Something is wrong with my playing style

Talk about improving your game, resources you like, games you played, etc.
Post Reply
alejo
Lives with ko
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 4:10 am
Rank: KGS 5 kyu
GD Posts: 442
KGS: alejo
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by alejo »

For some reason, I'm playing terribly bad lately. Could someone give me a hint on what's wrong with it?
I don't mean specific moves, but the whole game itself is a mess...

Attachments
Alejo-black.sgf
(2.73 KiB) Downloaded 1618 times
My blog about Go and Boardgames: Alejo's Tenuki
User avatar
EdLee
Honinbo
Posts: 8859
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:49 pm
GD Posts: 312
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Has thanked: 349 times
Been thanked: 2070 times

Post by EdLee »

alejo wrote:Could someone give me a hint on what's wrong with it?
I don't mean specific moves
You must look at your specific moves. One by one.
.
:b9: - :w10: I think this exchange is bad for B (but I'm not 100% sure).

:b11: Do you know this does not help B make eyes, if you simply reply :w12: at B18 ?

:w18: - :b19: standard bad habit -- you don't want this exchange. You don't want to let B get the nice ponnuki with :b21: . Just :w18: at D13 directly -- then B cannot get the nice ponnuki as in the game.

:b25: - :w26: absolutely horrendous exchange for B. Some pros, if they were sipping tea and saw :b25:, would shoot tea from their nose.
B needs to study toothpaste and other, basic, broken shapes.

:w28: wrong timing (should've been :w12: ). The hane G14 -- "hane head of N stones," is forced. I think the only move.

:b31: so big.

:b33: B is confused. G13.

:b35: Still confused. Still G13.

:w38: You missed the big shared vital point, again. J14. "Hane head of enemy stones."

:w40: Soft/chicken. Extend E8. You missed the big shared vital point.

:b41: B gets the big shared vital point.

:b61: Bad.

:w62: Some big part missing in your concept of basic shapes, basic contact fights. You're happy to reply (simply at Q6, or other options).

From the first 60+ moves -- we see basic shape problems, basic contact fight problems, basic vital points missed, bad habits.

What's wrong lies exactly, specifically in your basics, your fundamentals.
You must study your specific moves and specific mistakes. One by one.
alejo wrote:For some reason, I'm playing terribly bad lately.
The reason is in your basics. And not just lately -- this is exactly your level.
If we look at your most recent 100 games, and your next 100 games, we'll see these mistakes again and again.
Unless and until you improve your basics, you'll continue to play like this.

This is likely true for most kyu levels.
alejo wrote:Something is wrong with my playing style
No, not your "style" (top 10 misunderstanding), not your opening (another top 10 misunderstanding), not direction (common misunderstanding),
but it's your basics (shapes, vital points, tesujis, life-and-death, contact fights, etc.).

:w76: completely wrong. Wrong shape: bumping your own head against B. Why not block at D2 ?
User avatar
Joaz Banbeck
Judan
Posts: 5546
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:30 am
Rank: 1D AGA
GD Posts: 1512
Kaya handle: Test
Location: Banbeck Vale
Has thanked: 1080 times
Been thanked: 1434 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by Joaz Banbeck »

alejo wrote:For some reason, I'm playing terribly bad lately. Could someone give me a hint on what's wrong with it?
I don't mean specific moves, but the whole game...


Generally, you seem to be playing just a tad too passively. I never had the impression that you were trying to force the game to follow your vision.
Help make L19 more organized. Make an index: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5207
tentano
Lives in gote
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2014 8:36 am
Rank: kgs 4k
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by tentano »

There's a certain listlessness. I miss bold and daring moves. Sudden tenuki. An unexpected local reply which throws your opponent off balance.

:w40: is a good example of it. The cut doesn't work, but you cover it to "be rid of aji" or something like that.
:w44: and :w62: are pretty submissive, too. Single-purpose territory grabs, which exert no pressure at all.
:w76: is just wrong. Very badly so.
:w88: You can't kill this, it's got a working exit. Forcing it to exit now just hurts you.
:w104: tries to grab what has already been lost.
:w134: There is much more to achieve from here. Start of the game-losing downfall.

Really, you're not going against someone much stronger than you. A little more creativity and this could be your won game.

And really DO analyze specific moves after you play. Don't just read out some alternatives, but try to explore how you feel when you play, too. Try to think of moves which are fun and exciting. Moves which would Concern you when played against you. Moves which teeter on the edge between courage and stupidity. Explore!

Oh, and make new mistakes. Don't make the same ones you always do.
Splatted
Lives in sente
Posts: 734
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:41 pm
Rank: Washed up never was
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: Splatted
Has thanked: 681 times
Been thanked: 138 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by Splatted »

Edit: Wrong player you can ignore this post. I'm too lazy to read and just assumed you were the loser. XD

Edit2: I didn't even get who won right... :oops:

Edit3: This thread makes a lot more sense now. :lol:
Last edited by Splatted on Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:20 am, edited 4 times in total.
User avatar
EdLee
Honinbo
Posts: 8859
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:49 pm
GD Posts: 312
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Has thanked: 349 times
Been thanked: 2070 times

Post by EdLee »

After :b5: and :b7: your stones are light
Alejo probably took :white: .
Elom
Lives in sente
Posts: 827
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:18 am
Rank: OGS 9kyu
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: WindnWater, Elom
Location: UK
Has thanked: 568 times
Been thanked: 84 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by Elom »

I feel, that white was thinking in a relatively contrived manner, without any "Divine Move" hunger.



edit: the white move suggested on 170 was thoughtless. White can play G4 in sente before coming back at F10. (Thanks to knotwilg for pointing out the error)
Last edited by Elom on Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
On Go proverbs:
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.
User avatar
Knotwilg
Oza
Posts: 2432
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 6:53 am
Rank: KGS 2d OGS 1d Fox 4d
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Artevelde
OGS: Knotwilg
Online playing schedule: UTC 18:00 - 22:00
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Has thanked: 360 times
Been thanked: 1021 times
Contact:

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by Knotwilg »

First rule of gamesmanship: don't resign out of disappointment. You lose the ladder but can still force black to capture the bottom and set up a splitting attack yourself at N12. Don't deprive yourself of a comeback by playing with a dispondent attitude. Take a breath and look at your remaining opportunities.

Black's top left was heavy all along. Try thinking in groups not new territory.

Enjoy the game!
alejo
Lives with ko
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 4:10 am
Rank: KGS 5 kyu
GD Posts: 442
KGS: alejo
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by alejo »

Thank you for all your comments.

I've been losing too much lately, so I'm too afraid to play anything offensive or slightly risky.
Though I know w76 is a bad move, against all basic principles, I was worried about D4 if I played D2.

Actually, after realising all the mistakes I made... I feel even more frightened to play :oops:

Well, I'll try to play some counter-strike, gain some offensive spirit and switch back to go. :lol:
My blog about Go and Boardgames: Alejo's Tenuki
User avatar
EdLee
Honinbo
Posts: 8859
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:49 pm
GD Posts: 312
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Has thanked: 349 times
Been thanked: 2070 times

Post by EdLee »

alejo wrote:Though I know w76 is a bad move, against all basic principles, I was worried about D4 if I played D2.
D4 is wrong shape for :black: .
alejo
Lives with ko
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 4:10 am
Rank: KGS 5 kyu
GD Posts: 442
KGS: alejo
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re:

Post by alejo »

EdLee wrote:
alejo wrote:Though I know w76 is a bad move, against all basic principles, I was worried about D4 if I played D2.
D4 is wrong shape for :black: .


Wel, though it's bad shape, I didn't know how to stop him from reducing my territory if he got to play D4..
My blog about Go and Boardgames: Alejo's Tenuki
alejo
Lives with ko
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 4:10 am
Rank: KGS 5 kyu
GD Posts: 442
KGS: alejo
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by alejo »

Update: Seems like the key was to be aggressive, more aggressive, overly aggressive!!!

I've just won 2 games in a row and the second one was the most interesting game I've had in a couple of weeks. Thank you everyone!!!
My blog about Go and Boardgames: Alejo's Tenuki
tentano
Lives in gote
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2014 8:36 am
Rank: kgs 4k
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by tentano »

Never again forget that go is a fighting game.

Glad to hear you found your will to fight again.
xed_over
Oza
Posts: 2264
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:51 am
Has thanked: 1179 times
Been thanked: 553 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by xed_over »

alejo wrote:I've been losing too much lately, so I'm too afraid to play anything offensive or slightly risky.
...
Actually, after realising all the mistakes I made... I feel even more frightened to play :oops:

I understand your feeling there, but we've got to get over our fear of losing. That holds us back more than anything, I believe.

Take risks, and learn from your mistakes.
peti29
Lives with ko
Posts: 125
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 2:41 am
Rank: KGS 5 kyu
GD Posts: 0
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Re: Something is wrong with my playing style

Post by peti29 »

Knotwilg wrote:[...] don't resign out of disappointment. [...]
Enjoy the game!


How true! Tonight I almost resigned when I lost a group early on. But then I thought hey, my position is still not bad after all (I was given 2 stones handicap). It ended up a ~100pts win for me :)
Post Reply