(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[9]ST[2]CA[UTF-8]AP[SGFC:1.15]VW[]

PB[Human]
HA[2]
PW[Igo for windows]
KM[0]
RU[Japanese]

AB[gc][cg]C[
Hello, Frank.  I'm Kevin; I'll be doing the review of your game for the GTL.  (This is the first GTL review I've done, so it's pretty exciting for me, too :) )  In the game, I'll preface my comments with K.  They'll appear after your own comments, with the exception of this one, since I wanted to make sure you noticed it ;)  Hope my review will be helpful to you.  So!  Let's get started.

As to your comments below, the computer level is no doubt relative only to its own program.  Don't worry about it.  Human rankings are fleeting; you'll find that you tend to stay in one general range as your skill rises, but within that range you'll probably fluctuate a lot.  Don't worry about that, either, just worry about playing *grin*

Let it be known, though, that computer Go playing programs can be dubious.  They're a good way to get the basics of the game, and they can put up a good challenge when you're first learning, but I'd strongly suggest joining up KGS (or your Go server of choice) and finding humans to play against.  I go by Lothe on KGS and if we meet up I'd be more than happy to give you a game.


Human strength is 14 Kyu.  Computer playing at level 4.  FS - not sure what this means, the computer ranking and I highly doubt I'm 14 Kyu.  I've not played too much on KGS but will start soon.  Wanted to get a game evaluated so I can gauge some strengths and weaknesses.  I've been reading alot about GO recently.  I've read Janice Kim's first book and have been working through the early chapters of Charles Matthew's "Shape Up" which is downloadable from gobase.org.  I've not played much except against  the computer and just wanted an opinion of strengths, things to watch out for.  - Thanks,    Frank]
;W[cc];B[gg]C[K:  Good opening move for a 9x9 2-stone game.  Already White is going to be hard-pressed to create enough territory in the remaining space to win.  (Provided, of course, Black manages to firm up what he's sketched out.)]
;W[ge];B[ee];W[fd]
(;B[ec]C[Cut off white here

K:  Not a bad idea, but when you start playing like this, you have to remember that you can get real thin, real fast.  (Thinness means that there are a lot of places in your formation where the enemy can invade or attack.)  Here, White could conceivably follow something like the variation and put your stones in danger.

In a handicap game, it is in Black's best interest to keep everything clean and simple.  Check out the second variation to see another idea for how to play Black 6.]

(;W[fc];B[fb]C["Play hane at the head of two stones" and continue to block

K:  Probably a good choice here.  Depending how the game went from here, Black may or may not be able to afford the loss of the upper-right corner--though had you used Black 8 to try to create more territory in the area that you prospectively control (somethng like C6 or C5 might be good), it might still be possible.]
;W[db]LB[eb:A]C[K:  White 9 is called a nozoki, or peeping, tesuji.  It's a common move in a situation like this, where one side of a kosumi (diagonal play) has been filled.

Here's the trick:  a kosumi is a useful extension because you can connect the two stones from either direction.  But the corollary of that is that once one of those two spots is filled, you're all but required to play the other one, unless you've got something up your sleeve.  Otherwise the stone may be cut off completely from its brother.

Here, White is aiming at playing "A" if you don't reply there.  You have some recourse in that G8 is still open, but as soon as White plays A you're forced to play G8 (otherwise White captures the F8 stone and escapes), giving White another move in sente.  (Or more, depending how he uses it.)]

(;B[dd]C[K:  Black 10 is too timid.  Although it does prevent a White forcing move at the same spot, it might have been better played at (for example) C5--see variation.

What I'm trying to get at is that this stone is inefficient; it could have been used to develop territory or stymie the enemy in a more dramatic way.]
;W[eb]C[K:  Here's the completion of the peek that I was talking about earlier.]

(;B[fa]C[Prevent white from going around the base on me.  Is C5 better here to further cut off white?

K:  This is a good response, though bear in mind that it leaves White a pretty major threat at E9, and another, similarly potent maneuver at G6.  You might have been better off playing Black 12 at G8 to make that connection solid--granted, White can then play F9 to squeeze an extra point out of you, but that's a much smaller move than the potent sente plays he now has available to him.

As far as C5 goes, as I mentioned, it would have been good earlier, but now would be a much mistaken play.  Anything which does not now protect against the cut at G8 is dangerous (see variation).]
;W[ea]C[K:  This is the threat I was talking about.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that White would play it straight off.  Though I can see why the computer might want to take the sente move while it's there, I think a human player would probably have saved this move as a threat and played White 13 elsewhere.  (Note that if Black plays E9 instead, he kills himself--see variation from Black 12.)]
;B[gb]C[Prevent attack at G8 - shape too thick?

K:  I might suggest H8 (kaketsugi--hanging connection) because it gives the Black group slightly better eyeshape, but for now you can just pat yourself on the back for seeing the danger you were in.

By the by, the four Black stones are now very heavy (that is, they're difficult but necessary to save), and you should focus your attack on the three White stones in your midst, seeing as that's White's only really disconnected group at the moment.]
;W[ce]C[K:  White now takes the big point of C5.];B[cd]C[Split white after  diagonal block

K:  That's a good idea, but you could make this move even more powerful.  I'd suggest playing D7 first, which is a majorly sente move for you--White would have to protect C8 for the same reason you had to protect G8 earlier.  Then you could still make this move, with your stones more solidly connected.

Granted, if White protects C8 with B8, then a block at B6 here is somewhat more effective, so it's up to you exactly how you'd like to handle the situation (as it so often is).]
;W[hc]C[K:  White's striking the death blow on these stones.  There's little to nothing you can do to save them now--I would suggest taking advantage of them for their relatively formidable aji before White captures them.

(Aji is a Japanese term which refers to the concept that even when a stone or group of stones is dead, its presence on the board can be used as leverage in attacks or defense; e.g., here, the four black stones, dead though they are, still allow you some sente moves like the one at D7 mentioned earlier.)]
;B[bd]C[Wasted move?  I am struggling with Sente/Gote.  Did I just lose Sente here?

K:  To answer your first question, not necessarily.  You've very effectively split White's C5 off from the stones above, and have some sente moves at something like B7 or A7.  All the same, I say once again that your best bet right now would be to take advantage of the three (now four) floating White stones in your midst, since right now you're in a position to make moves against them in sente which will simultaneously consolidate your area.  (See that Black's space on the bottom is not yet fully-formed and there is room for harassment by White.)

As far as your second question, you did technically lose sente.  "Sente" means (roughly) "initiative" and means that you force your opponent to reply to your play.  To "make a move in sente" means to make a move to which your opponent has only one possible response, or at least to which he is forced to respond.  (E.g., White's peek at E8 earlier was "in sente", because if you didn't protect G8 somehow the results for you would have been disastrous.)

"Gote" means "defense" or "defensive" and to make a gote move is to make a move to which your opponent is not required to respond.  Being aware of which plays are sente and which are gote at any given time (for both sides--often a single space will be sente for one side and gote for the other) is a handy thing, but don't worry too much about it.  Sente and gote are bound to change hands many times over the course of the game, and although it's certainly a good thing to keep sente as much as you can, sometimes you have no choice but to play in gote.  (Also, it's not always a good idea to make a sente move simply because you can--if you go making sente moves in all areas of the board you'll be spread thin and not have the time to strengthen your formations.  I know the concepts seem a bit esoteric, but keep on playing and they'll no doubt come clear :)  )]
;W[hb]C[K:  This move is because if Black plays H8, he can hassle White a bit, though I'm not sure the play was as urgent as White makes it appear.  That said, these four stones are inarguably dead now.]
;B[hd]C[K:  Not an especially effective play, since when White plays G6 next he has not only killed Black 20 but connected his stones in this area.  Just about any move you made around here was bound to induce that, but the chance would have been better-used to play something like F5 or even G4, which would have consolidated your territory instead of giving White another prisoner.]
;W[gd];B[gf]C[Would J6 have been better?

K:  Short answer, no.  On Black J6, White simply plays H5 and gets another prisoner and another stone to push with.

In fact, G4 is a good choice here in that if White were to take the spot instead he would have a larger wall with which to invade this part of Black's area and would have been harder to stop.  Moreover, this move almost demands H5 by White, because of the variation if he plays elsewhere (except, perhaps, H4.)]

(;W[be]C[K:  I'm honestly not sure what White is planning with this.  Either he's doing something beyond my ken, or it's the result of a computer which has somehow calculated this being the most advantageous move.

Nonethless, I would recommend D5 in response, since White D5 would put three White stones a row and give him a fairly formidable front.  Moreover, since your three pieces aren't yet connected--even though they can be easily--it could quickly become a threat which forces you to connect and thus gives White another move.]
;B[ae]C[K:  This is a perfectly legitimate response as well, nice job.]
;W[he];B[hf];W[bc]C[As I go through the game again, I've totaling missed the threat at G9.  I think a real person would have walloped me by now!  -  Looking back, these stones have been dead since move 21.

K:  Yep.  Technically since move 17 or 19, really.  For what it's worth, G9 isn't really a "threat", since White's playing there would only capture the stones--it wouldn't force anything on you.  As it stands, G9 is a completely useless move in every way (for both of you).]
;B[cf];W[bf]C[K:  I don't think a human would pull this stunt (unless they just wanted to try it out or were feeling desperate or something), it may just be the computer going for all-or-nothing.]
;B[af]C[K:  This set-up lends itself to an interesting variation I hadn't thought of earlier.  Check out the variation to see what I mean.  (For what it's worth, you can execute the same variation by playing B3 instead of A4, just with one or two less stones.)]

(;W[ac];B[bg]C[3 white stones Dead

K:  Okay, but what White's angling at is splitting your two groups (B6 and A5) with a play at A6.  These three White stones were effectively dead anyway (as discussed earlier), and now that A6 is dame (neutral point), it doesn't take a point away from your territory to play it, whereas B3 does.  Moreover, White A6 is still a sente move, as it forces you to capture the three stones or connect the two, thereby throwing another piece into your own territory.]
;W[id]C[K:  I'm not altogether sure why White does this, as opposed to making one of the more sente moves at F5 or E6.  They're relatively minor moves, to be sure, but they do squeeze a few points out of you, where White 33 as it stands is unthreatening at best.

(This is one of the downfalls of playing against computers--it can be very hard to fathom why they do what they do.)]
;B[ie]C[Bad Move!!!!! I make this mistake often.

K:  As you've clearly realized, J4 (or F5, now that it would make you very thick) is a better move.]
;W[if]C[With these consequences.  I sometimes do it repeatedly (especially when playing fast) and get creamed.  On blacks last move is J4 a better play?  It's like a blind spot for me.

K:  I think we all went through a time when we started playing when we'd play stones into really idiotic places ^^;  and then of course berate ourselves a second later.  (Heck, I'm still doing it ten kyu later, I'm just doing it in more complex ways.)

You're exactly right, J4 would have been a better move as discussed previously.  You're also right that this sort of mistake often pops up when playing too quickly--Go demands patience and careful thought above all else.  The swordsman Miyamoto Musashi said "Even when hurried, your mind is not hurried; even when still, your mind is not still."  Don't be caught up by an opponent who plays quickly, or by a feeling of excitement or adrenaline which induces you to play quickly.]
;B[ig]C[K:  Good damage control, though.];W[ie];B[fe]C[K:  Good.  If I were White, I would have played this spot on my last move, since it's sente, and the point White chose to defend is small.]
;W[dc]C[As Black, should I have played this move (D7) earlier, instead of letting white connect?  I'm wondering if there would not be a chance for me to kill the group in the upper left?  Is it a computer glitch that the computer has not played G9 and controlled the whole upper half o the board.  My shape is a little more efficient on the bottom and I think I would still win but...  Why not capture the 4 points now or soon (with G9)

K:  There were a few times earlier in the game when D7 would have been a better play; they're marked in my comments.

As to why White has not played G9, it's not a glitch.  It's that those four stones are unequivocally dead.  Remember that dead stones are removed at the end of the game and counted as prisoners anyway, so for White there's no profit whatever in playing G9--in fact, there's loss, since he'd just be putting another stone into his own territory.  If you force him to somehow, he can capture those four stones with a single move, so it's no threat to him.

As far as the upper-left group, there's no way you can kill it, especially since White can free up several extra liberties at G9 and/or E6.]
;B[ca]C[Is this a vital point?

K:  Yes and no.  If this White group were an island, surrounded, I'd say you've expertly found the vital point (although it would lead to a ko for life--check out the variation.)  As it stands, however, White has several ways out of this situation (e.g., capture at G9) and is in no danger.]

(;W[ed];B[de]C[K:  Probably the best choice under the circumstances.]
;W[ad];B[be]C[Make two eyes

K:  There's no need to.  Since this group is completely connected to the others making the wall around Black's territory, it's alive.  (Yes, if White had about fifteen free moves without B5 present, he could surround Black's wall and destory it.  But that situation is so utterly improbable that the group is considered alive.)]
;W[ih];B[hg]C[K:  No particular benefit for White, although because you had to defend there's no special profit for you.  He may just have wanted to see if you'd accidently let him in, since he doesn't really lose anything in this exchange.]
;W[tt];B[tt]C[I pass here and I win, but I want to see if it is possible to kill the group in the upper left.  I thought c9 was the vital point earlier so I tried to take it out, thinking I could come back later and kill the group.  So I play on... (now I see that all white has to do is E7 and hat group lives)

K:  Correct, as discussed earlier (see move 40).];W[tt];B[eg]
C[Protect against invasion at F4

K:  Unnecessary.  The chances of White making a successful invasion here are next to nothing.  Although I understand your concern, if White played F4, you could easily play E3 in response and he would be dead.  Even if he tried to invade E3, the defense is not terribly difficult.

Here's something else to keep in mind:  White's last move was a pass, which means you have a free chance to end the game without him getting the opportunity to make another move.  If he was going to try to invade F4 (or anywhere else, for that matter) he would have done it on his last move, since if you pass now (instead of playing E3) the game is over and he has no further chance to invade.]
;W[tt]C[White keeps passing, is this just a quirk of playing against the computer?

K:  Nope, it's that White has no profitable moves left.  A human would also be passing in the same situation.]
;B[cb]C[Not sure if this is correct.  I think probably not.

K:  No.  As discussed earlier, you can't kill this group, so you're only giving White more prisoners and thus more points.]
;W[tt];B[bb];W[tt];B[ab]C[K:  This is just throwing good after bad.  It's best not to play with the hope that your opponent (especially if he's a computer) will simply forget that his group is in danger and not do something about it.  Right now he's just letting you give him as many prisoners as he can before he frees himself.]
;W[tt];B[da];W[ga]C[Whit gets life here with 2+ eyes.  I see this now.  I still win by 1.

K:  Yep, but you could have widened the margin by not going after that group at all.  (Not to worry, though!  You're a beginner, and every beginner on the planet tries things like that--in fact, that desire to explore possibilities is a major asset to a Go player.)]
;B[tt];W[tt]C[K:  Okay, some closing comments.  You're off to a good start with your Go.  My suggestion would be to get an ID on KGS (or your internet Go venue of choice) and start playing against other humans, both stronger than you and weaker or at your level.

I would say that what you need to focus on are the same things that trip up most beginners--learn to see when a group is incontestably alive or dead, so you don't spend extra stones protecting or attacking  live groups or adding to or overkilling dead ones.  Although I mentioned some other concepts throughout this commentary (such as sente/gote moves and how to connect stones to best effect) you'll no doubt profit the most from concentrating on the basics--worry about other problems as they come.

The good side of this game is that it clearly shows that your Go thinking is on the right track and has the potential to develop.  I suspect that as you play and study the game more over the next few months you'll see your power skyrocket.

Best of luck!])
(;W[ba];B[bb];W[ab];B[aa]C[K:  Now a ko for life begins.  (Remember, we're pretending the White group can't simply capture your stones to make life.)  If White wins, he captures at C8 for life; otherwise, Black plays B9 (and may be required to play C8 for the butcher's knife shape) and can reduce White to one eye.]
))
(;W[bg]C[K:  What if White extended here?];B[bh]C[K:  The natural response is here.]
;W[ag]C[K:  But now you want to save your stones by connection A6.  Instead...]
;B[ah];W[ad]C[K:  Does this look bad for Black?  Well, at first...]
;B[ae];W[af];B[de];W[ae];B[ac]C[K:  This turned out much better for Black than it looked like it would.

Now, of course, if you're playing a stronger player, I can almost guarantee you he'd see the possible result and not follow that sequence through to the end.  (E.g., White 37 would be a connection instead of a capture.)  But I hope this illustrates one of the more interesting possibilities, which requires thinking ahead a bit.]
))
(;W[bc]C[K:  Represents tenuki by White.];B[he];W[hf]C[K:  Normally this sort of cut would kill the two stones, but here...]
;B[hg]C[K:  ...Black dooms the White stone.  Now he's become a bit thicker.]
))
(;B[ea];W[da];B[fa]C[K:  White cuts at G8 and destroys the three Black stones, not to mention making headway into your (potential) space.]
)
(;B[ce]C[K:  I selected C5 as a tenuki (playing-elsewhere) point for Black.  Now watch what happens when White cuts at G8.]
;W[gb];B[fa];W[ga]C[K:  Clearly Black is doomed.  White can catch his two stones in one move no matter what he does next.  To top it off, nothing short of a massive mistake (or series of mistakes) on White's part can save the Black stone at G7, and White therefore takes the top of the board and most of the right side, not to mention having a strong base to assault the nascent Black middle position.]
))
(;B[ce];W[dd];B[ed];W[de];B[df]C[K:  Now Black has more thoroughly cordoned off the bottom area.  Although, as usual, the resulting formation is hardly impenetrable, White will have to work a bit harder to come around it than with the path that occurred in the actual game.]
))
(;W[ed];B[dd];W[fc];B[fb];W[dc];B[eb]LB[ce:A]C[K:  Even after this, Black has a lot of potential weaknesses in his formation.  Now, this is maybe not the best result for White, either, since both of his groups are now separated and relatively weak.  But this is the sort of possibility you want to be thinking about.  (Incidentally, White also has a very powerful forcing move at A, and when Black plays D5, White takes C6 and most of that part of the board.)]
))
(;B[he];W[hf];B[hd];W[gf];B[fg]C[K:  Black obviously isn't without flaw after this sequence, but at the same time he has cordoned off a lot of the lower-left and even lower-right areas.  His big worry now is H8, which is a danger if he doesn't play out the result correctly.  Continue the variation to see how to handle this attack.]
;W[hb];B[gb]C[K:  Containing White in the corner is essential.  As far as I can tell, Black has effectively won the battle with this move, providing he makes no blunders in the ensuing fight.  (I've included one variation just as an example, but there are certainly other courses for the fight to take.)]
;W[gd];B[hc];W[ie];B[id];W[ia]
(;B[ga]C[K:  This 18 is incorrect (see the variation for the correct response).  Now White plays F7 and badly constricts Black's eyespace.  The interior space is touchy:  White J8 reduces the area to one eye, Black J8 creates a ko for life.  (Assuming Black has been pushed into a corner per the earlier sequence.)]
)
(;B[eb]C[K:  This is probably the safest extension for Black.  Playing E7 (the point that started this whole chain) would be too timid and make it too easy for White to challenge Black's space (and eyespace) on the upper side.)]
)))
