Thanks for you comments. How would you judge the position at the end when he timed out? I know I would have lost most likely but when I analyse it with Leela it favours black significantly - if so I'm guessing it either thinks his center group is dead or that my lower right is alive - but I'm not nearly strong enough to verify - for me I'd guess his group is alive and mine is dead heh.

No games today, or yesterday, which is annoying - I think I need to put in an effort to play more - though it's much more comfortable for me to just study pro games & tsumego since I have less fear of being disrupted then.

Today I did order a pile of books though - which ought to carry me through the summer and beyond. Jump Level Up 1-5, Tesuji, Get Strong at Tesuji, and The Endgame. I'll probably treat myself to some more for my birthday so I didn't want to overdo it now heh.

For tsumego / tesuji I'll admit I'm looking forward to having puzzles with answers - Cho Chikun's Elementary are mostly fine but I am stomped at some junctures where the shape becomes too open and I have to read very wide - then I'm not always able to completely verify my solution so it's more of an educated guess.

See Tower Stone Tesuji in Sensei's Library

Ah cool. I definitively didn't know that one.

Today I actually got to play some games (yey) - well, games as in two but one of them was aborted after 25 moves due to my opponent timing out. Oh well.

The actual - full - game was an even game against a 4k and I won handily but I'm not so sure about my play all the same - I did spend all my time while my opponent played rather quickly.

If 4k is my actual rank I guess I should start asking my 2(?)dan EGF friend for less than 9 stones when we play - but with his love of creating a horribly complex board I feel that it would lead to my swift demise. Oh well - I'll learn I guess, and taking 0 stones is the goal so, onwards!

Tsumego - I'm nearing the end of Cho Chikun's Elementary, but for the last few 50 or so problems I've really wanted an answer key - and I've also become a bit lazy I think in my reading but for the carpenter squares and the more open problems (or similar at least) I'm just not able to prune bad variations quickly enough so I get overwhelmed by checking and rechecking the same variations to ensure I haven't missed something. I'll be happy when my books arrive and I can start to practice some tesuji which is something I feel is lacking in my play - I often don't feel that I play sharply enough or take advantage of what I think is bad shape.

The game:

Overall, this seems like a good game for you. Your opponent made mistakes and you recognized them and acted on them. I've included some comments below:

Thanks - I did feel I did good (at the time anyway) and thanks a lot for your comments!

I did play a game yesterday but my opponent collapsed quickly and resigned and I didn't have the time for another so I didn't think it worth posting.

Today I had two bad games against the same opponent (a 3k) - one where I collapsed and just resigned after 30 moves (misreading in a corner situation, collapsing horribly and just resigning) and one where I kept at it and then collapsed and didn't resign but started putting stones down more or less haphazardly in frustration and then resign.

It really felt like one of them games where I don't think I've improved at all and I'm an imposter for having the rank that I did (I don't think my quick rank-up to 3k helped my rank anxiety any, I both felt like an imposter and didn't deserve having it and at the same time wanting to not play in order not to lose it - the mind is funny how it can bother you like this even when I know it is irrational, like it is anything of value instead of an indicator - I'm working on this ladder-anxiety mindset since it's hampering my ability to enjoy the game even when losing).

The game:

Preface - I've been going over games I play with Leela (supposedly some 2-3 dan I think) after in order to see how I'm doing and help with my positional analysis, spotting blunders and ye, just exploring the game. Is this something you think is helpful or too much of a crutch in terms of reviewing? I'll admit I don't always trust it's win / loss indicator but it can't be all wrong can it?



Other studying:
Still doing the Lee Sedol - Gu Li jubango games (hence me being fancy and copying their fuseki somewhat), but looking for some more approachable pro players to study. Is Cho Hunhyun a good one to look at? I want someone who loves to fight because I'm trying to cultivate some daring in my play (unless, based on my games here, you guys don't recommend that).

Also, 700 / 900 of Cho Chikun though I'll admit I've cheated a bit and given up on maybe 10-20 of them after just thinking I have the right variation instead of fully reading it out. It really is tiresome with the wide open ones - but I know it helps. Did a chapter in Tesuji today and really want to get started with that as well!

Teachers - I've looked around online and here in the teaching forum to see if not taking paying for personal lessons could be interesting in order to improve faster - anyone who happen to read this have experience with that (as in recommending someone in particular)?

The game looked reasonable until . Reinforcing in the upper right would have helped with this, of course, but then white likely wouldn't have jumped in the same way.

When white jumped in oddly on the right at it was a bit of a thank-you move, but it's clearly aiming at activating the upper right white stone. White's subsequent 2-space extension is a bit on the timid side, but it's still aiming at that. Just blocking on the side, with a jump down or a footsweep or otherwise would keep white weak enough that black doesn't have to worry about the white stone for a bit yet.

Once white plays the attachment at I don't see a great result for black, and in the game, black's huge moyo has turned into white territory and some black influence and a not so strong group. It's hard to recover when White's gain's on the right are so big. I didn't see any black tesuji to recover on the right side.

Later on, though, don't play aji-keshi moves like . Black's behind enough that he needs to be able to ruin the top.

Thanks! That's what it felt like certainly - not sure why I played the shoulder hit instead of a footsweep or block - then if he ignores I guess the shoulder hit would be more appropriate to harrass the group. The only idea behind move 69 was to go some all-in center strategy but he's already in and I don't even think I have enough points there so I guess it just kills off all the things I could do on top.

The fact that I felt the game as unsalvageable - and like you said you don't see a good result for black either - makes me wonder why Leela favours black though (or it's even but like 52-55% for black until 61 and then back up after 94. It really wants me to play P9 - so maybe it sees something or think it sees something. I should get CrazyStone since that's a fair bit stronger I suppose but then I'd need a PC heh. Perhaps I should make it play it out.

And for today we have how to lose a lost game - messing up life and death edition (just stress-reading in byoyomi really - I'm fairly confident I'd have won if not for my screwup - this means more Cho Chikun's Elementary for me!)

Other than that though he kind of struggled with this center group which I felt had no business living (and well, it didn't sort of kind of - well other than the fact that I resigned) - but I'm not sure I went about treating it properly? In hindsight I should just have gone further away and taken points that way instead of tightly trying to smother it - but the way he struggled made it big enough for me to win I think.

Anyway - the game + comments - I'm actually not that upset with losing for once, just had a "doh" moment heh.



Like always, comments are appreciated, especially harsh ones - I know I make a lot of mistakes and I really want to at least know where they are and I'm more doubtful of Leela's suggestions thank you guy's!

EDIT: It just struck me as I was thinking about the game - I think I have really bad instincts when it comes to handling thickness (my own that is). The 72-74 sequence exemplifies it I think - what am I even accomplishing here? I think I was very lucky my opponent followed me around instead of taking large points here

starts a difficult fight. Choices for this move include the obvious O4 and N3 as well as the perhaps less obvious O5 and M3. I have no idea which is best However, the game sequence gave B an opportunity to get a good result by giving up two stones for a nice outside squeeze with at M4.

After , I think W should live directly by capturing at B4. This move is territorially very large, on the order of 20 points. The game sequence helped B make territory here and risked damaging W center thickness.

Concerning your posted comments, and were good moves, which substantially improved W center thickness and potential for center territory. Contrast this to a B move at J6, largely erasing the W thickness. You did well to invest another move here.

was an overplay, which you punished properly. After the large center capture, W had a won game.

You started to go wrong with :w136:. Those three B stones are extremely weak! This move and the next are "thank-you" moves, forcing moves which help B to live. Consider invading at M17 instead. I do not think B can capture this stone, given all the surrounding W strength, so he will be in big trouble. If your reading says this invasion does not quite work, prepare with H17 or M14, taking profit and forcing B to defend.

B was also thin on the left side after :b163:. You should be able to find some way to make a substantial reduction here, rather than forcing B to solidify a large territory. For example, :w174: at E13 would be difficult to stop.

:w176: started to go wrong in the lower left. E7 instead was simple and good. :w178: clamp at F2 is the local tesuji to maximize your territory here. :w184: at F7 was another missed tesuji to connect with no loss.

No game today but oh well - teaching my brother to play - fun to see someone go through the same struggles I did heh.

Thanks a lot for your comments though - I went over the board to see the tesujis you mention and think I found the right sequences - also, I've just started reading "Tesuji" now and I see that my view on how to capture cutting stones might have been a bit narrow - no doubt the same goes for connecting tesuji as well (I often spot sequencing issues in my reviews where it's obvious in hindsight that by playing 3 before 1 for example I could connect or cut). Usually I just check quickly if I can ladder or net it but I suspect I've often missed tesujis which would have let me captured them if my reading had been just a bit wider in scope. Something to improve!

Ye W136 was a mistake, and I could have been more severe - I play slack when I think I'm ahead by a lot but I don't really always play that safe either so it's the worst of both worlds.

Today's game - wherein I again lose a won game - but not due to a single obvious misread so I'm very interested in hearing other people's take on it. (basically I think slack and slow are keywords - I just can't pinpoint the exact ones where the game turned around from what should be a massive lead after what I felt was great overplay on his side.

My opponent was very nice so after the game we went over it and exchanged some ideas - I'll post both games here the clean one and our "review" if you want. Be aware we were both sort of swapping control so the ideas are a bit all over the place and the comments a bit hard to follow maybe. Either way:

The reviewed game



The "clean" game sgf

Hi domo,

maybe slow. ( Maybe at N4. )

...or Q8...

Local result good for B. ( at N8 )

maybe M8.

N9.

maybe N12.

Maybe you work too hard here to try to kill.
Attack to profit. Maybe o13.
Just make sure you get a good result here ( kill or not ),
and make good shape for yourself and sente to tenuki.

Such as this move. Maybe just block M13 & profit on the outside.

Stubborn. N15 big.

W gets this shared vital point -- good shape for W.

Slow. From the beginning of the attack you didn't think to attack to profit and sente to work on the left side.
That's how you ended up with in gote.
If you have to go back to fix this cut, then connect directly at .

He missed C18.

Maybe small & slow. Maybe H4 bigger.

Another small & slow move. Both of you overestimate the center, maybe.

107 Almost a pass. Bigger: C3, B14, H17, etc.

149 Why. B5, etc.

150 B14 + A12.

171 Q18.

180 This result is ridiculous for B.
This corner L&D accounts for most of the 24.5 points difference.

Thanks - I've looked over the game some more and I think my evaluation of the position was off by a lot. I think I had a good advantage at move 57 - but I mishandled my attack badly and he got an advantageous position in the process. By 71 he's safe and I haven't really gotten that much from my attack and after 74 if not before it's white who has the edge - and after the sequence that starts at 113 I don't think I can come back - I really underestimated how much points he stood to make on the side there - of course nothing was helped with the bad misreads but I'm still behind either way am I not?

Not a good weekend for games - at least not serious ones. Instead I've spent the little amount of time I had on a couple of blitz games both against GnuGo and real opponents (using my OGS account) and one teaching game (trying to get my brother interested heh).

While I might not have learned anything at all from these games they certainly were confidence boosters. I can recall not that long ago where I struggled against GnuGo even when trying to think, and on OGS I hadn't played there since late may so my rank was what it was then - however - turns out that you can improve even if you don't feel like you are (probably because you just face better opponents)! I can now rather effortlessly blitz and crush GnuGo, and the games on OGS were also one-sided affairs.

But, while I can totally get the ego boost from sandbagging, its not for me. I really want to get some serious (well to me) games in now and keep at it. Hopefully the books I've ordered will come soon since I'm nearing the end of Cho Chikun's Elementary. What it has taught me is invaluable - but also I have to wonder - When people say they've done thousands of problems I don't see how they have the time for it (unless they are talking over many years, but some seem to say they do a hundred a day or something) - I've no chance to do that many unless I spend hours, or is this down to different methods of solving? What constitutes solving tsumego for people (use yourself as an example)? I try my best to read everything, which works but takes forever still - especially for unfamiliar shapes.

Anyway, just a little update - games to come this week!

Ach, so much for my triumphant return... I got to play three games today - and lost all three...

I've yet to add comments, I'm on that. I think that at one point I was ahead in all three of the games, and in only one have I identified a true "losing move". Other than that I think it's mostly a case of picking the wrong direction in fights and misreading in tricky do or die situations - I at least feel I'm getting good positions, and then see it unravel.

The games and some overarching comments for the game itself, I'm reviewing them myself more in depth soon but need to take a break first.

1) First game


By move 32 I think the game is even and I got to play in the bottom to hinder him growing. The exchange that follows up to move 49 makes me regret not just extending to the side when he shoulder hit, but I at least hope to get to trash his area while he runs with his now wasted corner. Leela thinks this exchange is bad for white and the game now favours my opponent. Then we run up the side and I'm not against getting my territory solidified. I'm not afraid of my group dying so I think my opponent just secures me points while I get a chance to take his away once I get sente. However I do let him go to easy and connect up to his top, after a wasted move at 72. Also I think that I wasn't severe enough and didn't try hard enough to poke the defects in his shape in the hopes of cutting him apart. In the fight that arises after 74 I think he screws up and suddenly everything of mine is safe and sound and I think I'm ahead at this point (coming back from being ahead - this is both what I felt at the time and what Leela tells me). In the endgame that follows I think I do quite well until I we get to moves 147-152 after which I'm losing. Reading is everything, with different play (not just give him a ton of points) here I think the game is fine for me. Oh well. The rest is just endgame practice I suppose... Aaaand we're back to 5k...

2) Second game

So I start game 2 with a fresh mind - and I think it goes rather well until move 83 after which things fall apart for me - his weak group is no longer weak and my grand thickness becomes nothing - then it is a slow collapse as I never find a sharp way to come back into the game and bleed points until they are all his. I resign after I misread the sequence at the bottom but the games is already over.


3) Third game

So I probably shouldn't have played a third game. I'm the kind of player that tilts a wee bit when losing, which in turn further degrades my game. According to Leela I really should never have played 49 at C14 - but after he screws up in the top right corner I'm fine again until move 114. This is something I've identified too much of in my play where I just play something that is of game deciding importance and find that I've not really read through it at all. I saw it as soon as I made the cut at move 119 that it wouldn't work out - then I scramble and fail to give life to my groups (ultimately just wasting time with moves that have no business working and aren't very respectful of my opponents time)

So... That's it for now I guess - comments / reviews are very desired and welcome - I'm off to review the games some more and start reading the books that just arrived today!

Well, nearly a week has passed but not much in the way of games for me. For normal games I had one loss and one win against a 5k and 4k respectively. The loss on time (I stupidly tried to delay to the last second and failed - though behind after a massive blunder where I go for 2 worthless stones instead of wrecking his only source of points) and the win on my opponent collapsing in the first corner after playing out a capturing race that he should never have gotten into in the first place - also I had one game but the person left abruptly (I was ahead but very much still a game), and a pair of handicap / teaching games with my brother on 9 stones.

On a happier note, I've really done a lot of problems, easy ones but still, in the form of Level Up Review 1 and 2 - some 300 pages of Go problems with 6 problems a page. It has taught me a lot in the way of reading out capturing races in particular - something I found difficult in comparison to the "regular" life and death problems (though still very doable at this difficulty).

Now... I really ought to play more games I realise and I intend to (By starting to play 10 min 3x30 second games by default instead of 20/30 and 3x30, long enough to read and think - no blitz - but short enough that I can up the quantity of games I hope), but first I have 2 weeks of vacation so it'll be interesting to see what I get done and if I can improve at all (or just not degrade horribly). I'm bringing board, stones, a tablet, some go books (Tesuji & The Endgame) - and an opponent in the form of my brother.

Attached is the game I won due to my opponent blundering. However, when I reviewed it I think I got away with murder and my opponent could have forced a much better result than he got? So for sharper eyes than mine - what is the play at move 23 cause I don't think mine was right.

B3 ?

So.... A month later I return and unlike several I've heard claim I can't say I've improved on my break... Oh well...

Here is a game I played today, other than that my only games have been teaching my brother and thus sandbagging a wee bit by helping him when he was lost in his games (kind of fun to be able to kill of the board against 8-10k players though, since I was one not that long ago) - In a week he was able to play even against 10k on KGS so that was good to see (if somewhat upsetting since he has more spare time and I fear that he'll surpass me if he keeps at it in this tempo).


The game - I was black and lost by a a few, mostly due to a misread in the upper right I think but I sealed the deal by playing poor endgame. I've added a lot of variations of what I tried reading out and such. As always comments are very welcome!



I'm considering getting a teacher - if I can find one - so any suggestions for such would also be welcome!

I've posted a few comments on the game here:

Ah, thanks a ton! I really created trouble for myself by drawing the two out, I should have just gone for the profit instead and played away - as it was I got let off easy by him. However, does this mean the cut was bad in the first place or just my subsequent handling of it?

Also, thanks for showing the dangerous amount of reading mistakes that I really should have picked up on (and probably a ton that are well beyond me but that is the game heh) - it's no good relying on my opponent misreading in return heh. For the sequence at 112 - I thought I'd read it out that I could connect to the top but I think maybe it was a bit more dangerous than I realised and that he let me off after 118 (and the line after 162 which I missed completely).