Kirby's Study Journal

Create a study plan, track your progress and hold yourself accountable.
Uberdude
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Uberdude »

Nothing wrong with approaching the top right, indeed it's the most common pro move in that position and has a good win rate. It's the pincer after his pincer that's problematic. You go into an area you made smaller and harder by exchanging the approach for a pincer.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Bill Spight »

Some comments on the early play. :)

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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Loons »

I found this position interesting:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$ Position at move 24
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . d . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . b c . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . o . p . X a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


On similarish boards, professionals tried a-d in my database. My instinct was to start at 'p' instead of 'o', which I can see was also a mistake.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

Bill Spight wrote:Some comments on the early play. :)
...


Thanks, Bill.

I like this idea:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . , . . . 1 . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]



I had a couple of people play like this against me, but I didn't really understand it. I guess it makes sense in this context. Kind of cool.

I have a question about this one...
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O . . O . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . 7 . . 5 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


This way is certainly easier for white, in that I feel no risk of dying or anything like that. But if this situation came up in a future game, at the moment, I would still have difficulty playing it, because before the sequence:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O . . O . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . . a . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . B . . . . d X b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Black has weaknesses in the shape around 'a', 'b', 'c', and 'd'. After the sequence, those weaknesses are totally gone, and black gets significant solid territory. It's true that I can put pressure on the marked black stone, above. But I feel like I paid a price to get this.

On the other hand, the sequence does look safer, and much easier than trying to invade directly. But it's hard for me to realize this vs. the cost of solidifying the black corner.

Do you have any comments that might make me less fearful to play this way in the future? :-)
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

Uberdude wrote:Nothing wrong with approaching the top right, indeed it's the most common pro move in that position and has a good win rate. It's the pincer after his pincer that's problematic. You go into an area you made smaller and harder by exchanging the approach for a pincer.


Sounds right. The pincer after his pincer certainly feels wrong. I didn't know there were pro games with approaching the top right. I think Bill's idea is also kind of cool.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

Loons wrote:I found this position interesting:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$ Position at move 24
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . d . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . b c . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . o . p . X a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


On similarish boards, professionals tried a-d in my database. My instinct was to start at 'p' instead of 'o', which I can see was also a mistake.


Yeah, I definitely feel 'o' is wrong. I kind of like the idea of 'a' out of these. Seems like a very nice place to start.
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ez4u
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by ez4u »

What would have happened if Black had cut at 1 below instead of playing at 'a'? By reducing the liberties on the marked White stones, Black prevents White from continuing after the 2-3 exchange. If Black connects with 11 at 'b' the White stones at the top are nearly dead, Black has a huge wall facing the center, and I think Black can win a semeai between the two groups at the bottom. Note that if Black remains strong at the top, Black's cut and squeeze at 'c' (to extend his liberties for the fight at the bottom) will leave White without two eyes on the side.

White really was trolling around and getting into trouble on the bottom right. But once again we can see the truth of the adage if we can't be good, be lucky! :salute:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc Would White collapse? (10 @ 1)
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O . . O . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O b X 9 X . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . 7 2 6 5 4 O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 3 X W W 1 8 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O O X W X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . X X X O X X O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , O X O . X O c . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O O X O O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O X X . X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O O O X O O . O |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . O . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]
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Bill Spight
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Bill Spight »

Kirby wrote:
Loons wrote:I found this position interesting:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$ Position at move 24
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . d . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . b c . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . o . p . X a . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


On similarish boards, professionals tried a-d in my database. My instinct was to start at 'p' instead of 'o', which I can see was also a mistake.


Yeah, I definitely feel 'o' is wrong. I kind of like the idea of 'a' out of these. Seems like a very nice place to start.


'o' is wrong?



See :w34:. Go Seigen. :)
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

ez4u wrote:White really was trolling around and getting into trouble on the bottom right. But once again we can see the truth of the adage if we can't be good, be lucky! :salute:


Yes, I agree. I think I said a couple of posts ago:
Kirby wrote:I should have lost. Lately, my "wins" are should-be losses... At the end, I was very, very lucky.


These days, the only way I can win is by luck. I don't know how to win by actual strategy, anymore.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

Bill Spight wrote:'o' is wrong?
...

See :w34:. Go Seigen. :)


Maybe not, then. I guess 'o' is correct if Go Seigen played it (but maybe still wrong if I play it :-)).
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ez4u
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by ez4u »

Kirby wrote:
ez4u wrote:White really was trolling around and getting into trouble on the bottom right. But once again we can see the truth of the adage if we can't be good, be lucky! :salute:


Yes, I agree. I think I said a couple of posts ago:
Kirby wrote:I should have lost. Lately, my "wins" are should-be losses... At the end, I was very, very lucky.


These days, the only way I can win is by luck. I don't know how to win by actual strategy, anymore.

I think that these days you exhibit quite a lot of negative thinking in your games. At present your Go is all about stopping your opponent rather than building a winning position. As soon as you play a move with a disappointing follow up you begin to feel behind and then desperate.
In this game you finally took stock after Black played 159 at 1 below. You commented, "After he played here, it seems somewhat close. He got a lot of points on bottom, but I also have a large capture. His corner is big. So I thought I should adjust the balance of territory." Then you played 2 (160). I had the feeling this was your first calm move since his pincer in the top right. :)
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . O X X O X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . O O X O O X O X X O 1 . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O X X O X X . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . O X O O O X X O X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O X O O O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . X O O O O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O X X X X X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O X O X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . O X X X O X X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . X O . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O O X O O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O X X X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X X O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . 2 . . . . . . X . O O O X O O . O |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . O X X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X O O X X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X O X . O X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Maybe it is lack of time these days. If you have to rush to fit a game in, it is difficult to take a calm view. Also you're playing too fast again! :D
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

@ez4u:

I think I've often been this way. Unless I have some sort of an attack, "building a winning position" always seems gote. In the example you gave, I actually have some reluctance to play there. It's a big spot, but gote. I don't like gote.

At least when I break my opponent up, I don't have gote usually, because they often retaliate.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Bill Spight »

Kirby wrote:@ez4u:

I think I've often been this way. Unless I have some sort of an attack, "building a winning position" always seems gote. In the example you gave, I actually have some reluctance to play there. It's a big spot, but gote. I don't like gote.


I was a bit surprised that you did not play :w2: in the next diagram.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . O X X O X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . O O X O O X O X X O 1 . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O X X O X X . X O O . . |
$$ | . . 2 O . . . O X O O O X X O X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . X . O X O O O X O . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O X . X O O O O . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O X X X X X O O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O O O O X O X O O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . O X X X O X X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . X O . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O O X O O X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O X X X X X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . X X O X . X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X . O O O X O O . O |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . X . . O X X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X O O X X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X O X . O X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


You played it soon enough, however. ;)

It sounds like you have not internalized the concept of the Last Play. There is a proverb that the last play is worth the same as sente. Strictly speaking, that is not the case, but getting the last play at various points in the game can be worthwhile.
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Bill Spight »

Kirby wrote:I have a question about this one...
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O . . O . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . X . 7 . . 5 X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


This way is certainly easier for white, in that I feel no risk of dying or anything like that. But if this situation came up in a future game, at the moment, I would still have difficulty playing it, because before the sequence:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . X . O . . O . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . X O , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . O . X . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . . a . . |
$$ | . . . . . O . . . B . . . . d X b . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Black has weaknesses in the shape around 'a', 'b', 'c', and 'd'. After the sequence, those weaknesses are totally gone, and black gets significant solid territory. It's true that I can put pressure on the marked black stone, above. But I feel like I paid a price to get this.

On the other hand, the sequence does look safer, and much easier than trying to invade directly. But it's hard for me to realize this vs. the cost of solidifying the black corner.

Do you have any comments that might make me less fearful to play this way in the future? :-)


It sounds like you do not play reductions much. Is that so?
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Kirby
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Re: Kirby's Study Journal

Post by Kirby »

@Bill: Probably true. I generally prefer invasion. At least, i always have hesitation in giving territory to my opponent easily.
be immersed
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