DDK Travails 4

 

The next game to look at was one I won by a large enough score but almost lost due to my fairly consistent pattern of not dealing with invasions correctly...My opponent had been relatively aggressive for OGS and forced a Dragon into my area that I should have trapped but essentially escorted onto my own stones killing my bottom group. I wasn't to bothered as I had a fair amount of strength and points Missing this trap

But I am only a DDK, even though there were plenty of chances to kill even post this..even so post that white group dying I was 30 points up still..

The two easier lessons to learn are both with corner invasions so I will focus on those. One was here

Not quite sure why I though that was poking an eye as it could never be more than 1. 

Second lessons was a nastier 33 invasion here

Note the strength surrounding (and the weakness at G14 potentially) I decided to try and kill

Now my initial defense was correct but I should have continued and made more liberties and if ataried can use surrounding stones as so

Instead of 1 I pushed to E16 allowing my oppo to bend around - still possible to kill but harder now and likely my SDK

The key follow up where I failed was here. My oppo counter hane'd and I counter hane'd allowing F18 to be played

Which would have given Black life. As it was Black missed it and extended I then corrected the mistake by extending to F18 and after he attempted the first of 2 moves needed for an eye with B19 I poked it out with A18.

I am not displeased I almost failed here as it is only through trying these moves do you learn the mistakes and what should be done...So key lesson is keep local strength - I could have gone to 3 either side and still comfortably dealt with the invaders.

Now if less comfortable the I am curious now what the alternatives would have cost. We have a large knight defence.(interestingly AI suggest going for the ko kill due to the strong white surrounding presence - giving white more aggressive options) even down to ignoring all the usual outside defence moves like this series

The usual Black counter at this point would be C15 threatening to kill the 2 but just by bending to D15 and the stone has no where to run. 

If the large knight Joseki is just played out as default I would have been +10.2 behind versus only +7.7 if I Black had not missed F18.

Ok, let's look at a default 33 defence the sacrifice and trap drops down 11.5 points taking the following led to White still being 0.6 up

Think that's still beyond me though. So taking the risk was worth it.

What was less worth it was not reading these through and still playing to fast. I will have to switch back to the timer next game I think.


Next game I want to look at was slightly aggressive and as if oft the case I missed a rather large connection that I need to pay more attention to.

First up I had dual invasions and this time I hane'd (seems a weakness) and should have remembered the 'draw back to capture'

If instead I played A what would he do? - to many weak groups. Anyway that's not even the major cock up. The nuance reviews can show is amazing tbh. I missed a big kill here

Focusing to much on killing the left (would have been 80 up!) and then next move missed the connection at D13 forgetting that kills both my top left and gave (the admittedly didn't realise was dead top center) life..

Then even though Black cut in to D13 I had plenty of chances to kill the cutting stones like

Or

My tactics need a lot of work...

Next game was a benkyo league versus a 14k, under league setup he was 11 and I was 13 so I had 2 stones at start and a handicap game. I held the lead partially I think due to an aggressive variation of the pincer invade 33 push out that I remembered how to handle.

What I want to cover here was an audacious invasion that should have killed my corner due to me, again, mishandling things.

I started fairly well keeping strong and blocking to this point

I even remember what I was thinking and that was that I need to ensure I keep 2 eyes and that was totally the wrong thing to think. I should instead regard me as having 2 eyes as long as I win the capture race. To that extent my next move should be R4 (best) giving me 7 liberties to whites 4 (then)

Black even gets a sente move if white tries to go for it

(3 can go elsewhere)

Other alternatives are S1 and T2 - in both cases no sente as Black has to keep playing

What actually happened was I hane'd at T6 which should have lost me the lot. 

White pushed into the key point at R4 and was now 1 up on the capture race. Both left and right groups have limited liberties on their own (5 on the left but if White plays at F first Black must connect and is at 3! but if Black plays F getting 5 liberties and an eye that means the invading 4 liberty group can now pick on the right group which only has 3 liberties so White likely extends to T2 to get 5 liberties and even if Black runs it will only bump into a white group higher up and if it tries to block then throw in and squeeze works..