My Study Journal: Shodan in 800 days?!

Shenoute · **#41**

Just a quick comment on :b34:

in game 1:

- speaking only of the black group above, this stone is not needed to reinforce it nor does it add points to black's position
- taking into account white's position below and the multiple cuts at D7/E6/G5, :b34:

only invites white to protect these

When you've made such a strong group as F17, look for some way to use the thickness ("don't play near thickness", either yours our your opponent's).

Jujube · **#42**

Shenoute wrote:

Just a quick comment on :b34:

in game 1:

- speaking only of the black group above, this stone is not needed to reinforce it nor does it add points to black's position
- taking into account white's position below and the multiple cuts at D7/E6/G5, :b34:

only invites white to protect these

When you've made such a strong group as F17, look for some way to use the thickness ("don't play near thickness", either yours our your opponent's).

My thinking was to keep White low. I didn't want them to jump. But I get your point, it's in no-man's-land, it's not doing anything because the group above it is solid. I should have played something like O17, putting some pressure on the 2-space-extension, or maybe the star point Q10?

Jujube · **#43**

CnP wrote:

Going ddk-sdk I remember the big difference was mainly stopping blindly putting down stones and starting to think whether it was a good idea.

Sometimes, I think it's because I overcomplicate things. I do SDK problems in tesuji books, I ponder the different types of 3-space-extension joseki, whatever. But I don't think about really basic things, I mean, stupidly basic, like connecting your stones and separating the opponent's. I won the 2nd game because I connected my stones and separated the opponent's.

Maybe I should stop doing SDK-level tesuji problems and concentrate on winning games.

That would be a great book idea, by the way. Concentrating on fundamental techniques that make the difference in games at DDK/high SDK level. Thinking about it, it sounds like Kageyama's book. But maybe updated and concentrating on whole-board problems. Maybe I should get the Cho Hunhyun books? I've heard good things about those.

Knotwilg · **#44**

Jujube wrote:

CnP wrote:

Going ddk-sdk I remember the big difference was mainly stopping blindly putting down stones and starting to think whether it was a good idea.

That would be a great book idea, by the way. Concentrating on fundamental techniques that make the difference in games at DDK/high SDK level. Thinking about it, it sounds like Kageyama's book.

Kageyama's book, however fun to read, fails to deliver its promise. I found Minue's writings much better in teaching the fundamentals of go.

In order to win games:

1. Don't resign
2. Don't run out of time
3. Use the time you have to read as deeply and widely as you can
4. Connect your stones and separate the opponent's
5. Study life and death problems to knock the opponent out in the middle game
6. Study endgame techniques to outlast the opponent
7. Above all, play and study with the best possible attitude and don't let your fears and desires dictate the pace or quality of your game

CnP · **#45**

Jujube wrote:

CnP wrote:

Going ddk-sdk I remember the big difference was mainly stopping blindly putting down stones and starting to think whether it was a good idea.

Sometimes, I think it's because I overcomplicate things. I do SDK problems in tesuji books, I ponder the different types of 3-space-extension joseki, whatever. But I don't think about really basic things, I mean, stupidly basic, like connecting your stones and separating the opponent's. I won the 2nd game because I connected my stones and separated the opponent's.

Maybe I should stop doing SDK-level tesuji problems and concentrate on winning games.

That would be a great book idea, by the way. Concentrating on fundamental techniques that make the difference in games at DDK/high SDK level. Thinking about it, it sounds like Kageyama's book. But maybe updated and concentrating on whole-board problems. Maybe I should get the Cho Hunhyun books? I've heard good things about those.

I like Cho's "Lectures on Go Techniques". I had a good experience with volume 1 in particular. Learning tesuji is not wasted effort though (or training your reading/visualisations skills).

Other books on fundamental techniques are "How not to play Go" http://senseis.xmp.net/?HowNotToPlayGo and Robert's First Fundamentals http://senseis.xmp.net/?FirstFundamentals but what I was meaning more than extra books is when you pick a move to play, stop and read ahead a bit - not just in life and death situations.

Shenoute · **#46**

Jujube wrote:

My thinking was to keep White low. I didn't want them to jump. But I get your point, it's in no-man's-land, it's not doing anything because the group above it is solid. I should have played something like O17, putting some pressure on the 2-space-extension, or maybe the star point Q10?

Sorry for not answering earlier.
Yes, a move like Q10 looks very big. Or maybe cutting immediately at D7? But then, white could probably sacrifice something and get sente...

(On a side note, to put real pressure on the two stones, I'd play N17 instead of O17).

Jujube · **#47**

Dropped to a miserable 12 or 13 kyu on KGS. Ultimately I think I overestimated my strength when I started playing. Either that or I'm getting worse, not better, which is a distinct possibility - I don't remember it being this difficult to win against an 11-kyu a few weeks ago...

Feel that I have the reading ability of a 7-kyu and the attitude of a 30-kyu (i.e. very poor).

Oh, and I don't think I have any direction of play, either. I feel that my direction of play in the fuseki, the opening part of the game in general, is quite good. Then, I get horribly confused in the middlegame, and lose all sense of direction, get despondent, and start slamming (virtual) stones without reading things out, needlessly exhibiting wishful thinking, and fall behind, and lose.

The club I go to is really good. They reviewed a horrible game that I lost in 90 moves, and gave me good advice that was nevertheless difficult to hear ("See? See what's going on? You're getting bullied, aren't you?").

Yeah so, that's the update this week. I'll keep playing games and post back here, either when I'm 15 kyu, or when I'm 10 kyu (again).

EdLee · **#48**

Jujube wrote:

my... opening... is quite good.

Jujube wrote:

horribly confused in the middlegame... without reading...

Congratulations! Your self-diagnosis is correct! On both counts:

Except for very rare cases, most people, after merely a few months, can play their first few opening moves at pro level. It's a double edged sword.
The game is decided later.

skydyr · **#49**

Jujube wrote:

Dropped to a miserable 12 or 13 kyu on KGS. Ultimately I think I overestimated my strength when I started playing. Either that or I'm getting worse, not better, which is a distinct possibility - I don't remember it being this difficult to win against an 11-kyu a few weeks ago...

On a hopeful note, a lot of people have found that they dropped a couple stones in strength before leaping forward. It's been hypothesized that when you are integrating new information into your go knowledge, but it's not quite there yet, you'll misapply it and it will make you play weaker until you have a better grasp of it. You may also be unlearning old bad habits that helped you get to a certain point until opponents were able to counter them. Now that the tricks no longer work, the rest of your game is catching up.

Jujube · **#50**

Knotwilg wrote:

Jujube wrote:

CnP wrote:

Going ddk-sdk I remember the big difference was mainly stopping blindly putting down stones and starting to think whether it was a good idea.

That would be a great book idea, by the way. Concentrating on fundamental techniques that make the difference in games at DDK/high SDK level. Thinking about it, it sounds like Kageyama's book.

Kageyama's book, however fun to read, fails to deliver its promise. I found Minue's writings much better in teaching the fundamentals of go.

In order to win games:

1. Don't resign
2. Don't run out of time
3. Use the time you have to read as deeply and widely as you can
4. Connect your stones and separate the opponent's
5. Study life and death problems to knock the opponent out in the middle game
6. Study endgame techniques to outlast the opponent
7. Above all, play and study with the best possible attitude and don't let your fears and desires dictate the pace or quality of your game

Thank you very much for pointing me in the direction of Minue. I found his Haengma tutorial on SL just absolutely cut through my understanding. A really eye-popping read. Everyone should read it - it's like I've been misunderstanding what the game is about, thinking of territory and influence rather than strength/breathing of stones and potential to develop.

I know you posted a thread about losing your teaching notes, I wish I could help because it sounds like you struck gold with this teacher. It's a shame he left the Go scene.

Knotwilg · **#51**

Jujube wrote:

Thank you very much for pointing me in the direction of Minue. I found his Haengma tutorial on SL just absolutely cut through my understanding. A really eye-popping read. Everyone should read it - it's like I've been misunderstanding what the game is about, thinking of territory and influence rather than strength/breathing of stones and potential to develop.

It's great to see someone enjoy and grasp Minue's legacy as you just did. I had the very same feeling: all these years I've been thinking about go in the wrong way.

Jujube wrote:

I know you posted a thread about losing your teaching notes, I wish I could help because it sounds like you struck gold with this teacher. It's a shame he left the Go scene.

It would be great to retrieve his middle game exercises and other positions. You know, eventually his way of thinking and reasoning about Go on a higher level is the same as that of other high dans or pros. His groundwork was very different and fundamentally right at that.

Jujube · **#52**

For the first time in a while, I have played a game without feeling utter confusion.

I'd really appreciate any comments, especially direction of play in the middle game, endgame sequences, and I feel like my opponent's groups were a bit weak and I feel like I might have missed some tesuji sequences. It was a fun game, I've commented right up until the end because it was all interesting.

EdLee · **#53**

Jujube wrote:

For the first time in a while, I have played a game without feeling utter confusion.

Nice. It happens once in a while.

<-- Interesting to study.

:b4:

The game is not decided here, but it's fun to study.

:w17:

A basic sequence is first hane at G4. Even if you want to jump into 3-3, first hane at G4.
( As always, there are millions of exceptions. But, when the opponent attaches in top of you like this, hane up at G4 is a basic shape.
There are cases where you don't want to hane up. )

:w23:

Not good. Allowing B atari at F2 is too much -- B has miai of D2 and G3 ponnuki.

:b24:

Both of you missed the basic sequence: B ataris at F2 -- B has miai of D2 and G3 ponnuki.

You should fix your shape on :w23:

.

Your note here: No. See :w23:

.

Black's

is a bit too much, too far, so invading is OK. Where to invade requires study.

:b34:

Not good. A kind of standard bad habit for some beginners.

:w35:

Good. This exchange is bad for Black, good for White.

:w39:

Not good. Locally, the simple push at R7 destroys B's shape.
Your move at Q8 -- B can choose to give up his lone R9 stone, and take R7 himself, hurting your R6 stone.
A bigger picture, strategically: you don't want to cut off his knight's move, which is what you're doing here.
Instead, you want to attack his weak group AS A WHOLE unit.
Here, you are not satisfied to just cut off his pinky or even a limb; you want to threaten his entire group.
( As always, there are millions of exceptions. )

:b46:

Up to here, let's recap the local situation. At :b38:

, B has two weak groups here: the :b38:

group, and the K3 group.
But instead of attacking his :b38:

group as a whole, splitting him up if possible,
you only caught the lone R9 stone, and how his two weak groups are connected, and has even become strength.
This change is big. In general, when weakness becomes strength (or vice versa), it's a big change.

:w47:

Confused. Think of ( :b38:

) as dead bugs on your windshield -- nobody cares about them.

:b48:

Black is equally confused. Both of you don't understand the value of some stones.
For example, Black can connect at o6 -- you want to spend a move at P7 for 4 points IN GOTE on this board ???

:study:

Look at your 3 stones, :w47:

-- Count how many points of territory they give you,
how much power they exert, whether they cut any important enemy groups, whether they are crucial for the life of your group.

Yea,

is a floater; for example, :b54:

is probably better at H4.

:b58:

Soft. At least double hane at H6. The cut at H4 requires more work (reading).

:w89:

Study J18 knight's move.

:w93:

Soft. Hane K12. See :w17:

-- this is why you want to understand the basic shape, at :w17:

.
( When attached, hane -- barring the millions of exceptions, as always.

)

through

104 You're correct this local sequence is bad shape for Black. See also toothpaste.

I stop here, at just over :black:

100.

( I fast forward... )

:white:

139 through :black:

144

This is not small; it's big.

One more, :white:

149

Negative 1 point in gote. Worse than pass.

Knotwilg · **#54**

I answered most of your review notes, which is btw a very good habit.
Here are what I think are key points:

229: big change in attitude needed
210: exercise
149: big change in attitude needed
145: keep playing this kind of moves
55: keep playing this kind of moves
37: remember Minue
33: good sense of invasion
27: no this was not a mistake!
17: consider basic moves
5: consider basic moves; remember Minue

Jujube · **#55**

Thanks for the reviews EdLee and Knotwilg, wonderfully clear as usual :bow:

There are many moves for me to improve and basic misconceptions to squash, as usual.

210: The throw-in! THE THROW-IN!!! I must learn to constantly re-evaluate areas when local moves are played.

I'm apoplectic that I didn't see the cutting points around move 23.

I have a question:
:w17:

G4

G3 crosscut

What is the sequence that proves Black's G3 was bad?

Knotwilg · **#56**

Hi Jujube,

1) Nice solution of the exercise!

2) Indeed Black can crosscut. That is not a basic move but one that makes things complex.
Colors reversed and borrowed from Sensei's.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Basic variation $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . 4 2 8 . . . $$ | . . O 1 O X 9 . . $$ | . . 0 3 X O 5 . . $$ | . . . . . 6 7 . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ ------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Continuation $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . a O O O . . . $$ | . . O X O X X . . $$ | . . O X X O X . . $$ | . . . 2 1 O X . . $$ | . . . . . 3 . . . $$ -------------------[/go]

This finishes off the sequence - White probably makes an extension on the left or a more solid defense of the cutting point.
In this sequence, Black is somewhat forced but on the other hand alive with territory and strong towards the lower side. In the game this would have been even in my opinion.

This and more at

http://senseis.xmp.net/?AttachCrosscutCornerPatterns#2

xed_over · **#57**

Jujube wrote:

Dropped to a miserable 12 or 13 kyu on KGS. Ultimately I think I overestimated my strength when I started playing. Either that or I'm getting worse, not better, which is a distinct possibility - I don't remember it being this difficult to win against an 11-kyu a few weeks ago...

You are not getting worse (unless you've had a recent head injury

(not that this is anything to joke about)). You are still you. In fact, with each and every game, you are likely getting stronger (although, you may occasionally play below your level from time to time).

Its just that its takes time for any rating system to catch up and settle in on what your level really is. After all, it is a bit of a moving target.

Jujube · **#58**

I feel stronger. I'm not sure why, I mean, it's the practicing and the games and the reviews, obviously, but I can't put my finger on any one thing. I feel like I know what must be done, and then I do it, on a greater number of moves than before.

I have to shout-out WBaduk's lecture videos. They are really helpful. For those that don't know, there are between 100 and 200 10-minute lecture videos on WBaduk for free, and they are made by Korean professional players (including Haylee), and they target fundamentals, and they are amazing. I might start playing on WBaduk.

I've won 5 out of the last 7 games on KGS and I'm heading towards 10 kyu again.

Thanks to xed_over for the encouragement and thanks to all the reviewers, there are more games to come.

So, a few books arrived today, which has increased my book collection. The next things on my list of things to buy are all of the Jump Up and Level Up series, and Cho Hun-hyeon's Fundamentals series. I'm slowly marching through the books I have.

Jujube · **#59**

My 6-game winning streak came to an end today, I lost a game by 5.5 points. I'm back at 11 kyu, which is great.

As well as a review, any tips and recommendations for areas of the game to study are extremely welcome.

My opponent played well I thought. I on the other hand made some wrong moves and missed the opportunity to reduce the framework at the bottom. I've just played the game, so I'll be reviewing it at the same time as you!

Here comes the game. I play White.

skydyr · **#60**

Some comments on the game:

My Study Journal: Shodan in 800 days?!

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