(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[19]ST[2]CA[UTF-8]AP[SGFC:1.15]

GN[Shiroko-dipdkg-311080-20070629]
PB[Dip Dkg (dipdkg)]
BR[18k]
PW[Michael B. Steffensen (Shiroko)]
WR[20k]
KM[0.5]
DT[2007-04-24,2007-06-29]
PC[Dragon Go Server: http://www.dragongoserver.net/]
RE[B+12.50]
RU[Japanese]

C[dip: even if I won it, it has been an even game until the endgame moves. why didn't I go ahead before? I feel that I miss something in my line of play, or so. but i cannot see what exactly (except some little moves).

Thank in advance to the reviewer!];B[pd];W[cp];B[eq]C[Unusual not to take a corner, but not unheardof.]
;W[dn]SQ[pp][pq]C[This is even more unusual from W.  It gives you back the corner that W should have taken!]
;B[qp]SQ[pp][pq]C[I would probably play this closer to the lone B stone.  This way W has a fairly good play at P4.]
;W[dc];B[oq]C[Good, this prevents W doing the same.];W[gp]SQ[gq]
C[If I were W I would have played low here, forcing you to run up where W is already strong.]
;B[jp]C[Good, probably means you sactifice E3, but you have very nice influence and E3 is still useful as a threat.]
;W[iq];B[ce]C[Good tenuki.  No need to respond to J3 yet.  Most new players wouldn't think to do this.]
;W[ee]C[This move by W is a mistake.  It's a common move for new players because it looks good, but this ends up better for B.  See variation.]

(;B[dg]C[This move isn't good, it concedes a beautiful corner to W.]

(;W[cj];B[cc]C[That's better.];W[db];B[dd];W[ed]C[B can be satisfied with this, though W had an opportunity.]
;B[pj]SQ[nc][jd]C[This move is somewhat passive.  It's not bad, it gives a lot of influence.  However, W really wants to play on the top.  You need to get there first.

On the positive side, any time you get a corner enclosure, you want to extend it toward the side.  In that sense, this is a good move.]
;W[lc]
(;B[qc]C[This move is extremely defensive and small.  One of the worst you make.  It's common for new players to play the 4,4 point because they see it played and then to worry too much about having it invaded.  At this point in the game, for W to invade your 4,4 would be a disaster for him.  See the variation.

The idea when playing at the 4,4 point is to play for influece.  There is a proverb in go that it costs you points every time you change your mind.  Playing the 4,4 and then the 3,3 is changing your mind between influence and territory.  The stones are cramped and don't complement each other.

A much better play in this situation would be to prevent W from easily taking territory with nice influence at the top.]
;W[oc];B[od];W[nd];B[ne];W[md];B[me]C[There is a proverb that you should not push when you're behind.  This move does just that, allowing your opponent to come over the top.  Much better would be to play elsewhere leaving the position as it is.  Perhaps attack that top territory from another place or just move to another part of the board.]
;W[le]C[This ends nicely for W.  Not terrible for B, but could be much better.]
;B[di];W[ci];B[cg]SQ[ch]C[This move can safelybe played at the marked point.  It gives W a peep at E12, but that's not terrible.]
;W[dj];B[ei];W[ej];B[fg]C[The famous "chair" shape.];W[fj]TR[eq]
C[At this point you have the opportunity to play wherever you like.  You decide to attack your opponent's top territory, and that's fine.  However, you are losing the chance to attack below.  Assuming the marked stone can't live, your opponent is about to secure very large part of the board.

Another reason that it's probably best to attack below is that you have a lot of territory on the right, but it's not yet secure.  You have the option to attack in a way that will make you much more secure.  See variation.]

(;B[ge];W[gd]
(;B[lq]C[I would put more pressure on W at the top first.  Any move you make up there is likely to be sente.]
;W[qj]C[This is quite severe from W.  A lot of new-ish players will make a move like this hoping *something* will come of it, but not sure what.  In general, the best thing is to play looselyand try to minimize the loss.  If you can run your opponent into his own territory a lot of time you can painfully reduce him as well as he tries to save his stone.]

(;B[qi]SQ[pk]C[This play says you want to fight.  W is very happy.  He wants a fight.  Something safer yet still threatening is better.

Also, always push your opponent into your wall.  In this case, that means up.  A play at the marked square may be best.  If your opponent follows it's to your advantage.  If he plays R11, it's toward your wall.  See variation for a possibility.]
;W[pi]
(;B[ph]SQ[qh]C[Go proverb: Extend from a crosscut.  There are exceptions, but I don't think this is one.

When a crosscut happens, there will be a lot of fighting.  It's attractive to atari your opponent, but that leaves you very weak.  Instead, extend and be strong, forcing your opponent to respond intelligently.  See variation.]

(;W[pk]C[BIG mistake from W.];B[oi];W[ok];B[qk];W[ql];B[rk]
;W[rl];B[rj];W[pn];B[mj];W[mn];B[kn];W[pp]
(;B[qq]SQ[pq]C[No, stay connected.];W[qo];B[oo]C[Be careful, this looks like a peep but it's fangerous for you too ^_^]
;W[op];B[np];W[pq];B[pr];W[po];B[nr];W[on];B[no]C[Saving this single piece is small.  Play something larger.  Don't just let your opponent lead you.  Take the initiative when he threatens you only slightly.]
;W[nn]C[The same could be said of W here.  There are bigger plays to be made.]
;B[ml]SQ[gn]C[On this move you have the opportunity to play anywhere.  Figuring out how best to claim the center seems to be important right now.  The move you made is good.  Also, consider reducing W in the bottom left around the square.  Either move is good.]
;W[lm];B[ol];W[nk];B[mk];W[nl];B[lo]C[This move is unecessary.  It barely gets you anything in terms of territory.  At this point, reducing W's lower left is much more important.]
;W[km];B[mm]C[dip: exchange N7-M6 not useful to anybody?

Don't take these kinds of exchanges yet.  Just because it's sente doesn't make it good.  You just lose a ko threat.]
;W[ln];B[jn];W[hn]C[Ouch, now W is much stronger over there.  The E3 stone is much harder to threaten with.  There's no longer any good place to play.  It's hard to see sometimes when your opponent is 1 move away from locking up a chunck of territory.  This was one of those cases ^_^]
;B[id]C[Good, may as well reduce the other one.  I like this move, because your opponent must choose whether to start a fight or just play passively.  In this case, it's the passive choice.]
;W[ic];B[jd];W[jc];B[hd];W[hc];B[ik]C[See, now it's much more cramped in this area.  That H6 stone was big.]
;W[lg];B[mg];W[lf];B[lh];W[jg];B[ig];W[jh]CR[da][ea][fa][ga]
[ha][ia][ja][ka][la][ma][na][eb][fb][gb][hb][ib][jb][kb][lb]
[mb][nb][ec][mc][nc][aj][bj][ak][bk][ck][dk][ek][al][bl][cl]
[dl][el][fl][ol][pl][am][bm][cm][dm][em][fm][gm][pm][qm][rm]
[sm][an][bn][cn][en][fn][gn][qn][rn][sn][ao][bo][co][do][eo]
[fo][go][ap][bp][dp][ep][fp][aq][bq][gq][hq][gr][hr][ir][gs]
[hs][is]SQ[ra][sa][rb][sb][ac][bc][rc][sc][ad][bd][qd][rd][sd]
[ae][be][he][oe][pe][qe][re][se][af][bf][hf][of][pf][qf][rf]
[sf][ag][bg][ng][og][pg][qg][rg][sg][eh][mh][nh][oh][qh][rh]
[sh][mi][pi][ri][si][jo][ko][kp][lp][mq][nq][rq][sq][lr][mr]
[or][qr][rr][sr][ls][ms][ns][os][ps][qs][rs][ss]C[taking a count at this point, B has about 70, W has about 74.  It's hard to count the lower left, so W may have a little more or less that I give him credit for.  It's very close in any case.]
;B[ih]C[Don't follow when behind.  Play something else.];W[ii]
;B[ji];W[ki];B[jj];W[li];B[mi];W[kh];B[mf];W[hj];B[hi];W[ij]
;B[il];W[hk];B[hm];W[gm];B[in];W[gn];B[hp];W[gq];B[cq]C[dip: trying an invasion. should it be worth to try or not? it seems to me that it was winning only because opponent's errors.

At this point it doesn't look like invading will strengthen W, so that's fine.]
;W[dp]C[dip: maybe pressing on other side (B3 for example)?

When you're fighting for life, try to read out the consequences of your moves.  You can just read a few options to get an idea of what's best.  Many times you'll miss something, but it's good practice to read rather than guess.  In this case I think I'd connect.  Hard to say without more reading.]
;B[bq];W[dq];B[dr];W[ep]
(;B[fq]C[Better to take the whole corner.  This move dead-ends you into a W wall.  B4 opens up new living possibilities for you.]
;W[bp];B[bs];W[fp]C[dip: F4 not useful at all?

It's definitely the wrong move.  It allows you comfortable life.]
;B[fr];W[gr];B[fs];W[gs];B[ds]C[Nice, a good living structure.  Success.]
;W[jq];B[kr];W[kq];B[jr];W[ip];B[kp];W[io]LB[cb:1][pb:2][bh:5]
[sl:3][ro:4][ap:6][ir:7]C[At this point it's time to look at all the boundaries that remain and decide where to go first.  The corner is typically, though not always, biggest.  Then the higher up the play, the bigger usually.  *Always* take sente plays first.

3 is sente, 5 is sente, 6 is sente, take em.];B[ob]C[Good.  Look for the big points that remain.]
;W[nb];B[pb];W[cb];B[bc];W[bb]CR[ba][ca][da][ea][fa][ga][ha]
[ia][ja][ka][la][eb][fb][gb][hb][ib][jb][kb][lb][mb][ec][fc]
[mc][ai][bi][aj][bj][ak][bk][ck][dk][ek][fk][gk][al][bl][cl]
[dl][el][fl][ol][pl][am][bm][cm][dm][em][fm][pm][qm][rm][an]
[bn][cn][en][fn][qn][rn][sn][bo][co][do][eo][fo][go][ho][hp]
[hq]SQ[pa][qa][ra][sa][qb][rb][sb][rc][sc][ad][bd][qd][rd][sd]
[ae][be][oe][pe][qe][re][se][af][bf][cf][hf][nf][of][pf][qf]
[rf][sf][ag][bg][gg][hg][ng][og][pg][qg][rg][sg][eh][nh][oh]
[qh][rh][sh][ni][pi][ri][si][qj][lp][mq][nq][sq][ar][br][cr]
[er][lr][mr][or][qr][rr][sr][as][cs][es][js][ks][ls][ms][ns]
[os][ps][qs][rs][ss]C[Another count, B has about 67, W has about 70.  It's still very close.  Taking the bottom left corner was huge for you, now the game is winnable.]
;B[fd];W[gc];B[if]SQ[bh][sl][ap]C[Don't make these, there are sente plays on the edges for free!!  All three maked points are worth 2 or more and are absolutely free for the taking. 6 points for nothin.]
;W[fe];B[gf];W[de];B[cd];W[cf];B[df];W[bf];B[be];W[bg];B[bh]
;W[ch];B[bi];W[bj];B[ag];W[dh];B[eh];W[fi];B[gh];W[fh];B[eg]
;W[gi];B[hh];W[jk];B[kj];W[kk];B[lj];W[im];B[jm];W[hl];B[im]
;W[jo];B[ko];W[mo];B[mp];W[jl];B[lp];W[rp];B[rq];W[sp];B[sq]
;W[ro]SQ[sl][ap]C[Now surely you'll take those sente points!!]
;B[lk]C[Aughhh! >_<

(hehe)];W[kl];B[jf];W[mh];B[nh];W[lh];B[kd];W[ld];B[kc];W[kb]
C[This is good, sente as well.];B[ir];W[hr];B[ab]C[There we go, something sente at last.]
;W[ke];B[mb]C[Good!  Ignore him.  This move doesn't work out, but it's the right idea.]
;W[na];B[lb];W[jb];B[ho]C[This is just getting rid of a ko threat, no real threat to him.  Assume your opponent is smart ^_^]
;W[hq];B[pc]SQ[sl][ap]C[!!!];W[mc]C[Odd move.];B[je]C[Take the sente points!!]
;W[nc];B[nm];W[om];B[is];W[ff];B[nj];W[ai];B[af];W[aq]C[Noooo!!!]
;B[ar];W[ap];B[ah];W[aj];B[sl]C[Finally!!];W[rm]SQ[oa][oj]C[Leave it at that until later.  Take sente elsewhere.  When you have nothing left that's sente you can return here.]
;B[sm];W[sn];B[sk];W[kf];B[oj];W[pl];B[oa];W[la]C[Unecessary move by W.]
;B[ba];W[ec];B[aa];W[ca];B[ac];TW[da][ea][fa][ga][ha][ia][ja]
[ka][ma][eb][fb][gb][hb][ib][lb][mb][fc][fd][kg][gj][ak][bk]
[ck][dk][ek][fk][gk][al][bl][cl][dl][el][fl][gl][ol][am][bm]
[cm][dm][em][fm][pm][qm][an][bn][cn][en][fn][qn][rn][ao][bo]
[co][do][eo][fo][go][ho][so][hp]TB[pa][qa][ra][sa][qb][rb][sb]
[rc][sc][ad][bd][qd][rd][sd][ae][he][ie][oe][pe][qe][re][se]
[bf][cf][hf][nf][of][pf][qf][rf][sf][bg][gg][hg][ng][og][pg]
[qg][rg][sg][oh][qh][rh][sh][ni][pi][ri][si][qj][sj][mq][nq]
[br][cr][er][lr][mr][or][qr][rr][sr][as][cs][es][js][ks][ls]
[ms][ns][os][ps][qs][rs][ss]C[White: 60 territories + 7 prisoners + 0.5 komi = 67.5
Black: 74 territories + 6 prisoners = 80
Result: B+12.5

A few final comments.  First, don't submit games that you've won.  There's much less to learn in those games.  W played poorer than you, so it wasn't a challenge.  There wasn't any move that W made that I could explain to you.  Nothing where I could say "this is how you lost."  If you aren't losing any games, play tougher opponents ^_^

Work on your end game.  Look at a game about 5 kyu ahead of you, scroll ahead to the end of the game and try to see what the biggest sente points are, the biggest gote points, etc for each player.  There were a lot of points hanging out there for you at the end game that you didn't take.

You asked in your email "Why was I behind until the end game."  You were actually ahead for much of the beginning of the game.  You fell behind for a while, but it was always very close.  This leads to another piece of advice.  It is *very* important for a go player to learn how to count a board fairly quickly.  If you can count who's ahead or behind, and by how many points, you'll know much better what type of moves to make.  If you're ahead, play it safe, sacrifice a point or two so things don't get complicated.  If you're behind, take risks, play for fights.  I've counted the board for you at 2 points in the game, after move 94 and after move 142.  See if you can count the board at a few other points.

Good luck, please email me if you have any questions at all.

David]N[RESULT])
(;B[bp];W[er];B[cs];W[bo];B[br]C[Life.];W[fr]))
(;B[pq];W[qq];B[rq]
(;W[rp];B[qr];W[qo];B[qq])
(;W[qr];B[rr]
(;W[pr]C[W is in trouble if he tries this.];B[or];W[rp];B[qo]
;W[ro];B[po];W[op];B[oo];W[np];B[nq];W[no];B[on])
(;W[qo];B[rp]))))
(;W[oi];B[rj];W[qk];B[qh]))
(;B[qh];W[oi];B[pk]C[Now W is in a bind.  He will probably sacrifice the lower piece.]
))
(;B[pk]
(;W[qi];B[rl];W[oe];B[of];W[pe];B[qe];W[pf];B[og];W[nf];B[mf]
;W[ng];B[pg];W[qf];B[mg];W[nh];B[pi];W[re];B[rd];W[qd];B[pc]
;W[rc];B[rb];W[sd];B[ob];W[nc];B[sb];W[qa];B[qb];W[pa];B[nb]
;W[mb];B[na];W[ra];B[pb];W[qg];B[ph];W[mi];B[kg];W[nk]C[This doesn't turn out so well for B, I'm sure there are better plays but you can certain;y earn from these.]
)
(;W[qk];B[ql];W[rl];B[rm];W[qm];B[pl];W[rn];B[rk];W[sm];B[qi]
;W[rj];B[ri];W[sk];B[on]C[W gets a small territory.])))
(;B[he];W[hd]C[etc...]))
(;B[cq];W[bq];B[fn]
(;W[hn]C[If W tries for the big kill you can probably eek out life below while still making a nice boundary on the right.]
;B[jn];W[eo];B[fp];W[fo];B[gq];W[hp];B[il];W[hl];B[hk];W[gl]
;B[hr];W[ir];B[cr];W[br])
(;W[eo]C[If W tries to kill the corner, you get a much bigger invasion in return.]
;B[fo];W[fp];B[in];W[hn];B[ho];W[go];B[gn];W[hm];B[im];W[io]
;B[jo];W[hp];B[hl];W[gm];B[gl];W[fm];B[fl];W[en];B[jl])))
(;B[nc]C[This move is perhaps obvious, though a little wimpy.]
)
(;B[md]C[I like this move.  It says "I want territory" while pressuring W at the same time.  See the variations for W's possible responses.]

(;W[mc];B[nc];W[nb];B[oc];W[ob];B[pb];W[ld];B[me])
(;W[ld];B[me])
(;W[qc]C[You give W this option, but it will be terrible for him!!]
;B[qd];W[pc];B[oc];W[ob];B[nc];W[nb]C[You get a very nice wall.  And it's in sente, you get to play wherever you want!  Bad for W.]
))
(;B[jd]C[Even more daring, makes sure W won't get use of that wall.]
))
(;W[cd];B[de];W[dd]C[W is quite happy.]))
(;B[cc];W[dd];B[cd];W[eg];B[ch]C[B is happy after this.  The shape of W's stones aren't ideal.]
))
