Life In 19x19
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Progress in Black and White
http://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=13265		 Page 8 of 9
Author:  Majordomo [ Sun Nov 13, 2016 12:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Thanks a lot for your thorough review! I'll have to go over that a few times!

but yeah, threading the line between what is aji-keshi and what I think is just good “shape poking” is difficult for me. I have a hard time letting go heh, when I feel that I really should be able to kill.

115 - that’s the sort of autopilot move, I didn’t think, it’s just “business as usual” - but yeah that’s a missed opportunity heh.

191 - Yeah, risk taking, I didn’t think I was even close, my mind was stuck on him having “lived everywhere” and I didn’t do a count to check if I actually needed to make life on the bottom like that to have a chance, just blindly assumed. Though what you show with the variation at 205 was kind of nice heh

221 - Oh my - yeah, that would have been better than just playing a no-gain forcing move heh I don’t know why I thought taking wasn’t the way to go - I often feel I have a blind-spot for Ko, I just dismiss the variation once I see that oh, he ataris I connect and he connects - but yeah, if I take and cut that changes things.

again, thanks a lot! Always really helpful - and a good theme you found for the game!
Author:  Majordomo [ Thu Nov 17, 2016 2:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Very happy to have won a game against a 2k! After he failed to defend the corner I got a good lead - so my following cut (overplay?) was not needed I think and better at K4 - but I wanted to try it since I feel I often get too passive in my games and bleed away any advantage. However, I use up almost all my time in the process and yeah - it's scary to have 2-3 byoyomi periods for the most of the game!

But I managed to get my group out and grab enough points to win comfortably - ever thankful that I had the margins to survive with my abysmal endgame. I really need to get on with practicing that - With enough time I'm sure I could do it decently, but I'm always in byoyomi and nowhere near good enough to see the important endgame points on the board with the time available.



Also, bought all the packs for Tsumego Pro for Android and have been doing like 100 a day of the easy ones just trying to sharpen my accuracy and intuition for the "basics" - I especially like that there are a few cut / connect & other tesuji in there and not just only life and death problems.
Author:  Majordomo [ Sun Nov 20, 2016 9:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
The game that took me to 2k - the next game will be when I drop back to 3k heh, I don't think my game is up to playing 2k's even but time will tell.

I won this by less than komi and it was a no komi game so heh - also, I self ataried for infinite points in the endgame but he either ignored it or missed it.



Besides the self atari, I feel he overplayed when he started poking into my center group, but I couldn't see anything that worked so he got too good of a result here I think. And I think the initial fight I started in the bottom left was premature or just plain overplay, when he simplified by letting me capture the one stone I was very happy - and then he gave me sente to rescue the bottom group at one point as well so. Had he been less willing to compromise I think I'd have ended up with a lot of dead stones.
Author:  Majordomo [ Sun Nov 27, 2016 6:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Looks like I haven't dropped back yet!

Posting one game I'm quite happy with, since I beat a 1k in a 0 komi game! Probably a bit lucky, since I think he screwed up quite a lot in the top right - so I got to have the "comfortable" side and he seemed unwilling to create nasty complications for me to deal with and then resigned before I'd bleed away everything in the endgame heh. This is also one of my recent games where I feel like I haven't "gambled" by doing something aggressive without reading out beforehand.

Comments are welcome :P I'm probably more proud of the game than I ought to be heh.
Author:  Shenoute [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Nice game! I don't find much too comment upon. Maybe the following:

- :b19:, maybe better if played high, to achieve better balance with the c5 stone
- :b61:, black's upper right being so solid I would be tempted to play on the other side (p11), pushing white towards black's strength.
Author:  Majordomo [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Thanks for your comments!

I didn't consider playing high, but yeah, given that I make a three space extension - is a mixed (high-low) more resilient than 2 low stones? or is it just because it maybe asks for more that it is appropriate here? I remember wanting to sort of "claim" the upper left side as territory and accept him invading into the three space extension.

At 61, I guess I never considered "asking for more" - and was happy because I figured he just killed off his upper right stones for no real gain and would be running with the invasion for a long time - but yeah, I guess I could just try for everything - my corner is safe regardless so I would gain a lot on the lower right side potentially?
Author:  Knotwilg [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
The sequence 43-53 is nothing short of impressive.

After 75, it's a very hard game for White.
Author:  Majordomo [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Well thanks, I can't really take credit - it's one of the joseki I've been practicing (except he deviated a bit but I tried to do what the joseki wanted to accomplish which is connect back to the corner with that bump / diagonal kick tesuji-thingy) because I find people jump out a lot in my games and then try to cover expecting me to crawl along the side - but with the ladder / support you the push and cut and a lot of people don't know how to deal with that, so I read up a bit and tried to learn it. A bit scary of course because it can lead to a lot of weird fighting where I don't know if I'll come out ahead - but here I figured I had support enough.
Author:  Shenoute [ Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Majordomo wrote:
Thanks for your comments!

I didn't consider playing high, but yeah, given that I make a three space extension - is a mixed (high-low) more resilient than 2 low stones? or is it just because it maybe asks for more that it is appropriate here? I remember wanting to sort of "claim" the upper left side as territory and accept him invading into the three space extension.

At 61, I guess I never considered "asking for more" - and was happy because I figured he just killed off his upper right stones for no real gain and would be running with the invasion for a long time - but yeah, I guess I could just try for everything - my corner is safe regardless so I would gain a lot on the lower right side potentially?

This idea of balancing 3rd and 4th line is somewhat tricky. It is something I've just begun exploring so take everything I say on this with a grain of salt. C9 leaves an invasion at c7 which will isolate c5. But if white plays c7 immediately, black can jump at e5, threatening to confine the corner stone or to swallow the invader. Playing high at d8/d9 gives black more potential and makes it easy for black to deal with c7. But being high it leaves much more potential for white to do something with c13 or simply (if black d9) invading at c7 and living under...So all in all, I don't know which is better here, high or low (and there might be other options, e4 looks interesting too).

As for 61, given that attacking white enabled you to make territory on the right side, solidify the left side and invade the bottom, I'd say this move was perfect :-) Playing p11 was just something to came to my mind and I thought it could provide a nice alternative. I kind of had the same position in a game recently where I had to decide between confining a group (with good chances of killing it) or attack it on a large scale, make it run and using that to gain some advantage elsewhere. Not an easy decision. Since the group was no that big, I thought that even if I killed it, it may not be enough to win, so I threatened to swallow it on a large scale, my opponent ran out and I used the weak group to do things all over the board. In the end, it was a close game, so maybe not such a good decision :D
Author:  Majordomo [ Sun Dec 18, 2016 1:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
So with Christmas creeping up on me I thought I'd post an update here.

TL;DR: I'm still playing, would love some comments on the last of the three games!

Still playing! Just not posting so regularly - I've not had many losses recently where I've been unable to find the big "Losing moves" heh (typically it's the sudden realisation that, oh, I just died).

As for what I'm doing, well I'm still keeping my rank at 2k so there's that

    - I still go over every game with CS, and I think my games are coloured a bit by what it prefers

    - I'm still playing weekly teaching games with my teacher, and I feel I'm getting stronger so that's good (to see that it helps heh)

    - I've also downloaded Tsumego Pro for my phone and bought all the sets to grind through (solving tsumego on a phone is a bit eehh, I got to keep away from the harder problems because I don't have the patience to sit and read it out unlike on paper, but it's great for drilling the easier problems and I've been doing like 50 a day at least)

    - I finally started reading "The Endgame" but I'm still on the intro-game there.

Aaaand I'm reading here on this forum, which is inspiring and educational heh, since you lot post a ton of useful stuff that I absorb and then try to apply to my own games (just recently found the Malkovich section and been reading through a few of the games there). My near-future optimistic goal is to be able to post in the 1 dan in a year thread in the general topic with an "I did it", but I think that will be difficult based on what I've heard on the gap for 1d - 1k on KGS.

Anyway, I thought I'd post the three games I played yesterday. One was a short resignation by my opponent, and the other was a long game where counting would have made me a lot less worried (I ended up winning but thought I was short since no komi), and the last was a loss where I did what I just mentioned (died).

First game (vs 3k, 0 komi, a quick win by resign, no real question here - I saw the variation for him to live but even with that I feel comfortable with my position since he messed up a bit on the top and let me seal him in)


Second game (vs 3k, 0 komi, a long game, I thought I didn't have enough without komi after I failed my attack on his weak group but it was alright, one big question though - I've looked at pro games and wondered why the 1 space low pincer I played is never played in this position? Couldn't find it in Waltheri anyway)


Third game (vs 2k, I lose by dying horribly - so I'm curious since I didn't really see it coming until it was too late, when did I need to protect myself here? I know move 123 was a mistake but is that the critical one or did I mess up earlier in trying to connect my groups?)


Comments are always welcome!

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Author:  Knotwilg [ Sun Dec 18, 2016 4:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Quick analysis for each game. Some points

1. avoid thank you moves; see also 1-2-3 principle
2. taking the upper hand in a major surrounding battle is worth more than approaching a stone in the corner

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Author:  Majordomo [ Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Thank you for your comments! The 1-2-3 principle is something I find very difficult to apply, there is something comfortable in making a forcing exchange but yeah, I should be more wary of making thank you moves and helping my opponent find shape and such.

Good though on the 3-4 1 space low pincer against the opposing corner 3-4! I'm starting to invite the cross a lot more often as white just to familiarise myself with it, so I guess this sort of thing will come up more and more.
Author:  Majordomo [ Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
So, happy holidays all! I got to play a few games recently and thought I'd post a couple of losses. In both I think I disintegrated after reading mistakes - in the second game I got a real good start (I think) but then I misplayed and it turned around, I don't like these "sharp" positions - I'm not accurate enough in my reading! In the first game, I think I did good until I mishandled his invasion and made bad panicky exchanges after which I was just trying too hard for the rest of the game to "trap" him into making a mistake.

Anyway, the games. Comments are of course welcome and appreciated!

1st game


2nd game


I often find I spend way to much time early, then in byoyomi I start stressing and making dumb mistakes a lot - normal I guess, but how should I try to think of my time in these typical 20m 3x30s byoyomi games to avoid spending it all in the early opening / midgame? I know playing late endgame in the last byoyomi has cost me quite a few games heh.
Author:  skydyr [ Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
I don't know that I can provide that much, but I've made some comments on the first game:



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Author:  Majordomo [ Sat Dec 31, 2016 6:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
@Skydyr - thanks a lot for your comments! I agree, I definitively think I missed my chance to do something against his top left group, and H3 was premature if not greedy!

So, I think I've played my last game(s) of the year, and thought I'd mark the end of "Go in 2016" (for me) with this post.

2016 has very much been the "Year of Go" for me, I learned the game technically in 2015, but 11th of february 2016 marks my first 19x19 game of Go (previous games had been 9x9 and 13x13 against GnuGo) - where I played no handicap against a 1d / 2d (at a boardgame meetup, where I suggested Go since we were the only two left without a game and I figured I could teach him heh). Including that I've logged 285 games of 19x19 Go (live and online) and I've gone from complete beginner to 1k on KGS. So yeah, not quite 1d in a year but eh, close enough!

So thanks to all of you; L19 has been important for my progress - this journal (and the reviews you've all given) and the other posts on the forum (other reviews, theory, Malkovich logs etc etc) have been great resources in my quest for improvement!

My goals for 2017 is to continue to improve - seeing the Norwegian champion play as a 3d on KGS makes me feel it's within reach (in a few years maybe heh, I know ranks are not exactly linear hehe), so that's the long term goal. I'll keep posting here and as always, reviews / comments etc etc are very welcome.

The last game of 2016 was a loss for me, a 0 komi game against a 2k - and yeah, I wanted to be a bit "creative" but I don't think that worked out very well until he submissively let me bully him around instead of resisting (which would have left me a lot further behind). In the end I lose by 3.5 points, but I think I should have lost big time after my opening and the stuff I did that didn't or wasn't supposed to work - so when the end came I even thought I'd won but I forgot about the (lack of) komi.



Whatever I may think of my play at least it's better than I was (I'm Jumanah):
Author:  Knotwilg [ Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Why did you resign in that last game?
Author:  dfan [ Sat Dec 31, 2016 9:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Knotwilg wrote:
Why did you resign in that last game?

Likely because he had only been playing for a month at that time :)

Beginner to 1k in a year is very impressive and inspiring! It definitely gives me hope that the path to 1d doesn't have to be as rocky as we sometimes assume it must be.
Author:  Majordomo [ Sat Dec 31, 2016 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Knotwilg wrote:
Why did you resign in that last game?


Hehe, like dfan says - I didn't know any better. Funny that that was my first thought on seeing the game too hehe.

And yeah - I'm happy with my progress but Go has consumed all my other hobbies this year. And I had three months off work at the start of the year heh - a I've spent a lot of time on Go.
Author:  Knotwilg [ Sun Jan 01, 2017 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
Woops ... I missed the gist of the message. Obviously that's too harsh a comment for a 30k. Anyway, the fact that I didn't recognize the level of that game says a lot about your potential.
Author:  skydyr [ Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Progress in Black and White
I rather liked the joseki (or start of one at least) in the lower right, which you don't see much anymore, and which I think we can safely assume neither player had seen before.
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