Ian Butler's Go Journal

[Ian Butler]

So I have 2 weeks off from work. I want to take that time to relax a bit, enjoy myself. But I also want to use part of my time to study some more Go.

Today is such a day of study. Waking up at 7 am, I already:
- Played a 19x19 game against Crazy Stone
- finished Jump Level Up 3 and can now move on to JLU 4!
- Read almost half of Cho Hunyun's Opening Lectures
- Replayed a game from Yuan Zhou's book (understanding how to play Go - with commentary)
- Played (and lost heavily) against a 4kyu OGS.
- Analysed the game and posted a threat in the Study Group about a particular opening I want to know more about.

To fill up the gaps (study breaks), I've been learning a piano song from Hikaru No Go. I'm over halfway the song!

And now it's almost 2 pm. I won't keep studying Go for the rest of the day, that'd be slight overkill. Though what I still want to do today is:
- Catch up on some 4-5 joseki (after that game, I have to)
- Do some L&D (after that game, I have to)

Maybe that's enough for one day and I'll relax a bit, read a book, play some more piano. Sounds good.

In the coming weeks, though, I plan to start a re-read of both Attack & Defense, but also Tesuji (Davies) and perhaps also Get Strong at Tesuji.

[Ian Butler]

From 2018 to 2019!

Part 1: finances and effort
Besides about a month in 2017, I really started playing go in early February 2018, if I remember correctly. With 2018 ending, I thought it'd be nice to make some sort of balance after about a year of playing, and also look forward to the next year, filled with Go.
First part is mostly on finances and effort. Why? Because Go has been my biggest investement of the year (besides rent, it's been the thing I spent the most money on).

To start off. This is what I purchased this year (with my final order placed today):

- Over 50 Go books. Honestly, over 50! (well, including Jump Level Up 1, JLU 2, JLU 3...)
- A goban of €1500, several go boards for table use, about 10 boards of 9x9 and 13x13 for the Go club, shell stones of about €300, many sets of glass stones, 2 magnetic boards (1 small, 1 medium), a 9x9 mini Goban with legs, a 13x13 mini Goban with legs.

All in all I reckon I've spent just about €2500-3000 on Go this year, if not more. I don't regret it, because it is beautiful, usefull or interesting to me. However, I've decided to drastically cut my financial investment in Go. Mostly because I have plenty of stuff already, I won't need another board or book in a long time, I think. Maybe another book or so every once in a while, but probably rarily.

As for time commitment, I've started 2018 with an obsessive attitude towards Go. I had to take a break of several months to recover from it. I'm ending 2018 with another high-period of Go. Hobbies like that usually come in waves. I've been high on the wave, been very low but I haven't stopped and I'm back on a higher part of the wave.
Still, I'll be mindful not to step into obsession again, and to take plenty of periods where I take some more distance from the game.


Part 2 will probably be about how I'll be spending my time in 2019! Or at least, how I see it now.
Part 3 will then probably feature some of my hopes, dreams, "fears" and whatnot about what 2019 will bring, Go-related.

[Ian Butler]

Part 2 of my take on 2019 will be here soon. In between: this.

Today I went through 6 pro games in the Kiseido (mastering the basics series) book: attacking and defending moyo's.
So a marathon pro game study, with lots of great games.

I wanted to play one myself, too, of course, and funnily enough it turned into some sort of moyo game.
I got 2 stones handicap against an OGS 6-7 kyu, and he messed up a L&D on the bottom. I was heavily ahead, and so white had no choice but to bank everything on a big middle.

I didn't panic (like I used to do), but instead kept taking large points, first, and then finally decrease the moyo from each side. It worked out wonderful. Also the L&D on the bottom was good for me, I've been working hard on it lately and killing this group shows I've made improvement.

2 negatives from this game, to learn from are:
1) still some very slow, almost dame moves nearing the endgame.
2) a captured group came back to life after I had been "tricked" into taking 3 stones. This was careless of me.

2 positives from this game for me:
1) I played unafraid. Looking for sente, forcing, cutting. But also not attacking before getting strong myself first.
2) L&D put into practice, reading during the game and killing a group. Big for me.



I think, though, that 2 stones were not correct. Blindgroup told me that he finds the rankings on OGS to be something strange and I agree. I think I am not at the right level at my current rank and perhaps I am 7 kyu myself. Maybe playing more games will help that ranking? Either way, I won't take 2 stones from a 7 kyu again.

[Ian Butler]

As an experiment, I have played 10 OGS games in about 3,5 hours.

Win 7 kyu
Lost 7 kyu
Lost 12 kyu
Win 10 kyu
Win 14 kyu
Lost 4 kyu
Lost 4 kyu
Lost 11 kyu
Lost 5 kyu
Win 9 kyu

After the experiment, I can honestly say I am disgusted. So the experiment was a success in one way: I know this is something to never (never?) repeat. Playing online has always made me a bit nervous and afraid. And I guess playing 10 games in a row kind of helps with that, because now an individuel game matters less.

But it's not my style, definitely, definitely not. Right now I feel like I am a lousy player and I should quit go. I know this is just because of what happened and these emotions go away, I can identify them and see them rationally, but I also know why the feelings are there and I don't think it's in any way positive for me to go through this by choice. So 10 games online in a row, no thanks.

But it's also making me reconsider my 2019 efforts, or just my general future of go. To make real progress, you have to invest quite some time. If you only invest a little time, I think you kind of stand still. So I'll have to decide for myself if I want to put in all that time. If the result (Go) is worth it. No easy questions


Anyway, that's enough Go for one day. Really. Really, really really!

[jlt]

Only 10 games? I sometimes play 25 games in a single day, from early morning until late evening, but then almost stop playing online for several months. That's probably not the best way to make progress.

[Bill Spight]

Only 10 games? I sometimes play 25 games in a single day, from early morning until late evening, but then almost stop playing online for several months. That's probably not the best way to make progress.

Wilcox used to recommend playing a whole game in 15 minutes. That way you have to rely upon instinct and knowledge.

[Ian Butler]

Only 10 games? I sometimes play 25 games in a single day, from early morning until late evening, but then almost stop playing online for several months. That's probably not the best way to make progress.

Wilcox used to recommend playing a whole game in 15 minutes. That way you have to rely upon instinct and knowledge.

May work for some people. For me that's blitz Go and not something I enjoy too much. Only every once in a while

[Bill Spight]

Only 10 games? I sometimes play 25 games in a single day, from early morning until late evening, but then almost stop playing online for several months. That's probably not the best way to make progress.

Wilcox used to recommend playing a whole game in 15 minutes. That way you have to rely upon instinct and knowledge.

May work for some people. For me that's blitz Go and not something I enjoy too much. Only every once in a while

I never followed such advice, myself. Besides, I was 4 dan when Wilcox published in the American Go Journal. But when I was 2 kyu a Japanese 2 dan advised me to play pon-pon go. Until I moved to Santa Fe, NM, I used to take about one hour per game, and normally played three games per day on the days that I did play. But the players at Los Alamos liked to take about 2½ hrs. per game, so usually one game was it for me. A visiting Korean 5 dan once remarked, "Why do they take so long, when they have nothing to think about?"

[yakcyll]

But it's not my style, definitely, definitely not. Right now I feel like I am a lousy player and I should quit go. I know this is just because of what happened and these emotions go away, I can identify them and see them rationally, but I also know why the feelings are there and I don't think it's in any way positive for me to go through this by choice. So 10 games online in a row, no thanks.

I think go has this sort of effect on people regardless of how much they play. I played in a cup tourney last month where I played sloppily and without a clear plan in all of them and some of those games just left me feeling disgusted with myself in a way as well. I was thinking something along the lines of 'this isn't why I'm playing go at all' a lot; the experience made me consider similar questions.

Cool experiment, it's good to hear your conclusions. I'd guess that when it comes to playing a lot of games in a rapid manner it all comes down to the mindset, but defining what is the right one in this case eludes me. I just hope it doesn't mean that those doors are closed for me.

[jlt]

@yakcyll: at SDK level, it is not uncommon to win against players who are 3 stones stronger and think "hey, he plays many bad moves like me, I could be n-3 kyu", and the next day fail to count liberties, lose against a player 3 stones weaker and think "in fact, am I really n kyu ?"...

But when I was 2 kyu a Japanese 2 dan advised me to play pon-pon go. (...) A visiting Korean 5 dan once remarked, "Why do they take so long, when they have nothing to think about?"

So I understand from you posts that until about dan level, one can benefit a lot from blitz games. The question is why and how. I guess the two main advantages of blitz games are that

• weaknesses are more apparent, so more easy to detect;
• playing a lot of games with a specific goal in mind (fix one of these weaknesses) helps to reinforce good habits.

Personally I am a bit like Ian Butler, I am too frustrated by my blunders when I play blitz, but 30 minute games are fine for me and might serve the same purposes almost as well.

I have already detected quite a few elementary things that I sometimes or often fail to do during a game, and which could be fixed by playing many fast games:

• Check if I can cut my opponent
• Check if my opponent can cut me.
• Before attacking/escaping/making eyes/invading, look if a peep or a placement could be useful.
• Check if my opponent can make a peep or a placement that could be problematic.
• Before responding to my opponent's move, check if I can make a useful sente move first.
• When my opponent makes a locally sente endgame move, check if I can make a sente move elsewhere instead of responding passively.
• Look for dual-purpose moves, e.g. enclose my territory/threaten to cut, protect two cuts at the same time...
• Check if it is better to cut and fight, instead of escaping.
• When escaping, look if I can jump further instead of pushing from behind.
• Be careful about liberties during the endgame. Even if I don't die, shortage of liberties can give many sente moves to my opponent.

There are however a few bad habits that fast games cannot fix:

• Not reading deep enough. I sometimes have surprises due to shortage of liberties that appear one move further.
• Not reading wide enough, i.e. failing to consider another possible response from my opponent.

There are also weaknesses that I don't know how to fix anyway, whether with fast or slow games.

Mostly shape problems:

• How to protect a cut? Solid connection, tiger's mouth, extend,...?
• Where to pincer? High, low, close, distant?
• How far to extend in the center? tobi, nikken-tobi, keima, ogeima...?

I did practice some tesuji books, and read "Shape Up" as well as "Fundamental Principles" by Yilun Yang, but I am still confused. I am looking at pro games with the hope that good shapes will become natural, so far without much success.

[Ian Butler]

@yakcyll
I guess that's true. However, what helps that for me (and it might for you) is reviewing the game. When I play a game, I usually stick to only one game, but I review that game always afterwards. If I played a game that I feel lousy about, most of the time I'm over it by the time I've finished the review. Not because I try to "win" the review, but because I know where my mistakes were and I feel I've maybe learned something, that makes up for the bad play.
The problem with the 10 games yesterday is that I don't feel like I learned anything. On the contrary, I had the feeling afterwards I had lost like 3 stones in strength in one day.

@jlt
Thanks for sharing. Yes, at SDK level, ranking still aren't that stable. Or it is rather like you say. Your mindset/circumstances can really make a mark on your game.

I don't know if Blitz games solve much. I guess it also depends on what kind of person you are. For me it's obvious that I'm someone who learns better by study and thinking about things. Other people learn better by practice, practice, practice. Of course, you always need both practice and study, but the ratio depends on who you are.
A simply example for me was the double hane. I could've experimented with it in 50 games, but when I finally "read" or studied the theory behind it in Jump Level Up 3, I finally understood a lot more; when you can use it, and how. Now I can use it a lot better.

[Ian Butler]

From 2018 to 2019!

Part 2: use your time wisely
That is good advice in a Go game, but here it means something larger. How will I use my time in 2019? First of all, it won't all be spend on Go, no sir. My work is very important to me, as are my friends, my family, the music I play and the books I read. But Go is also a big part of my life at the moment, currently surpassing even the music. So it'll have a nice place at the table for the 2019 feast!

How will I spend the time learning about Go is the real question. While I can't say that for sure, here's what I have planned so far:

- Replay a lot of Pro Games.
This is my big goal for the upcoming year. In the one year I've been playing Go, I've probably replayed like 50 Pro Games in total. I hope to triple that number by the end of 2019. It's one of the Go activities I like the most. Even if I could never play Go again, I'd replay Pro Games. I get a lot of enjoyement, peace and calm out of it. I also read a lot during these Pro Games, try to read out sequences etc.

How will I do this? Well, I just ordered a few books that'll be very useful:
- Invincible (Shusaku collection)
- Lee Sedol commented Games (all 3 parts)
- Games of Wonder
- A collection of several handicap games
- books from the 'Master Play' series, including Kato Masao and Lee Sedol (unfortunately Go Seigen and Takemiya were sold out)

- Tsumego & Tesuji
Tsumego, try to do it daily, for about 15 minutes.
Do tesuji problems. Seeing tesuji is probably one of my biggest weaknesses. I miss a lot of tesuji in many different situations. So something to work on! Re-read Tesuji by Davies again, and Get Strong at Tesuji must help me.

- Play Games
I intend to play a little bit more, though I'm not certain about this one just yet. Either way, playing games is more stressful than studying, but can also be fun. So I do hope to play at least 2 serious games a week. Along with many 9x9 and 13x13 games against CrazyStone, Leela and Igowin.

- Read Go books
Continue reading books about Go. Some about strategy, others on tactics, others on the Go world in general. I feel books like these only help when you read them over and over. I did that with Opening Theory Made Easy before. I'm also reading Attack & Defense for the third time, now. Every time I learn something, even if it's small.


So there. Those are my plans for the 2019 year. Pro Games will be my n°1 priority. Not because I think it's the best way to get better at Go. But because I love doing it, and most of all I want to keep my love of Go, not destroy it by working too hard


Part 3, final part, will be up hopefully before 2019

[Ian Butler]

From 2018 to 2019!

Part 3: ambitions for 2019
Well, I had a whole "speech" planned for this part, until I had some bad experiences playing online the past couple of days. The reasons for these bad games is twofold, I reckon. Playing way too fast is one, and playing to win (too desperately after a few losses) is the other.
So out with all my previous ambitions. About X rank or X strength or X amount of games.

My sole Go ambition for 2019 is to strip away all bad habits surrounding my Go.

Meaning no more blitzing (unless it's for fun occasionally), but playing Go as it's meant to be played. That'll probably mean that I won't be playing more games, like I wanted to, but I'd rather play 5 games as I should than 20 blitz where I feel bad and don't play well.
Meaning I have to detach from my Go as well. You can't let a thing like ego ruin your fun/love for Go. The ego dwells in strange places, and for me, it really feasts on Go. I have managed to strip away my ego in several parts of my life, with success. Now it's time to do the same for this one.

If I succeed in these objectives, it will have been a fruitful year, despite my rank. Even if I don't get a single stone better this year, it's a big succes if I manage to deal with these 2 bad habits.
Because if I don't, I might as well stop playing Go, because these 2 things turn playing Go too often into a bad experience.

So pretty ambitious. Hopefully I can do it

See you in 2019!

[Ian Butler]

On a weekend away with some family, I was replaying a Pro game on my foldable board when my little niece came back from a walk. She is almost 3 years old. She asked me what I was doing and I said: just playing a game. She wanted to play, too, obviously.

So I told her, sure, you have to put stones on the board!

She bravely took a white stone and put it right in a square. What a move!

I then took a black stone and put it, not too close, not too far from her stone.

She took another white one and played near the corner.

I took a black one and played it close to her stone.

She took my stone of the board and played it somewhere else.

Then we made drawings using the black and white stones to make a bicycle (hard!), flowers (easier) and a smiley face (easiest)

Later she asked to play again, of course we did.
Good times

[Ian Butler]

I was doing Life and Death and came upon a problem where I didn't understand why my answer was wrong. So many refutes by white didn't work out.
I made the .sgf and was about to post it on the forum. But suddenly my battery died and I had to restart my computer.

While my computer restarted, I suddenly thought of a move for white that probably worked. I messed around with it in cgoban and found that, in fact, the answer in the book is the only way to live unconditionally. My answer has a potential for a ko, though, which is also interesting.

You know, I am really falling in love with L&D. I do them daily now, for about 10-15 minutes. Some days a bit less, but other days a lot more. I don't feel my reading ability improving, but I guess that's because it's something you do every day and I think it's probably improving very slightly but greatly over bigger periods of time.