting spirit. It may be a “Horrible Defeat,” but it displays your willpower and optimism. May you continue to improve :).

    Best,
    David

    *Cooly waiting does not mean playing passively. It just means not going crazy. Black will need to counter eventually. This can only work if black has a solid position to develop.
    **Solid moves are not the same as slow moves and are perfectly fine.

    • Raymond Chenault Raymond Chenault says:

      Fighting is my natural state. Reading however is not. I try to improve my reading with every game. At club it’s fine, but online, the clock is my downfall. I went into this game expecting to lose, but wanted to see what responses my opponent had is store. My second games with him went much better, and I lost on a life and death problem. I need to get in the habit of recording more of my games. It seems to me that the best game I’ve ever played are lost. I hope to see you at club on Sunday!

      • Cr4zyP4nd4 says:

        Ah, unfortunately I cannot come tomorrow. I am in Korea! Tell Pete, Devin and Matt that I said, “Hello.”
        If reading is your main concern, you should do more go problems! A long time ago a 2-dan told me to do them until I felt sick…and then do more. For a year or so, I tried to do an hour+ of problems a day (with excellent results–about a 12 stone difference). Even 10 simple problems in the morning and at night will dramatically improve your game.

Leave your Comment to Raymond Chenault Cancel your Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *