====== Mistakes ======

Some of the biggest or most interesting mistakes I've made in past games.

----

==== Defending a net ====

<go>
$$ Should have made life at a instead of pointless defense at 2.
 -------------------
| ...XO.XX1 |
| XXX.XX.XO |
| .XX..XXOO |
| X.XXXOOO. |
| OX.XXXXOO |
| OOXXXXOXX |
| .2OX.XOOa |
| O.OOXXXO. |
| ..O.O.XO. |
 -------------------
</go>

2022-01-20: https://online-go.com/game/40539049

I'm playing white, and losing this game anyway, but I lose it badly because of this mistake. For some reason I'm nervous about the lower-left when it's perfectly secure, and comfortable with the right side even though it's vulnerable. The right group would have been alive if I'd defended it.  OGS says -36 points.

----

==== Forgetting to capture ====

<go>
$$ Should have captured at a instead of self-atari at 5.
 -------------------
| . . . . . . O X 4 |
| . . . . O O O O X |
| O O , O O X X X 5 |
| OXOOOOX.X |
| OXXOXXOXX |
| XXXXX1OOX |
| ..,..XO2O |
| ....X.XOa |
| ....X.X3. |
 -------------------
</go>

2022-01-22: https://online-go.com/game/40565876

I don't realize that I'm in a capture race, and - having put the white group in the lower-right in atari - I try to save some stones and connect at 5 instead of capturing at a. In the process I self-atari and lose my whole top-right group, 37 points, and the game.

----

==== We both missed it ====

<go>
$$ Should have captured at ''a'' instead of 4.
 -------------------
| ......... |
| ...O..... |
| .3XOO.O.. |
| .2XXOX... |
| 4OXOXX... |
| .XOOXO... |
| XXXOXXX.. |
| aXOOOOX.. |
| 1Ob...... |
 -------------------
</go>

2022-02-04: https://online-go.com/game/40958751

I'm playing white. My opponent and I have both played pretty badly up to this point, but the weak black group in the lower-left means the game has swung in my favor. Black has just captured a white stone at ''a'' with 1. I can't immediately recapture because of ko, and I probably should have just sealed at ''b'' but I'm flustered at this point and try to make progress elsewhere with 2. Black makes a big mistake answering with 3 instead of capturing at ''b'', and then I make an even //bigger// mistake by not recapturing at ''a'' which would have allowed me to take entire lower-left corner on my next turn. -39 points, and the game.

----

==== Self-atari ====

<go>
$$W Should have played almost anywhere but 2.
 -------------------
| ......... |
| ...aOO... |
| ..XXOX,.. |
| .X.XXOOO1 |
| .X..XXOX2 |
| X.XXOOX.X |
| .XOXXOXXO |
| XOOOOOX.b |
| ..O..X... |
 -------------------
</go>

2022-01-13: https://online-go.com/game/40341102

After white closes at 1 I think I'm defending my territory with 2 but I'm actually setting up a self-atari that gives up the lower-right corner entirely. OGS says -43 points, and suggests I should tenuki at a, but making a little life at b would also be fine since I'm ahead.