Review of Opening/Early-mid game of 3k v 3k game please

Teaching Reviews requests
1

I’m interested in comments on fuseki and mid-game… particularly up to about move 60-65

After 60, I was definitely behind in this game as B captured stones and gained influence…

Is it as simple as mistake at move 60 where I needed to connect… or did I lose ground before that?

After that is less critical… play was dictated by attempt to ‘catch up’, which I believe I was doing until I made another blunder/mis-read… during semeai…

Thanks!

2

I would say, white made mistake in move 16 R6. White should have play extension on top side instead. You can simply count, where on goban is the biggest gap in number of empty intersections between stones. It is top side. Also upper left white group looks to be the least developed group of white. Not to mention that white move on top side can serve as preparation of attack on black group starting with move S17, which is aiming at weak point at Q18.

Another doubtful move is continuation 18 R3. I would suggest instead 18 S4, 19 R3, 20 Q8, There is no point in playing R6 and immediately sacrifice it with R3. If you wanted corner so much, you could play R3 right away without R6 or if you aim more on bottom side, you can consider move Q3.

28 17 is then jump into wild river, because upper left white group is not stabilized yet. I do not say, that it is impossible, but here is white not having game under control, there can happen anything. If white would play on top side earlier, white would have fate of all his groups holding safely in his hands. Playing 30 C16 is attempt to stabilize white group, but it is very much helping black and it is forcing black to fix aji in his position, which is what black wants to play anyway. Simply put, white is playing here aji keshi in order to settle his own group and thus both white and black will be stabilized in upper left corner.

Regarding move 60, your connection would probably lead to all or nothing semai, which is by its nature, very risky. This all could have been prevented by white playing on top side first instead of attacking with R6.

So that is my analyze of game until move 60. However I am just 1 kyu. Maybe some dan player would see it differently.

Best regards
Motylek

3

Here’s my review: https://online-go.com/review/85451
Of course, take everything with a grain of salt :slight_smile:

4

thanks! your analysis that I missed the ‘obvious’ opportunity to extend on top as more urgent is, I think, right on target… and nicely consistent w/ Vincent’s analysis… which also points out that my little kosumi in the corner, while solid, is a bit passive…

much obliged!

5

thank you! Very clear… I agree… I’ve got to study and play pincers more… completely agree that B missed opportunity when I approached wrong side on the right, and I missed opportunity(s) in the UL… and these mistakes cascaded…

we’ll see if I can pull it out or not… by my count, I was about even or a couple points ahead before blundering away another half dozen points… we’ll see how the end game goes.

Thanks again!

6

Here’s my review.

7

thanks… a couple of additional helpful ideas… completely agree… if I wasn’t behind before that, pushing into corner was MUCH smaller and less urgent than jumping out w/ my group into the center… I can’t recall why I didn’t do that at the time!