I’m a beginner (only started playing around August of this year), and so far I have had a lot of fun with this game. The rules are still not fully clear to me, but I am getting somewhat better (I understand them better now than in August when I first started - everything was alien to me - still is…lol).
Anyway, in October, I decided to play my first game of Go on a 13x13 board, so I sent out a correspondence and was soon paired up with an opponent. Sadly, I lost. My opponent chose an opening that completely confused me (can someone, whilst reviewing my game, tell me whether it is a common opening?).
In brief, when you move away from 9x9 to bigger boards, you learn that territory is made in the corners and sides before (and possible more) than the centre, and that 4th line stones, including the 4-4 point don’t secure anything.
In your game, you can see you making a massive claim on the bottom using 4th line stones (and the left side) unaware that this whole area is not secure.
Both players made very 9x9-like openings, quite centre-focussed.
What you don’t realise is that in 9x9, the centre is basically just part of the sides and the corner, so it “works”.
In bigger boards, you need to learn “secure corners first, then sides, then centre”. In 13x13, it’s still a bit blury because the centre is still very close to the sides, but it does apply. In 19x19, shooting for the centre first is the way to lose.
No, it was a verty 9x9-style opening. As a result, you were ahead into the middle of the game.
It was only your opponent’s experience at killing things, and your lack of experience in how to defend against that, which turned the game for your opponent.
I wrote a few ideas (i wouldn’t say that it is a proper review ). The opening is indeed strange, but i think you answered correctly. White seems well ahead until you get attacked in your corners. If you simply defend you will see that his center is not enough. Be careful about life in the corners i would say it was your main problem.
Looks like you’re doing great for just starting. I can tell you the opening is not common, and you were leading after that. In fact, if move 110 was defending the upper right corner you would have won it. If you go back I think you’ll find that g1 was unnecessary.
Sure. A stone is unnecessary when the existing stones already do the job you want done. Here, the job you want done is keeping the hostile stones at f1 and g2 dead, and the existing stones already did that. If you don’t play g1, I’m not sure what sequence you have in mind for Black. Let’s say Black plays g1, which saves (temporarily) the g2 stone by putting it out of atari and increasing its liberties from 1 to 2. Thing is, White can just knock the stones back down to one liberty again with either e1 or h1, and there’s no clear path for Black to ever get more than 2 liberties, let alone live.
As for where to play move 110, atari at l12 looks good enough.
Thank you so much for that explanation. After following what you said on the board, it became clear to me why it was what you said. I guess knowing when a stone (or even stones in some cases) is unnecessary will come with experience.
You’re welcome. Besides being able to point your friends to your game on a great website created specifically for game reviews, you also have the regulars which will comment on publicly available games. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had great in-depth reviews by people I’ve never met that were quite a bit stronger than me and gave me great insight.
I’ve certainly read many pertinent comments from both my friends and regular site users that I have no idea who they are. As for improvement, personally I think it has to do with the level of time/commitment that you can put in, and I’ve mostly been stagnated for years as I can’t really afford the time I think I would need to make solid progress. Not that I’m any good, I’m just ~5k. I’m probably too dumb, I must make peace with that…
I believe ~5k is a good ranking to have, especially when time is not on your side. You don’t have to reach dan just to be able to call yourself a good player. Playing strength is subjective, anyway. To me, a complete beginner, 5kyu is very strong. To a dan player, 5kyu is probably just below average. It all depends on the opponent’s strength.
I may never reach your level, and I am fine with that. I play to learn, to experience new things, and to enjoy the game of Go. It feels good to win and all, but it isn’t important. What is important is having fun.
I completely agree that one should enjoy the game at whatever level one is. And I do enjoy it at the level I’m currently at, and have enjoyed the ride thus far. I did not mean to sound elitist.
You didn’t sound elitist. We all (most of us, anyway) want to improve, so wanting to get better is normal. I would be very proud of myself if I got past 25-30k.
My opponent chose an opening that completely confused me (can someone, whilst reviewing my game, tell me whether it is a common opening?).
What is important is having fun.