11k vs 10k review request 19x19

This is by far the strangest game I have ever played, and I’m looking for some advice on how to counter this strategy. I know my opponent was making mistakes, but I got so frustrated dealing with this that I couldn’t see them. https://online-go.com/game/19132976

I’ve seen this type of contact-heavy / fight-reliant style before. Rather than trying to make territory, they stick to your structures tightly.

As I understand it - the weakness of this style is your opponent keeps making eye-less sticks, or structures with false eyes. Time and time again, the only way that black survived these situations was by capturing stones or groups that you had left in an attempt to cut them off - thereby creating your own lethal cut points.

At times like this, your best bets are to spend the extra time and make sure that all of your stones that are blocking in their eye-less sticks are well connected, and resistant to the type of cuts/captures that black used here in the game. Or - if a capture cannot be avoided - make sure it’s only 1 or 2 stones in exchange for some corner/side advantage, leaving them on the inside with fewer points.

I’m guessing that - if this was a correspondence rather than a live-time game, you would have had more time to step back, and play moves that trapped and boxed in rather than reacting to the urgencies of the moment.

Good luck!

3 Likes

Quadruple 3-3 is radically territorial. My gut response is to take the influence you’re kindly offered. Move 12 was like declining the tasty offer. I would have loved pushing Black along the second line (line of defeat) and taking sweet influence.

Games like this usually involve heavy fighting, and it seemed to bring out a weakness in your game. Move 28 is what Black wanted. It allowed full connection of the weak stones in exchange for one stone—a weak offer. Instead, White should hane at g5 and keep them separated. Separation is the key to attacking. Once stones connect, the attack fizzles out instantly. Move 108 was worse. You traded a certain kill for allowing connection out. K14 followed by k15 is what you wanted, and you’d have a won position.

Life and death also seems problematic. What if Black had played move 33 at c6? What if Black had played move 85 at a6? Ko would be unpleasant because so many groups are unsettled at once. My strategy for this kind of game would be to accept the free gift of influence, keep hostile stones weak and unsettled, and keep myself strong to my opponent’s detriment. I’d recommend you pick up and read the Attack and Defense book, and solve more Go puzzles.

6 Likes

lol I’m an allegedly stronger player who lost to this same opponent because i kept trying to punish what I judged to be an overplay before making sure I was strong myself.

3 Likes