Finding the balance between play and study

Nathanl · Post by **Nathanl** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 12:11 pm

I've been playing go off and on for years and never really got any better. I played a fair amount at times and still hovered around 17-16k. I watched some Sibicky youtube videos and read Opening Theory Made Easy and I progressed to about 14-13k in a week.

This lit a fire under me when I realized I was doing it wrong.

My plan is:
Keep about 4-6 correspondence games going at a time on OGS (now if only I could get people to stop joining the games then immediately canceling them..) I find with the correspondence games I can really think about what is the "biggest move" and don't get pulled into fights as much. Not to say fighting skills aren't necessary but there's other parts of my game that need more work.

Speaking of avoiding fights, I'm stopping small board play altogether. Instead I will look at tsumego or other books instead when I have a few minutes to spare instead of playing the small boards. I don't think they help me progress at all.

Continuing the Sibicky videos here and there. Unfortunately I don't often have an hour to spare but when I can they seem good. Perhaps commented go games would give some of the same benefit but in a package more friendly on time constraints.

Last but not least, I think I'm only going to play live games only the weekends to try to put to use what I learn.

Seems weird to say I'm going to get better by playing less but I think at my current level I think self learning from live games isn't the way to go.

tentano · Post by **tentano** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 1:29 pm

Just don't stop any type of play because of "progress". You shouldn't keep yourself from enjoying the game. Progress can be important, sure, but if you can't have fun anymore you'll burn out or get bored.

joellercoaster · Post by **joellercoaster** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 2:33 am

I've stopped playing small board games recently for a similar reason!

My biggest deficiencies at the moment are definitely tactical - shape, liberties, fighting. And playing small board games is fun and scratches a particular itch... it's the same itch that doing tsumego scratches. But the tsumego are definitely more nutritious! If I play 9x9 games I don't have the hunger any more, and tsumego come to a halt.

So for the moment, 9x9 and 13x13 are on the shelf (not forever, just for the moment).

I am losing nearly all my 19x19 games in the meantime but it's character-building

Bill Spight · Post by **Bill Spight** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:45 am

joellercoaster wrote:I've stopped playing small board games recently for a similar reason!

My biggest deficiencies at the moment are definitely tactical - shape, liberties, fighting. And playing small board games is fun and scratches a particular itch... it's the same itch that doing tsumego scratches. But the tsumego are definitely more nutritious! If I play 9x9 games I don't have the hunger any more, and tsumego come to a halt.

Who are you playing your 9x9 games against? If they are your own strength, then you are probably right, that tsumego is better for your progress. But if you have to take two stones on the 9x9, that's another thing.

Dragonfist · Post by **Dragonfist** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:43 am

Playing is the most important part for improving imo, especially at your level. Also, players your level usually have basic shape trouble, so read shape up, it's a free book online. Studying basic joseki is also important, they teach you about shape.

often · Post by **often** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:52 pm

if you want to improve, play is important
that said
correspondence games will not help you that much.
play some games on a live go server instead.

Knotwilg · Post by **Knotwilg** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:24 am

1. Play (60%)
2. Review your games (20%)
3. Do tsumego (15%)
4. Read something (5%)
5. Apply it in your games
6. Review your games
7. etc

What kind of games? FTF or online games that allow you to think but within a time constraint. No time or unlimited time won't foster progress.

Nathanl · Post by **Nathanl** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:49 am

Thanks for the tips! I got Shape Up and have been reading it on the bus etc. I guess I've been skipping the review your games part. On another plus I got some people together to play locally including a 4k player who is happy to teach. Having someone in person to give advice is pretty nice.

RobertJasiek · Post by **RobertJasiek** » Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:16 am

Nathanl wrote:I played a fair amount at times and still hovered around 17-16k.

This means that the balance between play and study is not your problem. Your problem is missing some essential input. You can solve this by these means:

1) Take such a teacher that identifies, explains and corrects your major mistakes.

2) Attend a club in which people do (1).

3) Read all the essential books for your level.

Nathanl · Post by **Nathanl** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:30 am

I liked this game. I thought it was going well. I took a few groups, felt I was doing well, then lost a large group at the end and lost by a point and a half. Looking back I had a few lucky breaks, white defended some groups that had little chance of living that gave me some free moves (the groups at g2 and j8). I felt like a fool when white played T5 and I realized I let him back in the game.

I also tried hard to come up with a few end game points, found a couple but not enough.

Any thoughts on what I could have done better would be appreciated.

skydyr · Post by **skydyr** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:19 am

Some comments:

Knotwilg · Post by **Knotwilg** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:08 am

If I may isolate the major points according to me:

47-49 Very bad technique. See "Small Gaps" at Sensei's library
93 saving dead stones may end up in more dead stones
115 saving a group requires solid expansions of eyespace, not endgame jumps
206 a beautiful tesuji reverses the game

It's weird that White, before executing a high level move like 206, plays as if he's not reading, just throwing stones onto the board, on several occasions. This doesn't make your case, but it makes it a hard game to comment on. In several parts of the board, he lost big strings of stones by playing impossible moves.

Both have a commonly observed tendency to "play where the opponent just played". In some cases that makes one play a move that was possible right before the opponent went there.

There is definitely room for improvement in basic technique. See Sensei's Library articles "Haengma Tutorial for Beginners", "L'ame du Go", "Small Gaps" and "Basic Instinct".

Enjoy!

Nathanl · Post by **Nathanl** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:50 am

Despite my original post I've played a lot compared to my reading. That and watching much higher ranked games, usually without commentary. Got up to 13/12k on OGS and 10k on KGS (should break that SDK barrier with another win!) I feel like I've been doing better with basic shape and a lot better with keeping sente. However, when I lose though I lose big. It's rare I lose by a few points, I go out with a bang. I win by komi often though. Not sure what that says. Maybe it means I still have shape problems that are getting exploited? I plan to review this game. I feel like I cost myself this game in several ways. I couldn't sleep thinking about it after.

skydyr · Post by **skydyr** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:19 am

A review:

Bill Spight · Post by **Bill Spight** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:48 am

A few comments.

Main focus: Avoid overconcentration.

Life In 19x19

Finding the balance between play and study

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