Played against 4dan yesterday. Cool. (ASR League)

The ASR League is proving to be quite interesting as it gives me a possibility to play against really tough opponents, like CGBSpender 4d. The game we played was fun, but I soon came to the realization my chances of living on the board were reducing pretty fast. It wasn't until when we did the review when I was revealed my strategy was flawed. Because of the weird claustrophobic feel I have towards the corners I was concentrating my efforts to make influence towards the center, and lost critical base of support for my "house", because the ceiling couldn't stand in the air by its own. CGBSpender told me that I would have to redirect my efforts to build territory in the corners first, like they were the cornerstone of my house, then the sides, like they were the ceilings, and then the center, the roof.

I kind of get it, but since there are two people on the board fighting for the same spaces that sounds somewhat difficult. I think I still need practice. Also, conquering the fear of small spaces would be nice too.

Here's the game:

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[0.50]TM[2400]OT[5x30 byo-yomi]
PW[CGBSpender]PB[AmbyR00]WR[4d]BR[16k]DT[2010-06-08]PC[The KGS Go Server at http://www.gokgs.com/]RE[W+Resign]
;B[pd]BL[2393.188]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: have a good game :)
CGBSpender [4d?\]: asr league
]
;W[dc]WL[2389.809]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: hi, you too :)
AmbyR00 [16k\]: asr league
]
;B[pq]BL[2374.81]
;W[cp]WL[2370.212]
;B[pk]BL[2369.586]
;W[nc]WL[2363.45]
;B[qf]BL[2358.895]
;W[jd]WL[2345.167]
;B[ep]BL[2316.056]
;W[gq]WL[2338.398]
;B[gp]BL[2295.808]
;W[hp]WL[2330.874]
;B[go]BL[2286.531]
;W[dq]WL[2295.821]
;B[eq]BL[2278.096]
;W[dn]WL[2274.053]
;B[en]BL[2270.316]
;W[dm]WL[2269.173]
;B[em]BL[2266.629]
;W[dl]WL[2257.8]
;B[in]BL[2233.273]
;W[kq]WL[2234.596]
;B[nq]BL[2219.476]
;W[ko]WL[2229.495]
;B[km]BL[2213.391]
;W[hq]WL[2224.64]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: 16k, really ?
]
;B[lc]BL[2174.847]
;W[ld]WL[2220.118]
;B[jc]BL[2167.519]
;W[kc]WL[2215.688]
;B[kb]BL[2157.067]
;W[kd]WL[2213.67]
;B[mb]BL[2128.755]
;W[mc]WL[2211.065]
;B[lb]BL[2127.087]
;W[jb]WL[2209.301]
;B[nb]BL[2122.633]
;W[oc]WL[2207.48]
;B[ob]BL[2117.443]
;W[pc]WL[2205.391]
;B[ic]BL[2096.685]
;W[ib]WL[2202.445]
;B[hc]BL[2094.718]
;W[hb]WL[2200.722]
;B[gc]BL[2086.946]
;W[gb]WL[2199.013]
;B[ec]BL[1997.325]
;W[fc]WL[2186.212]
;B[fd]BL[1979.884]
;W[fb]WL[2183.204]
;B[dd]BL[1974.859]
;W[eb]WL[2180.935]
;B[ge]BL[1959.069]
;W[ed]WL[2171.467]
;B[ee]BL[1957.577]
;W[qd]WL[2168.479]
;B[pe]BL[1941.453]
;W[rc]WL[2160.484]
;B[qb]BL[1939.56]
;W[pb]WL[2158.128]
;B[pa]BL[1920.282]
;W[qc]WL[2144.537]
;B[rb]BL[1904.673]
;W[sb]WL[2138.311]
;B[ra]BL[1898.882]
;W[me]WL[2119.944]
;B[nd]BL[1884.52]
;W[md]WL[2114.354]
;B[ne]BL[1881.854]
;W[cd]WL[2109.818]
;B[ec]BL[1847.429]
;W[de]WL[2107.024]
;B[ed]BL[1835.877]
;W[ce]WL[2105.852]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: how's that?
CGBSpender [4d?\]: you seem much stronger
AmbyR00 [16k\]: but I always lose
CGBSpender [4d?\]: not for long, I bet, you should be ranked higher than 10k
]
;B[ch]BL[1685.743]
;W[dg]WL[2101.348]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: I wonder
]
;B[cg]BL[1616.102]
;W[ef]WL[2097.255]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: I think I have no chance in this game though :)
]
;B[ff]BL[1580.665]
;W[fg]WL[2089.587]
;B[gg]BL[1577.42]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: the result doesn't matter :)
]
;W[fh]WL[2080.647]
;B[gh]BL[1568.719]
;W[fi]WL[2076.739]
;B[lh]BL[1536.865]
;W[hf]WL[2061.561]
;B[gf]BL[1498.067]
;W[fk]WL[2048.507]
;B[dr]BL[1452.61]
;W[cr]WL[2045.065]
;B[dp]BL[1449.891]
;W[cq]WL[2039.21]
;B[fr]BL[1415.686]
;W[mq]WL[2028.608]
;B[mp]BL[1398.04]
;W[np]WL[2021.913]
;B[no]BL[1392.287]
;W[op]WL[2019.19]
;B[oq]BL[1390.192]
;W[mo]WL[2017.824]
;B[lp]BL[1378.405]
;W[oo]WL[1999.177]
;B[lq]BL[1347.786]
;W[nn]WL[1994.037]
;B[mr]BL[1340.566]
;W[lo]WL[1985.366]
;B[po]BL[1338.82]
;W[pp]WL[1982.206]
;B[qp]BL[1334.369]
;W[qo]WL[1981.04]
;B[qq]BL[1318.551]
;W[pn]WL[1978.863]
;B[ro]BL[1316.546]
;W[kp]WL[1974.902]
;B[qn]BL[1310.723]
;W[hj]WL[1968.374]
;B[ih]BL[1297.754]
;W[mg]WL[1965.14]
;B[mf]BL[1289.004]
;W[lf]WL[1961.773]
;B[nf]BL[1282.793]
;W[lg]WL[1958.304]
;B[nh]BL[1266.31]
;W[mh]WL[1948.77]
;B[ng]BL[1262.179]
;W[mi]WL[1943.695]
;B[if]BL[1255.981]
;W[he]WL[1932.048]
;B[ie]BL[1252.49]
;W[id]WL[1929.312]
;B[hg]BL[1249.047]
;W[hd]WL[1926.527]
;B[gd]BL[1197.197]
;W[jg]WL[1923.335]
;B[hi]BL[1190.133]
;W[ig]WL[1919.558]
;B[ii]BL[1180.678]
;W[gi]WL[1916.356]
;B[ij]BL[1146.405]
;W[hk]WL[1913.372]
;B[ik]BL[1126.644]
;W[hl]WL[1909.776]
;B[li]BL[1103.847]
;W[lj]WL[1889.249]
;B[kh]BL[1090.134]
;W[jh]WL[1886.139]
;B[kk]BL[1084.467]
;W[oj]WL[1871.988]
;B[pj]BL[1080.608]
;W[oi]WL[1868.672]
;B[oh]BL[1078.717]
;W[pi]WL[1862.11]
;B[mj]BL[1055.879]
;W[mk]WL[1857.386]
;B[kj]BL[1043.41]
;W[nj]WL[1853.566]
;B[kg]BL[1031.037]
;W[kf]WL[1850.35]
;B[ki]BL[1027.188]
;W[qm]WL[1846.121]
;B[rn]BL[1008.486]
;W[ql]WL[1835.772]
;B[qk]BL[1003.739]
;W[ol]WL[1824.759]
;B[ri]BL[969.453]
;W[rg]WL[1814.336]
;B[qh]BL[954.108]
;W[rf]WL[1810.106]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: what do you think is the most difficult to master in Go ? :)
AmbyR00 [16k\]: uh... my own feelings I guess :)
CGBSpender [4d?\]: hehe, exactly what i was thinking
CGBSpender [4d?\]: that's the good approach to becoming good
CGBSpender [4d?\]: most players don't even realize that
AmbyR00 [16k\]: I tend to go all tied up inside when I get to a point where I can see no way out, and start making bad move after another
AmbyR00 [16k\]: I like this game since usually after a game I'm empty. It's a nice feeling, although I might have lost.
]
;B[qg]BL[659.142]
;W[rk]WL[1803.29]
;B[rj]BL[649.374]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: i am empty during the game
]
;W[rl]WL[1796.021]
;B[sh]BL[589.298]
;W[qe]WL[1788.631]
;B[sg]BL[568.358]
;W[re]WL[1778.253]
;B[sf]BL[555.629]
;W[lr]WL[1759.866]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: I'm making small moves :)
AmbyR00 [16k\]: I just realized I'm doing the same as always
]
;B[mq]BL[540.152]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: and have a feeling the downhill started quite a few moves ago
]
;W[gr]WL[1722.881]
;B[kr]BL[516.975]
;W[jr]WL[1719.147]
;B[ls]BL[512.971]
;W[im]WL[1716.871]
;B[jm]BL[500.23]
;W[hn]WL[1705.094]
;B[il]BL[496.758]
;W[ho]WL[1698.132]
;B[hm]BL[489.175]
;W[gm]WL[1695.426]
;B[im]BL[486.863]
;W[bm]WL[1665.732]
;B[gn]BL[401.544]
;W[fm]WL[1660.427]
;B[eh]BL[335.436]
;W[eg]WL[1656.2]
;B[cf]BL[319.175]
;W[df]WL[1647.166]
;B[ek]BL[287.343]
;W[cj]WL[1640.313]
;B[dj]BL[234.314]
;W[ck]WL[1636.65]
;B[el]BL[216.391]
;W[di]WL[1633.472]
;B[ei]BL[200.432]
;W[dh]WL[1628.974]
;B[ej]BL[147.138]
;W[ll]WL[1615.586]
;B[ji]BL[128.749]
;W[jf]WL[1612.601]
;B[lk]BL[108.093]
;W[lm]WL[1609.153]
;B[jo]BL[31.739]
;W[jp]WL[1604.164]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: haha... I'm out of time already :)
]
;B[io]BL[608.543]
;W[ir]WL[1599.619]C[CGBSpender [4d?\]: i added
]
;B[ip]BL[597.328]
;W[iq]WL[1596.874]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: oh :) thank you
]
;B[fq]BL[564.24]
;W[do]WL[1591.093]
;B[eo]BL[556.756]
;W[fs]WL[1587.913]
;B[es]BL[517.162]
;W[gs]WL[1583.055]
;B[fl]BL[509.174]
;W[gl]WL[1579.596]
;B[gj]BL[506.993]
;W[fj]WL[1575.954]
;B[fn]BL[492.354]
;W[gk]WL[1569.016]C[AmbyR00 [16k\]: :(
AmbyR00 [16k\]: should I resign or play to count?
CGBSpender [4d?\]: as you like, i don't mind finishing
AmbyR00 [16k\]: ok... I'll resign, I'll lose anyway
CGBSpender [4d?\]: thank you
AmbyR00 [16k\]: thank you
CGBSpender [4d?\]: let's review
CGBSpender [4d?\]: ?
AmbyR00 [16k\]: ok :)
CGBSpender [4d?\]: so.. first
CGBSpender [4d?\]: look at the board
CGBSpender [4d?\]: and not talking about the dead groups, tell me what you see
AmbyR00 [16k\]: hmm
AmbyR00 [16k\]: the first thing to come to mind
AmbyR00 [16k\]: is the left side white has secured
CGBSpender [4d?\]: right
AmbyR00 [16k\]: if we don't count the left corner, but I think I'd lose if I tried to invade
CGBSpender [4d?\]: what i see at glance is an "aerial play"
AmbyR00 [16k\]: what's that?
CGBSpender [4d?\]: that means, very little on the sides, you invested everything in center
CGBSpender [4d?\]: heavily
])

All-in-all the game was pretty intense, but unlike when playing against higher rank kyu players, I was pretty relaxed through the whole game. Playing against dan ranks rarely makes me feel queasy like if I often do when playing a single digit kyu.

Anyway, going to have some lunch now. Thanks for the game! And I hope I can reach that 10k soon. ^^ See ya! /gg