Looking for a game review with precised questions (17k 19x19)

[Vixieplaysgo]

Hi,

So I played this game: Partie amicale and I have some questions I guess someone more experienced could help me understand a bit more.

• Did black harassed well the 2 weak white groups in the early game?
• Is the black wall at N9 a satisfactory result for black ?
• At move 78, is there a way to save the two stones at Q10 ?
• Is M11 useless or bad ? (move 155)

Also, do you have any tips on playing more rapidly ? I usually use most of my time in the beginning/middle game and end up playing with only 10 seconds. Which usually leads to blunder, blindness and bold moves.

Thank you very much for your answer,

Vixie.

[square.defender]

opponent escapes faster than you surround them
you need to jump sometimes, don’t just always slowly attach another stone to your wall

One-point jump at Sensei's Library

Two-point jump at Sensei's Library

---

if you play blitz without main time, you will be forced to use intuition instead of reading, then you may learn how to play rapidly

[Vixieplaysgo]

I didn’t want to make a one point jump and be cut until the ladder favoured me but it’s maybe a mistake to think like that.

I hate blitz games but you’re right, it can’t hurt. thx

[jlt]

I’d say that the wall worked well since it helped to kill the opponent’s group (until you made a mistake at move 157).

At move 157 you should have played like this.

As for move 155, it was good enough, but playing like this would have been better:

(killing a big group + 4 stones is better than just killing a big group).

@Vixieplaysgo

At move 78, is there a way to save the two stones at Q10 ?

No.

@Vixieplaysgo

Also, do you have any tips on playing more rapidly ?

Just manage your time better at the beginnig of the game. Don’t overthink obvious moves, don’t spend too much time at the opening, and try to have at least as much time left than your opponent.

[Myrsilos]

@Vixieplaysgo

• Did black harassed well the 2 weak white groups in the early game?

For the 17k level it was fine. You seem to be playing with a deliberate plan, which is great.

@Vixieplaysgo

• Is the black wall at N9 a satisfactory result for black ?

It’s a result. Probably in the sequence immediately after 35, white’s wall (weakening black stones in the corner and on the side) is more valuable than black’s wall (which has no strategic meaning), but then after white plays ten moves on the first and second line, and chooses to cut off two black stones on the side instead of sealing in black’s corner, the black stones are working pretty nicely. (As one would expect in a 17k game, the higher quality of black’s follow-up moves matters about three times as much as the lower efficiency of black’s wall.)

@Vixieplaysgo

• At move 78, is there a way to save the two stones at Q10 ?

I think after W plays R8 you cannot save them, and it is actually profitable to sacrifice to strengthen your corner. And it’s still possible to sacrifice them to get a basically good result in the corner until you play move 87.

@Vixieplaysgo

• Is M11 useless or bad ? (move 155)

I wouldn’t say M11 is useless or bad per se, but it accomplishes your main goal (keeping your stones connected, and his cut apart) while incurring a heavy debt: the threat of atari at J12. That debt is why it’s a 10 point loss, but you would still have been winning by a huge if you had stayed connected and protected your cutting stones. In the end, instead of paying the debt and protecting that double-threat at J12, you ended up losing the cutting stones, so the fact that you connected at M11 barely mattered anyway.

@Vixieplaysgo

Also, do you have any tips on playing more rapidly ? I usually use most of my time in the beginning/middle game and end up playing with only 10 seconds.

If you have trouble with this, use byo-yomi instead of Fisher time. 10s Fisher time is equivalent to 30s byo-yomi.

[Groin]

@Vixieplaysgo

Also, do you have any tips on playing more rapidly ? I usually use most of my time in the beginning/middle game and end up playing with only 10 seconds. Which usually leads to blunder, blindness and bold moves.

You don’t have to play quick anyway. Try to get the appropriate time setting for yourself, the one giving you the most satisfaction.

[GreenAsJade]

@square.defender

if you play blitz without main time, you will be forced to use intuition instead of reading, then you may learn how to play rapidly

… although even smart AI takes countless games to develop intuition simply by playing fast and seeing what happens.