(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[13]AP[SGFC:1.13b]

GN[TDP__D0GPlG-yeshuatenu.sgf]
PB[TDP__D0GPlG]
BR[12kyu]
HA[0]
PW[yeshuatenu]
WR[18kyu]
KM[5.5]
DT[2000-03-22]
PC[MSN Gaming Zone - Lotus Table 16]
RE[B+35.5]
US[Zone]

C[This was a game at the MSN Zone Go area.

I played white.  I use the name Yeshuatenu.  Currently I am about 18 kyu, I think.

TDP_DOGPIG played black.  He said he was about 12 kyu.

I think I did okay: we played without a handicap even though he was about 6 kyu better, and I only lost by 35.5  But I'm curious when I could have made better plays, and why they would be better.  Some moves seem obviously weak, as evidenced by the results they produce.

buckyyowza: Hello!  Comments on this game provided by yours truly, Mark Fyffe, known in internet go circles as buckyyowza.  I'm am currently 7k* on IGS, about 1 kyu in the US.  I hope my thoughts can be of service.]
;B[jj];W[dk];B[cd];W[jc];B[fc];W[kh];B[kf]
(;W[jf]LB[ih:A][ld:B][kd:C]C[For example, I do not know if this play was a good one.  I know that normally playing adjacent to the opponent stone serves mainly to strengthen them, but I felt I had enough nearby friendly support.

Something I'm slowly learning is when to try to limit the territory the opponent gains, and when to attack to kill.
  buckyyowza: your move isn't bad at all.  black's last move is a bit of a double play, putting a pincer on the stone at l6 and a 'ogeima kakari' approach to your stone at k11.  an effort to protect l6 (eg. by jumping to A (j6)), could leave you a bit weak in the upper right.  likewise, an effort to prevent further approach (eg. with B (m10) or C (l10)) would leave you in a similar prediciment in the lower right.  your move seems a natural response that puts the decision back in your opponents hands by putting some pressure on his stone at l8 in sente. As can be seen by playing with some variations on move #7 and #8 (all of which are very rough and should be taken as such :-), it can be seen that white can easily end up in the better position from any of these plays. It seems the only bad play here would have been tenuki (playing away from the situation).]

(;B[kg];W[jg];B[je];W[ke];B[le];W[kd];B[lh]
(;W[lf]C[buckyyowza: this accomplishes little except guaranteeing that black will live on the right side and that white will have a tough time getting anything done in the lower right.  probably not what you had in mind. see variation on move #15 for a better idea.]
;B[lg];W[ld];B[mf];W[ie];B[jh]TR[kh]
(;C[buckyyowza: this stone is now dead.]
(;W[ki]TR[kh][ki]C[buckyyowza: since these stones have little hope of survival, this is "dropping a stone".  you've given your opponent a free point (for the extra dead stone), and also given him a free move... as if you'd passed.]

(;B[ji];W[kj];B[kk];W[jk];B[ik];W[jl];B[il];W[kl];B[lk]C[buckyyowza:  this is quite a horrid result for white, one that can be avoided by seeing the danger coming.  compare to variation on move #21]
;W[lj];B[ll];W[cf]LB[ch:A][ci:B]C[buckyyowza: this is a bit overextended.  without any thickness to back up your stone at d3, a cutting move by black could be rather painful. much better to play at A (c6) or B (c5)]
;B[ci]
(;W[cj]LB[cf:A][ci:B][dh:C][ef:D]C[This play, too, I am uncertain about.  Would F3 or G4 be better?  Those seem to resemble what I have seen experienced players do.

Looking back at the game, both edges wind up similar: he invades, and my responses give him the edge while we share inward-facing walls.  Not the best result for me!

buckyyowza: actually, considering that your stone at A (c8)  will be left trapped between black's followup to your move and the ogeima shimari (the formation created by c10 and f11), you'd be better to have played at C (d6, see variation on move #35) or D (e8) to prevent significant damage... better yet to have prevented black from playing B (c5) at all (see move #34).  Considering black's oppressive inflluence from the lower right, f3 and g4 would have been poor choices here.]
;B[di]
(;W[dh]LB[fj:A][ef:B]C[buckyyowza: better to play at B (e8) to save your stone at c8. another good choice would be to play at A (f4, see variation on move #37).]
;B[ch];W[ei];B[dg];W[eh];B[df];W[cg]TR[cf][cg]LB[dj:A]C[buckyyowza: these stones are certainly dead after this play. probably best to protect your nice shape in the lower left by playing something like A (d4)]
;B[ce];W[bh];B[bi];W[bj];B[bg];W[bf];B[ah];W[be];B[bd]C[buckyyowza: seems that white should pay a bit more attention to counting liberties. doing so could prevent this sort of result.]
;W[gk];B[fm];W[el];B[fl];W[fk];B[ib]TR[il][fm]LB[gl:A]C[I was disappointed that he did tenuki...I had never been invaded by a "long knight's move" and wanted to see how it worked out.

buckyyowza: this tenuki is a bit surprising considering that a white stone at A (g2) easily kills black's monkey jump (knight's move to the first line).  the monkey jump is usually played much closer to the end of the game as it is usually gote.  j12 is a nice move, but it seems that black would want to follow up his previous play.]
;W[jb];B[ic];W[hi];B[ig];W[if];B[id];W[jd];B[md];W[mc]
(;B[me];W[lb];B[hh];W[hg];B[ih];W[gh];B[ij];W[gl];B[hm];W[gm]
;B[fe];W[ff];B[ge];W[gf];B[he];W[hf];B[dj];W[ej];B[bk];W[ck]
;B[aj];W[bl];B[ak];W[al];B[ai];W[de];B[ee];W[dd];B[dc];W[ef]
;B[ed];W[de]C[buckyyowza: this is a nice thought, if your intent is to destroy an eye shape.  in this case, black is plenty alive with or without the eye shape (especially considering that the white stones around c8 are dead).  It is good, nonetheless, that you are noticing these sorts of tactics since they are quite useful in the right situations.]
;B[dd];W[eg];B[de];W[hl];B[im];W[hj];B[ja];W[ka];B[ia];W[kc]
C[buckyyowza: this is unnecessary, and drops a stone.];B[mj]
;W[hk];B[li]TW[la][ma][kb][mb][lc][je][fg][gg][fh][fi][gi][fj]
[gj][ek][cl][dl][fl][am][bm][cm][dm][em][fm]TB[aa][ba][ca][da]
[ea][fa][ga][ha][ab][bb][cb][db][eb][fb][gb][hb][ac][bc][cc]
[ec][gc][hc][ad][fd][gd][hd][ae][be][af][bf][cf][lf][ag][cg]
[mg][bh][kh][mh][ki][mi][kj][lj][jk][mk][jl][kl][ml][jm][km]
[lm][mm]C[The game is over.  Final score:
   White = 23 territory + 3 captures + 5.5 komi = 31.5
   Black = 51 territory + 16 captures = 67
Black wins by 35.5.

buckyyowza: not a bad game.  seems that barring a few tactical bluders, you played fairly well.  your biggest problem is counting the liberties on groups which are in "semeai", or engaged in a battle where only one side can live.  it is often best to use stones that are "dead" to force your opponent to make plays to your advantage rather that trying to bring dead or dying groups back to life. remember that the purpose of the game is to score more points than your opponent, and not necessarily to keep all your groups alive. of course, it helps to be aware of which stones are "dead", and which are "alive" :-)

I have enjoyed going over your game, and hope that you find my comments useful.  please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, need clarification on some of my explanations or terms that I've used, or have trouble viewing the game. Please take into consideration as well that I am only about 1 kyu in the US, and that my comments should be taken with a grain of salt ;)   Good luck!
Mark Fyffe (buckyyowza)
bucky@skapunx.net])
(;B[lc];W[me]C[buckyyowza: this ko could be dangerous for white. perhaps a bit safer to play m11 instead of n11 unless you know the game to be very close and ko is a necessary risk. of course, black didn't take advantage of this.]
))
(;W[fj];B[dj];W[ek];B[ck];W[cl];B[bk];W[bl];B[bj];W[fh]))
(;W[dh];B[di];W[eh];B[ei];W[fj]))
(;B[ih]C[buckyyowza: this move would white quite a tough game.]
))
(;W[ih];B[ji];W[ch]C[buckyyowza: this is not too bad a result for white.  considering the blunder at m8, white is back in the game after this.]
))
(;W[ih];B[ji])
(;W[ih];B[ji];W[ch]C[buckyyowza: not too bad a result. considering the blunder at m8, this puts white back in the game]
))
(;W[lg];B[lf];W[li];B[mg];W[ji]C[buckyyowza: maybe this is what you meant to do, black lives, but white has a nice strong shape and good influence on the board.]
))
(;B[je];W[jg];B[ke];W[ie];B[id];W[jd];B[hd];W[ld])
(;B[jg];W[kg];B[je];W[if];B[kd];W[ie];B[kc];W[jb];B[lf];W[ii]
))
(;W[ih];B[lc];W[hd];B[if]C[buckyyowza: white is a bit on the run, but not bad.  If he can keep sente, an approach to the lower right may prove beneficial.]
)
(;W[kd];B[jh]
(;W[jg];B[kg];W[ji];B[ih];W[ki];B[ii]C[buckyyowza: this could get interesting]
)
(;W[kg];B[jg];W[lf]))
(;W[ld];B[jh];W[kg];B[jg];W[lf];B[ke];W[le];B[ki];W[li];B[lj]
;W[lh];B[hf])
(;W[ci];B[if]C[buckyyowza: not too good for white after tenuki.]
))
