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Advice on this early game?
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Author:  Ian Butler [ Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Advice on this early game?
I'm very new at go, haven't played any decent games (some against an online computer who simply destroys me).
Pretty soon I'll get some of my first games under my belt against some people around so I'm trying to get some pre-experience under my belt.

So I'm playing against myself a bit, seeing what happens.
I'm heading towards move 50 and I was wondering if someone would look over my game board and review what's going on a bit. Where did I do something good (as either black or white), where I'm doing something ridiculous etc...

Any advice/help is very much appreciated.

Image attached.

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Author:  EdLee [ Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hi Ian, Welcome. :)
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Author:  Ian Butler [ Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
Thanks, EdLee

The game progressed a bit, now I'm seeing the major obstacle to learning to play go efficiently and that's shapes. I just don't see how, where and when to make living groups, eyes.
Basically I think there is one living group on this entire board and the rest is... kind of neutral with some potential for either sides I guess?

At this point I just look at the board and see black and white stones :scratch:

Very eager and patient enough to learn Go, and there's a long way to go :D :study:

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Author:  jeromie [ Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
Hi, Ian. Yes, there is a long road ahead!

In the latest image you posted, there are several groups of stones that are in atari (groups that only have one liberty). Can you identify them? That should change your evaluation of the board,
Author:  Ian Butler [ Fri Dec 30, 2016 3:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
As far as I can tell the big white group on the bottom is quite dead, with the left stone in atari and only one eye left.
There is an alive black group at the right side with 2 eyes, I believe. However the black line a bit left from that is in atari (black turn but don't think it can be saved anyway)

And now I see that the big black group next to the big white group is in atari, too!
So actually the two large groups are keeping each other hostage and it's just a matter of who strikes first. I think white will take away the blacks since black would need 2 turns to kill the while group and white only needs one to end the fight in its favor.


I've started looking up more shapes now (some good youtube videos on good and bad shapes) to learn more.

I've also looked up typical problems / exercises online, but I've now laid them down on my board and I'll leave them there a few days, trying to think them through and solve them eventually, I hope!
Author:  jeromie [ Fri Dec 30, 2016 5:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
Good! Recognizing that the bottom black group is in atari changes the whole situation. All the white stones adjacent to the stones that will be captured are alive, and white is leading by a large margin. You are correct that the black group on the right has two eyes, too.

One of the pieces of advice that will serve you well as a beginner and a more advanced player is to count the number of liberties each group has. Not only will that help you keep track of the status of groups, it will also help you get a better understanding of shape. Often times the best shape move is the one that gives your group the most liberties.
Author:  Ian Butler [ Sun Jan 01, 2017 8:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
Thanks for the tips so far!
I've been practising with some tsumego's and now I've played a 9x9 game against Cosumi online.
I lost but I feel like I did way better than just a few days ago!

I think you can see the game with this link.
http://www.cosumi.net/en/replay/?b=You&w=COSUMI&k=0&r=w28&bs=9&l=0&gr=cggfdcgcghcededdbcedcdbdccdfeeefhgehgehffechfcbefdhdecgbfbfffagadbhedaadacdgigggfhhifihhttgdtttt&ds=cghgigfhghfi&bm=lffmhe
Author:  Anzu [ Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Advice on this early game?
You're new, huh? Doesn't look entirely different from one of my games, and I've been playing forever.
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