Reviewing my game (4k vs 5k)

I usually review on GoKibitz, but I was inspired by Kosh’s review of his 5k game and I thought it’d be interesting to make my own review of mine.

This was a 20m + 5 x 30s ranked game with no analysis, that I played just now.

Any comments from stronger players appreciated :D

Move(s) Comment(s)
1–5 This is my most usual opening as White.
6 Because the D17 komoku is low, I didn’t want to immediately approach at N17 as the development potential of the top side is limited. My intention was to exchange C15 for M17 and continue to R6.
8 I also considered playing away, but I didn’t want to allow Black to play a pincer like G3. I failed to consider the E4 kosumi, which is a reasonable option.
10 I dislike the F4 shape and its bad aji a lot more than many players.
12 It was far too early to ask at C11. The top and right sides were the largest areas. My shimari points onto the top side, so I favoured this approach over playing on the right.
14 I burnt a couple of minutes considering whether it was tactically possible for me to play here, since I’ve forgotten what I knew about the shape. I didn’t want to just slide at P17, which wouldn’t make a base.
17–18 This was an interesting move. I expected a sequence like bO16 N18 M15 R17. My response in the game was too fancy. I should have simply wedged and played wO16 O15 O17 M16 R17.
22–23 I took some time to think here, even though I’d considered the position before entering this line. White has to decide between N18 and M17. If White M17 then Black has the choice of which side to cut on; in both cases, White will capture the cutting stone. I think I chose the wrong connection. This was because I missed that after wM17 N18 M18 P18 N19 Q18, the simple White M14 becomes a tennozan play. After my (22) in the game, I expected Black to cut at M17, and I planned to exchange R17 for M15 and play away.
24 I think this was overplay. From a basic point of view, I should respond to a contact move. At a more advanced level, I should have realised that Black can’t finish the joseki in sente anyway. I felt a surplus of kiai, not wanting to permit this move to be played as a probe.
26 I spent a few minutes here. I could see that wC18 C17 D16 B18 E18 C18 F17 is a ladder but I couldn’t find a productive way to break it. I also seriously considered wC17 C18 E16 F17 C11. However, I failed to see that simply wD16 C17 reverts to a 5-4 junseki result. I decided that I would leave the position until I had a better idea of what I wanted to do.
28 I take the corner from pincers more often than most other players.
36–38 I played vulgarly here. My intention was to push twice and take sente to return to the top left, but it would have been better for me to have just jumped to O3.
39 This atari caught me off-guard. I was expecting the other one.
44–47 I misread and thought that this was sente. It is sort of sente, but Black should have played (47) B16. That sets up bB18 B17 A18 A19 B19 C19 with a flower ko. Instead, I should have played wB16 B15 B17 B14 in the beginning, and only then E18.
48 My push threatened to hane, so I haned.
52–53 I didn’t want to enter a pushing battle. M6 is big, of course.
54 I simply established a clear base from my last potentially unsettled group, so that I would have a free hand to play in the centre.
55—59 The shoulderhit sequence was a little gratuitous, but probably not bad. K6 was big.
60 In we go!
61–66 Mistake, attaching to weak stones. The empty triangle is bad shape; the correct shape is Q9, what I call the skewed bamboo joint.
66–68 I fixed my shape and jumped. This also places pressure on the stick. (67) was a clear mistake, with Black trying to reduce my eyespace even though my group is uncontaned.
76 I saw the S16 ko and I seriously considered it. In the game, I felt that I wanted to play more simply, but I did worry that not entering it was soft.
84 Overplay. Black can resist with O11.
90 More than I needed. It seems very slow to just capture in gote at N18, but I think that was all that White actually requires. I could also play in the centre somewhere.
94 Probing.
96–98 Just jumping out simply.
103 The critical attack began. At this point, Black had to kill something to win.
104–106 I attached to begin making shape.
116 I separated the cutting stones so as to play against them.
124–126 I can play this vigorously because I have the threat of K14, isolating those stones.
127 The losing move. Black needed N10, perhaps preceded by L9–K10.
129 If Black connects with M11, White can connect by force with wL10 K14 N9 K10 K8.

The main thing that stands out to me is my overterritorial misjudgement on (22). I play too territorially in many of my games.

My hot-headed refusal to answer (24), which was contrary to general principle, is also prominent.

Aww, no comments?

Yo too bad bro. Maybe yo should try chess!

:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Just joking! :innocent:

Sunday morning here, with legal hour change too!
:crazy_face:

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I was in the process of commenting in defiance of this statement…

…when I realised by observations were completely wrong. So I went and played Go instead.

The only observation I can make from this game, which I am still confident of, is that you are significantly stronger than me.

3 Likes

Ignoring two tsuke on top left corner was sooo bold! :crossed_swords:

Also you forced your opponent to build a huge moyo. I would have been scared of that

2 Likes

Thankyou for reminding me. Noticing that earlier got me to thinking:

Tenuki is sometimes the best move or at least a plausible option but does it also have value in a ‘psychological warfare’ sense? ie. Undermine your opponents confidence in their own judgement by not replying when they anticipate it.

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sooo bold!

More like foolhardy, I think ^^

You can also see that I did attempt to return to the top left, but White didn’t allow my idea.

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This diagram shows the sequence that I think I should have played on (22), assuming that Black cuts at N18 instead of P18.

If Black cut on the other side, my intention was to play something like this, although in the game I didn’t read past (7)–(8).

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