Now, now, let’s move to the quiet place of the forum, with the open bar and the buffet
I went in really afraid of the rank difference, and it took me some time to find my hands and play more freely.
Bad thing is, right then things started going downhill, so maybe scared play was what should happen, but it’s too restricting (this could of course be that my courteous opponents don’t want to bludgeon me to death from move 5).
I think my direction suffered less this time, and I read out some things that I normally wouldn’t (I think the people who were watching live could tell…)
It was an intense game for me, and I will see it again with clear eyes tomorrow, but as always any comments are welcome.
Note: Other than this fun tourney, I will be playing more or less equal games, we’ll see how that goes.
This was a complicated fighting game. I agree that your direction was good and in my opinion you held your ground very well against Jakobb. I have a couple of comments, although I can’t say much about the center fighting without deeper analysis, as there appear to be multiple potential capturing races at play.
Move 20
Blocking with C7 connects your stones nicely and is an important point. If white plays there then blacks left side position suffers one way or another.
Whites move 53 (N6) was a mistake and you reacted nicely by cutting. It appears that during the game both players thought about the ladder, which is good for white. But it turns out that black can capture in a net. Note that A is sente for black. This is easy to miss but it’s a powerful tactical motive.
Turning at L17 is very important in this fighting. It connects the black stones up top and keeps whites liberties low. Presumably you were worried about white sealing you in with A. In that case you could answer once with B to keep white separated, and should white cut with C, then proceed to strengthen your top group - maybe with D. This fight looks promising for black.
With move 81 white put one of your stones in atari, but this was a distraction with the goal to link up to the top by playing M9. Note that capturing the N7 stone does not give whites group security, and so I would suggest to ignore the atari and prevent the connection by playing M9.
The top black group has been surrounded, but it is too early to give it up. Connecting with K17 gives the group some breathing room and poses white some shape problems. For example black can look forward to playing A, and if white connects with B, then atari three stones with C and move out swiftly with E.
When white pushed into your knights move with the intention of cutting, you allowed white to push through too easily, which in turn damaged your D10 stone. I believe that blocking is good here, and if white cuts, you can draw back. In this position white has two problems to solve: they need to defend against black playing at A and black attacking their cutting stone at 2. So I feel that this fight is not unreasonable for black.
At this point it is unclear what happens in the center fight. In any case I would call F7 a key point for either side here. White would need to defend against E6, and black can look forward to attacking the G7 and H6 stones.
I always introduced myself as Ji-a (stressed at i, the same Italian nickname that Georgia has), but I like Guy-ah lol, it sounds like Gaia and so classy and Hellenic.
I want to add: b24, the default move is on p3. This reduces liberty of white two stones and maximizes the pressure, sort of like the best defense is offense thing. Black should not fear being cut with the space to extend on the bottom and black stone at q10 for support of the other two black stones.
Besides, white has to add a move in the corner to be alive and does not really have time to cut black.
I think the play in this corner was very important.
The game variation is 28 α …35 O 36 P1 X 37 Q6 R6.
Firstly, note that White O can be responded to at one of the 囗 or Δ points. If (1) or Black X is on the board then you can play 囗, as the liberties of the P4 stones won’t be an issue. Otherwise, Δ is safer.
(If (1) O then, to be technical, your best endgame is (1) O; A B; β S1; (囗).)
The issue with α is that it only indirectly fixes the cut at X, as compared at (1) or X itself, moves that address the defect directly.
If you do play (1) or X and White plays away, you have the hefty punishment of A.
(1) tk; A B; C (…T2; S1 T4; Q1) and the corner dies. See diagram.
Supposing (1) or O has been played, I think the proper continuation as White is (1) A, asking Black to eventually play β if she is to develop the bottom side, or else White’ll jump to γ.
That said, O is more sente, peeping the cut.
Note also that if α is the first move, as in the game, then White can consider asking for α β; γ A, and see if you’ll spend sente fixing at N3. If there’s (1) or X instead then you can respond to β at A and White is busted.