Hello all and any. I thought I'd plunge into Go exhibitionism with a journal of my experience with Jasiek's
First Fundamentals book. Updates to be posted as I finish each chapter.
Starting level: 14 kyu OGS (live game rank), 13 kyu DGS (correspondence rank)
I plan to study the book one sub-chapter a day (one principle), placing stones on a real goban for most diagrams and considering the issues raised.
I'll make an outline of the chapters and subheadings, adding each subheading as I study it, and to keep this beside me in daily games. I also will try to play one live game a day, with handicap or reverse komi to make chances of winning even. Also during this time I am working Level Up volume 7, which is slowly helping me to improve my reading.
Chapter 1. Choose the Big and Valuable. I was not always sure why areas delineated by x's had the boundaries they did, but figured this wasn't a big issue. There was no question in my mind that the area identified as larger was, in fact, larger. Example 40 called out a couple of groups as weak that surprised me. Still the chapter has 40 examples illustrating the 4 principles in the chapter, and I understood a lot of it. I noted several peripheral questions that might not be relevant to the point being illustrated. This ground seems thoroughly covered.
10/10/2015 – Lost game with 1 handi stone, 14 kyu vs 13 kyu, as white. Tried to apply first three subheadings of chapter 1 to live game and was defeated soundly. I wound up making a lot of influence that I couldn't or didn't know how to use. Actually as I look at the game one day later, I feel like I played stupidly. (
https://online-go.com/game/3016335)
Record: L → -1 net, 0% win
10/11/2015 – Studied Chapter 1, Principle 4. Won game against 1 handi stone, 14 kyu vs 15 kyu, as white. I felt that I was outplayed most of the game but won some points in the endgame. (
https://online-go.com/game/3021275). My outline now has all 4 principles of Chapter 1, though I haven't finished the problems at the end of the chapter.
Record: LW → 0 net, 50% win
10/12/2015 – Did Chapter 1 Problems. Success on problems 1 and 3. Problem 2 answer over my head. I appreciate the result but couldn't do that myself. Problem 4 answer was instructive after I chose the wrong answer.
Won even game 14 kyu vs 14 kyu. Tried to employ Choose the Big and Valuable principles. My opponent made this a fighting game, and it seems my reading was a little better. He did defeat my attempted nose tesuji by turning it into a ko, so that's something for me to look at. Also, he had a big, empty part of the board, while my areas were all invaded. (
https://online-go.com/game/3026585)
< I learned that the tesuji I had in mind is not the nose tesuji. I don't know the name of it. Also, maybe I see where I could've gotten into Black's big area, by avoiding premature endgame.>
Record: LWW → 1 net, 67% win
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
saxmaam
and 
are good plays. But 
must be the cut at N17 to take advantage.
is quite small, because of the open skirt at M2. At E6 would be nice.
- looks like you have to cut at H14, because this play makes it easy for White to break in. 
is probably the key moment in the game. Where is there a line that "plays the percentages"? Pushing along succeeds in raising the stakes. 
at M11 ... and if White responds at the top ... peeping at H4 puts White in a dilemma. White wants to answer at H5, but that shape can be cut.
and 
are OK, while 
is over the top. But Black's result to 
is overconcentrated. The cut at C6 should come immediately, and White has problems here.
Black doesn't have good formations. Black does better on the lower side to 
. There follow some plays that don't mean much. Before living with 
, Black has the option of forcing with K5.
for 
is not a good exchange. The key point of shape here is Q5, which sets up further plays.
it is not so clear that the exchange made is better for Black. The endgame starts, however, and Black plays steadily from a solid position. Black 173 is a clear error (of the 123 type).