Review request: 11k vs 8k

I played a game as white in which I thought I was comfortably ahead by about 8 points for most of the middle and end game. Imagine my suprise when Katago afterwards showed I was actually behind during a large part of the game, at some point even by 20+ points.

I imagine one or several of my groups were very weak and my opponent failed to take advantage of that. Could somebody tell me which it was, and how I should’ve defended? Or is there something else going on?

This is the game: Tournament Game: Vulgarity (104496) R:3 (Fabriek vs lassova)

Thanks!

I’d say that white was focusing a bit too much on the center in the earlier stage. It’s difficult to secure enough points in the center.

Black takes the lead by reducing it well from move 91 to move 95. But then they keep missing the big center reduction at G14. Black does eventually play at F13 on move 135, but that misses the good spot.
Black goes on playing some very slow and small endgame moves such as E5, J4, H5, K16&K17, D13 that lose some 5 points each. So black gradually gave away their lead in the endgame.

Center territory is hard to estimate until everything is sealed.

There’s still a lot of ways black could reduce the center territory by move 110, with multiple sides not completely sealed, especially around the top.

KataGo assumes a perfect sequence of plays from Black to reduce your central territory. If Black played perfectly then yes you’d be behind on territory, because all of black’s territory are solid and fairly big (especially the bottom right corner - it’d be much bigger than the center after reduction).

In terms of defense, around move 121, white should probably go for G14 or F13 to seal off the top. If black takes F13 white loses a lot of territory (~10+ points) in the center. This is a key point for both black and white but you both missed it.

Apparently Black missed that big move. So White should have protected earlier.

Thanks, this helps a lot. I guess my position was very vulnerable since the middle was my only substantial territory and black could have reduced it dramatically with F13/G14.

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Also there’s better ways to invade black’s bottom right corner. I see the AI giving some suggestions that are better :slight_smile:

Ideally you shouldn’t let your opponent form such a large territory unless you’re able to build up a similar sized territory.

Coming up with invasion is tricky once black forms a well protected moyo, so you might want to get in there earlier than later as well.

For example, AI keeps suggesting P3 attachment from very early. You should be able to live there pretty easily when it’s early, but things are harder once black has good influence around it

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