mid-game mid-game black side Tonight I had a game with Bob with a three stone advantage, I played black and took these pictures at the midgame point I stopped to count: The left side is White’s perspective, the right side is Black’s. I counted at this point of the game and found I controlled a great deal actual territory vs the influence of White. I felt pretty sure of victory based on this count and tried to just play a locked down game from there on out. Here is the result at the end:
end game 1 and end game 2(same perspective both times, slightly tilted against the light to show the lines)The final score of the game came to victory for black of 84 points.

I feel that at the mid point that I took the first pair of shots, I was already well ahead, after a blunder by white that cost 5 stones in the lower right corner, but more importantly, a lot of influence and sure territory; I believe I counted 70 points.* Bringing this game home to a very sound victory was exhilarating. Bob won’t soon give me three stones again, and I should perhaps have played a more even game. But it was a very very fascinating game. I need to go to work now, but perhaps later I will try to create an SGF file from the pictures shown here so that I can use the game position for counting study. Guo Juan gave advice that it was important to count at least twice every game, and this is definitely borne out by my experience thus far. Counting gives the definitive answer to the question: How should I play now? Am I behind and thus need to get aggressive, or am I ahead and need to defend and maintain only? In this case, I can clearly see how it helped me win a won game. Until next time, namaste.

*How many do you count in the first and second picture for both sides?