Well my hubris shows, I must be destined to remain a very weak DDK forrrrreverrrrr.

Doing lots of Go problems has not translated into better play. And taking handicaps with MFoG all the time hasn't taught me anything about playing in an even game. Also, I still have no idea how to invade or defend against invasions. (I think I am long overdue picking up Attack and Defense, since I recall it covers these topics.)

In the following loss to Bonobo, I had no idea how to play after Black played at tengen on move 7. In fact, I have no idea how to play against san-ren-sei (sp?). I figured our game was closed book, and in any case I didn't have time to look up anything online about this opening. After my first approach move, Black moved out toward the center and it seemed like an excellent idea to make full use of tengen. Having paid a penny, I kept adding more pennies till move 22. Bonobo told me that the score estimator said that I was ahead at that point. (I still haven't used this feature, especially as I think that assessment was ridiculous.) My 22 was something of an act of desperation to reduce, but it just resulted in a local loss. For awhile, I thought that I might be able to use the threat to save my netted stones as a ko threat, but that never materialized. I just sort of gave up (or mentally collapsed) with my last actual move, hoping to come back later and fix around where Black played.

It seemed like I looked at invading somewhere on top the whole game but couldn't make myself pull the trigger. (Yeah, I have never invaded in my life!) I understand the general idea of reducing when the score is close, so I get playing near a sector line; I don't get how to invade, however. I'm guessing that I should just try it and learn by failure? Also, I still haven't studied (really, haven't hardly even skimmed) any pro games. Maybe seeing how invasions are handled would help as this is just terra incognito for me--full of terrifying chimera. I'm still playing my other game at OGS, though I've fallen behind. I'm determined--hah--to hold on to more mental resistance.

Thanks, again, to Tom for highlighting some of the things I need to study--for all the good studying seems to do me.

Thanks, Bill

Is the last move (by B) missing for everybody or only for me? Trying to upload the SGF …



No … this is odd … you can see B’s last move (E5) on http://online-go.com/game/1039048 (and if you like, you can just try the amazing review feature on OGS )

Anyway, IMO the game was far from decided, and I was quite afraid (and enjoyed the game a lot!)

Cordially, Tom


<edit>

I tried to upload a repaired SGF — w/o curly quotes and curly apostrophes, but apparently this doesn’t help. Trying to clear out the issues with the OGS team to see where the mistake is.

</edit>

_________________
“The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad.” — Salvador Dali ★ Play a slooooow correspondence game with me on OGS?

Some comments.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Thank you for your comments, Bill. I especially need to look at your suggested third-line attachment at move 20. That is the sort of invasion I've never seen in my computer games. Maybe I can find some examples in pro games for possible sequence ideas.

Payday, today. I just purchased four SmartGo books: Davies' Attack and Defense, Kim's Learn to Play Go, vols. 4 and 5, Battle Strategies and The Palace of Memories, and Bozulich's Mastering the Basics, vol 5, The Basics of Go Strategy. Somewhere in there I hope to learn more about invading and defending against invasions! Next purchase is probably Invincible, though I wish the 1971 Honinbo Tournament was available in SmartGo format, as I've read how good it is. (I always enjoyed chess tournament books!)

I have a copy of that waiting to be read as well. Team up and form a mini study group? From our current game, I suspect we are at a siimlar level of general understanding.

_________________
Confucius in the Analects says "even playing go is better than eating chips in front of tv all day." -- kivi

Absolutely! Eh, how do we do that?

BTW, I'm always willing to use Skype. I used to play WoW, Diablo, Battle for Wesnoth, etc., with my nephew while we talked over Skype. (My nephew is a young whippersnapper of 56. )

My "level" is very erratic. I can solve 90% of 12-kyu or 75% of 10-kyu problems in less than a minute, but overlook the right candidate moves in the middle game probably more than half the time. And I've never worked on the end game, in fact, I have a bad habit of not bothering to count. (So much to study, so little time!)

Anyway, I would be very happy to exchange thoughts on the book, just don't expect much insight from me!

I really could have used Battle Strategies several months ago, now not as much. The writing is clear and I found few typos/misprints, but I was hoping for a bit more. Especially something more than the same general advice I've read elsewhere concerning when to invade versus reduce from Part I: The Middle Game. As for Part II: Life and Death, I already knew about big eye liberties from senseis (http://senseis.xmp.net/?BigEyeLiberties) and the typical vital points from doing so many Go problems. I did find the section on Ko useful. Having said all of the above, I don't regret the small purchase price. Review is good, and the author gives a very lucid presentation of the material. Let me add that I really enjoy being able to interact directly with the digital diagrams!

So far (after about 50 pages), Palace of Memories is all review for me, but I'm sure to discover new ideas when I get to The Endgame sections.

My plan, unless joellercoaster and I get together, is to tackle The Basics of Go Strategy next, and Attack and Defense last.

EDIT: Perhaps I didn't make it clear that I find reviewing material that I have already seen very useful! Like I tell my math students, I can explain how to do something but only you can understand how to do it. Or, an example I always use, I can explain how to hold your fingers to play a chord on the guitar or piano, but you have to practice before you can say you understand how to play.

Rumors of my demise are somewhat exaggerated. Since the end of the semester, I have been laying in bed day and night with my iPad. In part, I have sequestered myself with my new Bluetooth speakers while my wife watches hours and hours of old racist films for a class in African American history she will be teaching next semester. (Like me, my wife is retired but teaches out of interest as well as for pecuniary reasons.) BTW, I discovered that I can access my public library's magazines from my iPad using Zinio--I will be saving some more money! (Did I mention that I like to read?)

As soon as my correspondence game with joellercoaster finishes I will post it. Meanwhile, I have read a few Go books (and just started reading an inter-library loan of The Master of Go, by Yasunari Kawabata).

SmartGo Books:

The Basics of Go Strategy (finished, plan on rereading)
Attack and Defense (finished, plan on rereading some day)
Invincible (still working through games)
The Gateway to All Marvels (read text, abandoned problems for now)

Print books:

Fuseki Small Encyclopedia (half read; loved the inter-library copy so much I bought a used copy)
Breakthrough to Shodan (about a fourth read)
Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go (half read)
Train Like a Pro (abandoned for now; bought because it was on sale)
Weiqi Life and Death 1000 Problems (still working through this, my first Go book, bought with my first Go set)

Electronic Go problems (I'm at various levels, though I haven't been doing any since the end of the semester):

SmartGo Kifu (somewhere in the 6-kyus)
Tsumego Pro
Go-Tesuji
Go-Tsumego
Go Game Life and Death
GoProblems
WBaduk
GoChild
Yose-Go

I am thinking of getting the SmartGo version of Five Hundred and One Tesuji Problems next. Yeah, I like doing problems. (Now if I can break my addiction to Hay Day!)

I'll try to post more frequently. Not that I think anyone is anxiously waiting. Knock-knock, anyone there?

Edit: I also ordered Korean Style of Baduk 1 on sale from GoGameGuru 12/17/14. I think it must be coming by way of steam ship.

Hi Aidoneus, is one of the films Birth of a nation ?

Yeah, that is one of the films from which my wife is selecting illustrative segments.

I'll be interested to see what people have to say (and I'm trying to get it finished).

Subjectively, I think your study has done you much good - at the beginning of the game it felt like you were weaker than me, now I suspect you are stronger. The outcome of this one is still in doubt as the midgame comes to a close (though endgame is one of my poorer areas) but I think a rematch would be a comfortable Aidoneus victory.

_________________
Confucius in the Analects says "even playing go is better than eating chips in front of tv all day." -- kivi

How about Showboat, Song of the South?

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Yeah, there have been so many...

I don't know about our comparative strength, but I do feel like I have improved more than a little over the past month.

I would say that we are now in the endgame, something I have yet to study. Over the last couple moves, I am afraid that I haven't been playing the best moves to divide up the last few points. I hope to see analysis explaining my suboptimal play!

I also look forward to exchanging thoughts on the game!

I posted my game with joellercoaster in the game analysis thread.