DDK Travails 8

 

Game 1 

Onwards and upwards. Wasn't feeling much in the mood for a game but keeping a habit of play is important. Next game I had white, I wasn't using my delay method so was playing more casually.

Opening 

I had White and both of us opened dual 44s, he enclosed so I approached the other corner and the kick Joseki ensued. They then low approached my other corner. I did not fancy granting them a nice early double wing so pincered and typically they jumped out (as in the previous Travail I have started the book with the Joseki for this but not got there yet). It was something similar to the Joeski but he tried to enter the corner as opposed  to killing/pressurising the pincering stone..

Black had a small lead here and I poked the underbelly of the left corner and was pincered in turn with both of us jumping to the center. Move 31 though he took a second knight on the already enclosed corner which seems excessively defensive, even for me. Since he was being cautious I gained base for my pincering stone, not having much hope of survival there admittedly. 

Meh not much of excitement cause all the Josekis were ones I wasn't used to.

On mistakes I was likely slow as ever and apparently missed many opportunities for exciting kos..

I did make one which could have cost me. I had knighted in to side and hit my own 2 stones head

Ai recommends I clamp at D2 and do something magical to live in the corner.

This led to a bad shape move here

Which should have led to the death of that group (and possible corner life through another magical KO)

Fortunately my oppo protected the cut at C2 and I was able to connect securely.

Another example of extreme AI ko regard occurred when I pulled off a nice clamp here

Black dropped and I cut and Black basically pushed me up to capture the K3 and K5 Stones (nice).   Won by +32.6 in the end (should have been 22.4 but Black missed a kill attempt in the corner and lost 3 stones.

Game 2 

Next up a game versus a 13 who sat at 8-9 kyu in 2024 before a year off which dropped rating down, anyway I really should have won. Broadly happy with the opening.

The pincer led to the left attack which should have won me the game in dealing with later but I mucked that up as will now be seen. At the end of the game I missed a capture race start and got greedy, I hane'd under but should have played safe and dropped to the edge.

By not doing that and playing 1 at 2 I reduced my own liberties leading to the single black stone leaping to life.

Even with my bad first move when Black descends I should have played for the eye at H1 which is 4 liberties versus 4 with an eye but somewhat unaccountably I did not read the top liberty until I played a bit further in.

It's all a bit irrelevant due to me not killing that group earlier, part of my lamentable life and death..

I had, even, without recognising the kill missed an earlier chance to tie the group up here

As can be seen I had poled one eye and prevented the second. If I ignores 134 and played at A then Black was surrounded with little chance to force the (higher) situation. If he takes 134.

It's not all bad though and well played to my opponent for reading that out but I had several chances to win by switching attention back to that group and it wasn't 'lots' of moves required just a couple of changes at differing points which I shall hopefully start improving on with focus.

Game 3 

Next game I was trying to focus on a fundemental and just managed the one.... For things to look on apart from not one space high approaching when white stones exists on the extension  slot... There were a few small gotchas I fell for, in two cases I recovered but should have been hurt more and in once was hurt (and should have died and lost the game)

Let's start with the rookie killer error

I did the boneheaded response of ataring - which allowed white in. If I extended to H18 then I could both atari and force a response and ensure life. Fortunately I managed by both of us missing it to pull that back though this groups should have likely been aggressively squished.

The next almost killer was an attachment into me 1 space corner enclosure.

In game I played S3 and ignored a not very scary KO threat to eat up the invasion. I should have played instead R2 as S3 meant my stone only had 2 liberties whereas R2 would have 3 and what's white going to do? Connect with no eye space? try to go in the corner and give me a ponnuki?

The invasion was likely too late tbh..

The other minor mistake was close to here.

As can be seen I again ataried and white connected (with me tigers mouthing). But AI suggests White should instant cut at L2 and when Black takes with J1 go for KO threats

It looks like Black actually had more here. White essentially has a poke at the group from the first issue which must be defended. Black has 2 in the top right corner that are not so obvious but take a chunk of white space. White then has to threaten the far left but Black actually has a crawl along the bottom line as follows

If white ignores the push at 2 then black can bend round and kill. If at 3 it is ignored then Black connects to P1 - isn't that a cool unexpected KO threat structure!

Game 4

Next game was another league game that I should have lost but my oppo missed an atari when focusing on killing (we've all been there...) I went for my current Black favoured Asami opening. With an interior knight occurring. I 2 spaced off (which is apparently AI favoured but then should apparently focus on a wall facing the other corner...ala

Whereas I ended up with

Note the importance of A  - which is a sente threat that white cant atari with they have to connect giving sente - also not that gives an almost 3 stone ish wall on N that means the group has an plenty of eye space - I obvs did not do this but interesting to see.

I did manage a shoulder hit test but it wasn't responded to

The mistake I want to focus on is the following

So I was thinking some sort of right side shenanigans might ensue but how? The AI actually recommends missing the move before and taking the key bend at A - this connects the two groups and gives territory and this would have cost me the game (bar missed atari).

I then missed a corner kill

Got to here

And bar a white mistake will die but if u take the AI suggestion at B White MUST connect to stop the 3 stones dying. Then A17 lives

Not that it matters as it's a mistake we all make but the lucky atari miss was here

My oppo basically focused in on trying to kill so something in the middle likely the liberty hurt D14 group or some sort of squeeze play on the F11 group and forgot the A7 group was getting low on liberties - actually looking at the play in retrospect he might have been thinking snapback

But I cant see it...

Anyway won by 13.5 should have lost by 16.

Game 5 

A frequent flyer opponent. Looks like my opening is improving but midgame sucks as I seem to consistently get ahead in early play then lose it all later.

On the start my oppo made an unusual attack choice by instant wedging my one point jump - I wans't sure what to o so took a calm defence.

Though AI look contemptuous in  the general direction of my connection (which it regards as even) it did suggest this jump BEFORE playing away

Which is nice actually as it forces white low.

What it really wanted is the suggestion  here which forces the following potential (with the aggressive 8)

Now key points here is that the corner is not alive yet (I think...) If given 15 then isn't it an L?'

Admittedly with so much space on the board it's nothing to go for immediately but useful for future KO or possible kill.. I don't like juggling multiple groups so would likely have the P3 group running but this would have been an extremely fighty game..

Elsewhere key improvements are me missing a kill (almost as usual) - I almost saw it but did not strike early enough

Here is the start

So my oppo just made a mistake but I failed to punish.  I tried to push through ay Q12 which was to early - what I should have done was play M12 leading to this ideally

Would have been a nice kill. I actually had a 2nd change to kill the lot but misread that to - I wont show as mistake on mistake is not something to learnt from really..I was 3.5 points behind now but saw a kill and carried it through.

On another opposing mistake - he should have taken at A allowing him to kill the top 2 stones as it was this meant if he connected at J15 he would be on one liberty and lose the lot so he had to give up the top 5 stones and the left over aji of G14 and G15 meant white lost 7 points and Black gained 10. Swing to win..

I was also trying to follow an old teacher lesson this game which is basically, 'don't protect unless you can see the kill' and was sorely tempted to protect bottom left.

There isn't anything there (except Ko threat potential perhaps) - D2 can be atarid down from C2 or under and laddered at D1 but I did twitch.