(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[9]ST[0]AP[SGFC:1.15]VW[]

PB[Bruno]
BR[25k]
HA[0]
PW[Fabiano]
KM[5.5]
DT[2005-05-17]
RE[B+17.5]
TM[900]
OT[25 moves / 5 min]
AN[Steve Carder <steve@carderfamily.net> 14k]

C[SC: I will place my initials before my comments.  Be sure to look through the variations I have added.
With a 9x9 board, you don't have any of the "big picture" strategy of a 19x19 board.  This makes the game less complicated, which has both good and bad points.  The good point is that it is easier for a beginner to keep track of what is going on.  The bad point is that you don't get any practice in some very large, important parts of the game.  So, 9x9 games are a good way to get in more games and more practice.  Playing lots of 9x9 games and nothing else won't really prepare you for a larger board game, however.]
;B[ce]C[SC: Most people start in a corner.  Starting on a side is OK if you have a plan for where you are going with it.]
;W[fd]SQ[fc][gc][gd][gf][gg][fg]C[SC: This is too far into the center for a 9x9 game.  Playing on a 4x4 point in a 19x19 game means you are going for influence into the center.  In this size board, there isn't enough center to be a factor in the game.  So, a 4x4 point starting move doesn't do nearly as much good on this size board.  The squares are all better moves for white.]
;B[eg]TR[gg][fg]SQ[dg]C[SC: This is either too far or not far enough.  The stone is too far to secure the lower left corner well.  Playing at the square is better for securing the corner.  This stone is not far enough to stake a claim in the lower right corner.  Either of the triangles does  a better job of that.]
;W[ef]SQ[cc][gg]C[SC: This is too close to black.  There is still a lot of open space on the board and white can gain more by "staking a claim" in an open area.  The squares are better moves.
This is still the opening phase of the game.  In the opening you should try to spread your stones over a wide area to begin claiming as much of the board as you can.  Once you and your opponent have created your  rough outlines of your territory, the opening ends and the middle game begins.  In the middle game you fight over the boundries of the territory outlines you laid out in the opening.
A good rule of thumb for the opening is to look for the largest empty space and play somewhere in it.  Here, the open areas around each square are identical size so either is fine.]

(;B[df]C[SC:  This is a reasonable response to white's contact play.  Black doesn't have to respond by playing right next to white, however.  See the variation.]

(;W[dd]SQ[cc][fg]C[SC:  White has too much focus on the center.  The squares are better moves for white.  See the variation.]
;B[cd]C[SC: This is fine for blocking white out of the left side.]
;W[ee]SQ[gc]C[SC: This connects white's stones, but doesn't make any territory for white.  I say that white doesn't have any territory because black could make a successful 3x3 point invasion at the square. This would give the upper right corner and a large part of one side to black, leaving white with almost nothing]

(;B[dc]C[SC: This puts a lot of pressure on white's stone.
My comment for the last move mentioned a 3x3 point invasion by black.  See varation for an example of this.]

(;W[ff]SQ[ee][ef]C[SC: This makes an empty triangle.  Almost always, making an empty triangle is bad.  It is OK if you are making an eye, but otherwise, pause and look around carefully for other options before making an empty triangle.
See the variation];B[fg];W[dg]SQ[gg][ec]C[SC: This cut won't work for white.  Either of the squares is better.]
;B[cg];W[dh]TR[fg][eg]SQ[dg]C[SC: Now we have  a capture race between the two pairs of stones. Each pair of stones has three liberties.]
;B[eh]TR[gg]SQ[fg][eg]C[SC: Now black has made an empty triange, which, as you remember, is bad.  Black began this turn with a two stone group that had 3 liberties. Now black has a 3 stone group that still has only 3 liberties.  That is not much of an improvement.
Black should extend to the triangle.  This would give black a 3 stone group with 5 liberties.  One way to win a capture race is to get more liberties.]
;W[ei];B[fi]SQ[ei][dh][dg]C[SC: White's three stones are dead.  If you can't read ahead enough to decide if they are dead for sure, then it is fine to keep playing here until you are sure.]
;W[ci];B[ch]C[SC:  Now white is really really dead.]
(;W[gh]SQ[gg]C[SC:  If your group dies, you at least get Sente to play somewhere else.  
The square is better for white since it puts black into atari and forces him to capture stones that are already dead. See variation.]
;B[di]C[SC: Black still spent a move capturing the dead stones.  White gets what is essentially a free move.]
;W[gg]C[SC: Good, white has the lower right corner now.];B[dh]
C[SC: Black doesn't need to make this move either.  So, white gets another free move.]
;W[gf]SQ[ec]C[SC:  Black can't cut here, so white doesn't need to connect here. The square is better.]
;B[bi]C[SC:  Black has captured all of the dead stones.  Since they were already dead, this was a waste of several moves.]
;W[db]SQ[ec]C[SC: I think that the square is more secure.  White's move will result in more complicated fighting.  Normally, white is supposed to be the better player.  This means white should be better at reading out complicated positions.  So, white may decide to create complications on purpose.  Creating complications is a reasonable strategy if white is losing.
If white plays on the square, the score will be essentially tied. Since white gets komi points, white would be winning.  So, playing a more solid, secure move is best.]
;B[da];W[ec];B[cb];W[cc];B[bc];W[ea];B[ca];W[dc]TR[gi]SQ[bb]
C[SC: Now white is ahead even without including the komi points. Now, there are just a few areas of endgame play left.
The square is worth more than anything else.  Whoever plays there first changes the score by 13 points in their favor.
The triangle is the worth the next most.  Whoever plays there first changes the score by 4 points in their favor.]
;B[gc]C[SC: This is a rather desperate invasion.  Since black is behind, it is not a bad idea to try it.]
;W[gb]SQ[gd]C[SC: White needs to prevent black from making 2 eyes.  Black needs space to make the eyes, so white should limit black's space. I think that the square does this better.]
;B[gi];W[hi]SQ[hh]C[SC:  No, play at the square.];B[hh];W[hg]
;B[ii];W[ig]C[SC: This closes off this area and is worth a point.  There is still the 13 point move in the upper left corner, however.]
;B[fb]
(;W[fa]SQ[hc]C[SC: The square is better.  See the variation.]
;B[hc];W[ga];B[hb]SQ[he]C[SC: Jumping out to the square gets black more room.]
;W[eb]SQ[fc]C[SC: The square is better.];B[ha];W[fc]SQ[hd]C[SC: Don't bother capturing the single stone.  If you keep black from making 2 eyes, all of the stones here are dead.
White needs to keep black from expanding along the side enough to make 2 eyes.  The square is a good way to do this.]
;B[hd]TR[ib][id]C[SC: Black just needs to play on the 2 triangles to make a live group.]
;W[gd]TR[id][ib]SQ[he]C[SC: Since black needs to play on the triangles to live, white should play on them first.  The square is also good.]
;B[he]
(;W[ge]C[SC: This is white's last chance to kill black's invasion and win the game. See variation]
;B[ib]SQ[ie][id]C[SC: Now black is alive since playing on either of the squares will make a second eye for black.  White can only block one, so black will be able to live by playing on the other one.
Black is now winning by over 20 points on the board.]
(;W[hf]SQ[bb]C[SC: The square is still a valuable move.  See variation]
;B[id]TR[bb]SQ[ie]C[SC: Playing on the square gains black one more point.  Playing on the triangle is worth a lot more.  Black doesn't have to play at 57 or the square until white plays on one of those spots.]
;W[if]C[SC: This is a dame point.  Playing here doesn't change the score.]
;B[tt];W[tt];TB[da][gc][fg][ii][aa][ab][ac][ad][ae][af][ag]
[ah][ai][ba][bb][bc][bd][be][bf][bg][bh][bi][ca][cb][ha][hb]
[hc][hd][he][ia][ib][ic][id][cd][ce][cf][cg][ch][ci][df][dg]
[dh][di][eg][eh][ei][hh][hi][fi][gi]TW[cc][ea][eb][ec][ed][ee]
[ef][fa][fb][fc][fd][fe][ff][ga][gb][db][dc][dd][gd][ge][gf]
[gg][gh][hf][hg][if][ig])
(;W[bb];B[ac];W[ab];B[bd];W[ih];B[hi];W[fh];B[ei];W[ie];B[id]
;W[if]C[SC: Black has 20 points and white has 13 points before adding komi.  Black still wins, but it is a lot closer.]
))
(;W[ie];B[id];W[ib];B[if];W[hf];B[ie];W[ge]C[SC: Black's invasion has failed.  White still wins once komi is added.]
))
(;W[hc];B[gd];W[hd];B[fa];W[eb];B[fc];W[hb];B[de];W[ed];B[he]
;W[ge];B[ga];W[ha];B[hi];W[ih];B[fh]C[SC: Black is 2 points ahead on the board but white wins when the Komi is added.]
))
(;W[gg];B[di];W[ec]C[SC: White gets to make another Sente move]
))
(;W[fg]SQ[ff]C[SC: This is better than making the empty triangle.  Black can't sucessfully cut at the square.]
;B[ff]C[SC:  For this example, black will try to cut so I can show how white should defend.]
;W[gf]SQ[ff]C[SC: The cutting stone is dead.];B[fh];W[gg]TR[ff]
SQ[fg][gf]C[SC: The marked white stones don't make an empty triangle because of the black stone inside the triangle.]
;B[eh];W[ec]C[SC: The game is very close at this point.  Since white was behind at the start of this variation, white has done well.]
))
(;B[gc]C[SC: Black invades.  White now gets to choose which direction black will go.  White wants to drive black towards a strong black area rather than towards a white are. Here, black has less of a presence in the lower right than in the upper left so white should drive black along the top.]
;W[gd]C[SC: White blocks below black so black will need to move along the top.]
;B[fc];W[ec];B[hc];W[hd];B[eb];W[db];B[fa]TR[fb]SQ[eb][fc]C[SC: This shape is better for making eyes than if black just connected at the triangle.  Since black is trying to live in the corner, making eyes is critical.]
;W[ic];B[ib];W[id]C[SC: White can't kill black, so a solid connection is best.]
;B[hb]SQ[gg]C[SC: Black is alive and stable.  
The first person to play on the square will change the final score by about 10 points in their favor.]
))
(;W[fg]C[SC: If white is going to make a contact play touching black, he needs to stay in this area until his stones are secure or dead.]
;B[dg];W[ee]SQ[ff]C[SC: This gets more territory for white than playing at the square would, and still protects the cutting point at the square.]
;B[cc]C[SC: black jumps in to claim the corner.];W[fh]SQ[ci]
C[SC: If black ignores this move, white can jump to the square next turn]
;B[eh];W[fc]TR[gc]SQ[ec]C[SC: White plays here rather than the square to prevent a black 3x3 invation at the triangle.  White has about 29 points along the right side and black has about 24 points along the left side.]
))
(;B[gg]C[SC: Black jumps one space into the corner.];W[df]C[SC: White moves to seperate black's stones.]
;B[dc]C[SC: Black again jumps.  Notice that black has two groups of 2 stones each.  Each group is controling a corner and has a lot of potential territory.  Notice that white has 1 group of center stones that don't control any corners and don't have any potential territory.  Black has gained a lot more from this exchange than white has.]
))
