The Divine Move (Game of Go series) #8

Hello Steeamians !

Today is a day where I review my Go game, here is one that I played today. I wanted to improve myself and gain at least the rank 9kyu in order to be a simple digit kyu player. I hope you'll enjoy this game !

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Just know that this game is simply amazing ! If you like strategy game like chess, it's even a better game, simpler but deeper.
I made a post with the basic rules, you can find it here.

So I really encourage you to check out the game and here are more links that could help :
A site where you can easily play.
An amazing Youtube channel
Some playlists for beginner (FR)
A playlist for beginner (EN)
A post about Go vocabulary

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Now, back to the game !

This game is quite special since I played it not on the internet but at my place with my brand new Go board ! So while we were playing the game, I played it on IGS also in order to take screenshots after. My opponent was around 12kyu but we played without handicap.
We started with a standard opening, nothing special here.

Then, after he closed his corner with D17, I approached his other corner with F3, we did part of a joseki and I was quite happy to give him this overall shape, very flat. After his move, I also close my corner with a 4th line stone Q5.

After that he wanted to split me and played R10, once again, I was quite happy to take territory with R8 while attacking his stone. He made himself a nice space to live with R13, then I closed my upper right corner.

After a little reduction around E10, I defended my lower side and he invaded with M3.

I chased him down until there where I think he lives quite easily. The run is over... But I had another plan in the head, even if he managed to live with his bottom group, I gained some influence in the middle, enough to attack his group on the right.

I tried but it was harder than I expected, he was strong enough to live. Then I launched a reduction with D16 without any real plan but the idea that it should work.

Afterall, I managed to escape, I was happy with that but I made my reduction group on the left weaker after this exchange. I felt the obligation of adding a move to help it, I chose E8 which also put a lot of pressure to his group.

I cut a part of his group with G12, I was pretty confident after that but he fought back with the next sequence where he made a nice cut starting with E14, then with F15.

The sequence ended with his stabilization move that you can see below.

Next, I tried to invade his bottom left corner and saw an opportunity to kill his huge dragon near E5. (it’s an expression to call a big stick without any eyes) So a huge fight is about to happen !

He cut my old reduction group which didn’t live so now it’s all-in, one of us is going to lose this fight and with it, the game !

It was very very very close and I won just with one move ahead. It was a great game, very pleasant. Also, playing on a real board is so different than online, the feeling when you place your stones is just amazing !

 

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I hope you enjoyed this little game review, tell me in the comment what do you think about this content.
Here is my profile page on OGS, add me as a friend and we'll do a game !
Check out another of my Go review here

See you tomorrow !