Game Review

I lost this game: https://online-go.com/game/9775961 and i would like to ask for some review. I think that maybe i did some big mistake (in general theory) because this game don’t have any big fight, was a pacific game, so probably i’m thinking wrong but i can’t see what exacly is the problem.

Thanks in advance.

here is my review - https://online-go.com/review/265765

Its actually good to play peacefully if you are in lead (huge bottom corner)

Major mistake of the game is not protecting cutting points - there were huge opportunities on both sides. Also if your group gets surrounded (bottom left) make sure it alive - its top priority vast majority of time.

3 Likes

Thankyou for the review, but i’m the white player hehe not the black. This gave-me some insight about the game and my opponent, i think that i’m not reading much and playing fast, this cuts that you mention i should explore more in the games but i did not know exactly how.

oops :slight_smile: gimme a sec to update it

EDIT : updated

3 Likes

I was thinking the same thing - this whole “protect your cuts thing” I would love to learn more about.

For example, at move 26, white protected a cut, and the problem pointed out that “this is slow”. That’s the problem I have: protecting cuts is slow, so how do you know when to do it?

And similarly, when you see cuts, taking advantage of them is very non-obvious a lot of the time.

hmmm… the short answer is: “when you need to.” thats not very satisfying… but i dont think there is any easy answer to that question. it heavily depends on what is actually being cut (2 stones in this case) and what being cut would mean for either player.

for example the stones could be…:

  • denying the opponent a connection
  • denying the opponent the necessary eyespace to live
  • essential for your own group to make a life
  • connecting an eyeless group of yours to a living one
  • an important part of your wall, preventing the opponent from destroying your territory

additionally there are cases, in which sacrificing two stones like this, will just create new cutting points, and therefore more problems.

if you can find a reason that makes you want to save the 2 stones, other than just the 4 points they are worth immediately, that is usually an indicator that connecting might be a good idea. leaving a cut is always a weakness, therefore determining how big of a loss it would be to have the weakness exploited is really all that can be done (would love to be told otherwise :slight_smile:). when doing this, try not to forget that sometimes a peep or a move that threatens to cut is the most effective way to exploit the weakness.

in the example at hand, it seems like the cut isnt important for the time being, but that doesnt mean the game cant move (be steered) in a direction to make it relevant (for example in the context of a reduction or an invasion).

P.S.: dwyrin says (from memory :thinking:): “protecting shape is good, protecting points is not.”

im not sure that helped at all…

3 Likes

Thankyou so much!

Now i see some mistakes in my game that i can work.