lost a 2 stone handy got a question

Goceman86 · #1

so my question is is there anything i could have done in the top left either in the early midgame or late game

DrStraw · #2

Depends which color you were playing I guess.

Goceman86 · #3

DrStraw wrote:

Depends which color you were playing I guess.

im black

Toge · #4

So nice to see the one asking for review put so much own thought for their game.

I added some comments and variations. The main points are invasion vs. reduction difference and keeping distance to the group you're attacking.

Joaz Banbeck · #5

"...i know this is very deep but i feel like i cant let him have this corner"
That right there is your problem. You were suffering from a temporary case of go envy.

The symptoms of go envy are a failure to respect the opponent's strength, a tendency to invade too deeply, and a failure to use capitals.

The diagnosis is confirmed.

The Chinese have a word for go, 'shudan', ( my spelling may be incorrect ) which translates approximately as 'hand talk'. It embodies the idea that players can 'talk', or convey messages when they play. By playing C9, C17, D16 and particularly E9, white has said that he wants the left side. You ignored what he said. Your reply was basically - in a sneering tone: "Oh, yeah? You think that you can have territory??"

I'm only half joking about the capitals, BTW. They convey messages also. You are ignoring not only the subtleties of go communication, but of English communication also. In both cases, certain bits of data mean certain things, and you may have problems if you disregard them.

Now, to the particulars of the cure: a more diplomatic - and more successful - approach might have been to concede to him that he does have some claim to territory by playing something around F12. "Indeed, sir, you have a earned some territory with your excellent play; please allow me to assist you in determining its precise boundaries." At that point, since your stone can connect to either G8, K17, or L13 ( which, BTW, is a fine move ) he cannot successfully try to trap it. He has to play something like D12.

Note that the location of F12 is just on the sector line defined by his stones at E9 and G17:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc $$ |-------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . O . . . O . . . . . . $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . O . O . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . X . . . . . . $$ | . . . . X . . . . . . . . $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . $$ { LN E9 G17 }[/go]

A 'sector line' is a term for the likely extent of territory that a moyo can become. As a general rule, when the opponent plays inside the sector line, it is an invasion, which the owner of the moyo will try to kill; if it is a play outside the sector line it is a reduction, and often the best defense is to prevent further incursion.
To determine whether you need to invade or reduce, you have to look at the possibilities of geeting two eyes vs the possibility of running to friends. Often you might count to see how much territory you can allow him to have and still win.
In this particular instance, you had no room for two eyes but you had three friendly stones nearby. Also, you had some significant territorial possibilities yourself, so you weren't necessarily behind if he made some territory there.

Bill Spight · #6

A few comments.

(Lack of comments does not mean I agree with a move.)

lost a 2 stone handy got a question

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