Ian Butler's Go Journal

[Ian Butler]

Another one of those days where Go playing is just dreadful. Played 4 games, lost pretty badly 3 times. Eventually I had to play a 9 kyu to get a win, and it was closer than it should've been.

I really shouldn't play when unfocused or not feeling well (the game can be lost in advance mentally), that's really a lesson I need to learn. Instead I keep going because I want to rid that feeling by playing well, but I never end up doing that.

What was it again? For 2019: get rid of bad habbits. First real bad day in that aspect. Still, had to wait 26 days to fall into the real bad habbits again, so that's progress.

That's enough Go for today, because I'm sick of it after those uninspired, blitz, non-thinking games. Better to relax some more and hopefully I've managed to forgot those games in time for the 2nd jubango against jlt tomorow. I really hope the games I played today won't mess with my mind

One of the games I lost badly was because the opponent played 4 star points opening, on the sides, and then invaded 2 of my 4-4 stones.
I never managed to get in the game, nor does Leela help me where I actually went wrong. Tough strategy to fight against. Not a game I enjoy, neither.

[Bill Spight]

This week I studied less than the previous weeks, also did less Pro Games study. The reason can be found in my work situation, which asked a lot of energy of me this week.

But on the other hand, I have played 2 games this week, and will play a third one Sunday (second Jubango match), which for some might not be much, but for me is very good!
Because at the moment the urge to play is greater than the "fear" or anxiety I feel by playing online. It's a major thing for me, since I suffer from that anxiety heavily at times. But right now there are more days when the urge to play is great enough to overcome it.
It's just so much fun to play Go. Even online, creating a unique game is so wonderful.


In the Go club at my school, I played my collegue today, I gave him 5 stones handicap. Last week, we did the same and I had beat him with about +15 points, so it was actually rather close-ish.
Today, I was more aggressive and he made a few more mistakes and the game was +35 points in my favor.
My recurring theme from the past weeks (having my corners turned into seki!) also came up in that game, where I turned 2 corners of my collegue into seki. This time, me being the "annoying invader". One time it shouldn't have worked and it was a slight overplay.
The other one was actually killed off, but I showed him (it was his first time seeing seki) how he could make it a seki and what a seki is, and we decided to leave the corner a seki, instead of it being dead like I had made it.

I also played an online game just now. Against an opponent 4 stones weaker, but we played a 2 stone handicap game. Because I still feel uncomfortable playing handicap. Maybe that is not justified, because I win by quite some margin. Not my best game, but at Friday evening I just wanted to relax a little
You can also see that at the time settings. A game of almost 300 moves, both players using less than 15 minutes. This thing went fast



The main reason I share this game is because of the lower left corner. I needlessly make it a ko, potentially very heavy for black. Instead of atari, I should just kosumi and then I live unconditionally.

Living on the edge!

Well, yes, simply playing D-01 would have given White a one point eye and made life the easy way. However, when Black makes the ko with D-01, throw in at A-01 to make double ko life.

[Ian Butler]

Just played the 2nd Jubango match against jlt. The game itself is in the Amateur part of the forum. It was a fun game.

After the game, though, I tried to replay it, see how many moves I'd remember.
I got up to 125! That's quite good for me.
Although then I discovered at move 111 I missed 4 moves, so technically it's up to move 111 that I remember the game correctly.
After that, I still remember sequences, but not the right order in which they were played.

[Ian Butler]

Another 3 blitz games online, another 3 resigns from me.

I guess I'll never learn.

[Umsturz]

Hey Ian, I found that it is way easier for me to keep my focus and get into the right mindset, if I only play on serious game per day. Trying to play your best is more satisfying than playing more games. Also if I want to play more Go afterwards I solve some tsumego on tsumego-hero or read a go book.

Maybe this helps...

[Ian Butler]

Hey Ian, I found that it is way easier for me to keep my focus and get into the right mindset, if I only play on serious game per day. Trying to play your best is more satisfying than playing more games. Also if I want to play more Go afterwards I solve some tsumego on tsumego-hero or read a go book.

Maybe this helps...

Good advice.
Most of the time I find myself following good advice, but some days I fall into that trap and play quick online.
Already twice in 2019.

Let me see how much self control I really have. I hereby declare that I will not blitz-multiple-games-in-one-day anymore.

Only problem is I don't have a lot of time to play serious games, so I end up not playing a lot of games. I then try to compensate by playing some quick online games, but I don't even review those anymore, because they're not useful since I played thoughtlessly. So I'm gaining nothing from them.
Better than to play few games but to enjoy the ones I actually play.

And I know that. I also knew that before I did it again today

[Ian Butler]

Perhaps this is another good time for a little distance.

Basically, the stones are not flowing when I play. I'm in a little bit of a rut. Add the fact that there's some things going on at work which require a lot of energy and attention from me, and I think that makes good timing for some "rest".

- I'll keep doing some tsumego, because it's not as intensive and easily "planned" into a day.
- I'll keep doing the jubango, because they are fun to do.
- I'll keep going through Invincible, because it blows my mind and I enjoy it greatly.

But I'll be keeping away from playing other games (online) for now, keep my hands off other Go books. Focus a little more on reading (reading as in: reading novels), handling the problems at work, allowing myself a little rest now and then.

As any other thing in life, you gotta get the maximum out of it, meaning if it ceases to bring joy, stop it. I feel more like reading through some novels last couple of days, so I should do just that, and put Go on a lower treshold.
Don't know why I keep forgetting that particular life-wisdom. something about Go keeps dragging me in.

[jlt]

I am glad you continue the jubango, and I hope all your fighting spirit will be there for our next match!

[ez4u]

Thank you, Bill, I'll try to do that.

In that context:

Game review
Played an online game earlier today...
I was thinking of diving in that right side, but for some reason it looked too dangerous. I think that's a fallacy in my thinking and I need to rid myself of that. I had read out three moves.

$$Bc Position at move 67
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . 2 . 3 . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . . |
$$ | . X O , . . . . . , . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . X . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X X X O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O O O O O . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Position at move 67
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . 2 . 3 . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . . |
$$ | . X O , . . . . . , . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . X . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X X X O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O O O O O . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I thought that was no good, because I have no base and I'm weak. But I need to learn that I'm not so weak because the two black stones in the upper left are also weak...

Learn to think instead, "I'm not so weak because the two black stones in the upper left are also weak and the chain of black stones on the left side do not yet have two eyes." There are a lot of Black stones on the left but learn to think carefully about their situation. Notice that even if Black plays B6, White can throw in at A7 and Black has only one eye in gote along the side. Consider how damaging a White play at H8 would be against the stones on the left. This possibility makes your invaders at the top stronger since any process of wrapping around the Black stones at the top will threaten the Black stones on the left.

[Knotwilg]

Another 3 blitz games online, another 3 resigns from me.

I guess I'll never learn.

There are two personae at work here: Ian the prince, who is trying very hard to become a good king. And Ian the evil king, who says to the prince, you'll never become king.

The subconscious bad actions by Ian the Prince, inexplicable from his desire to become a good king, are actually whispered into his ear by Ian the evil King.

It is not that Ian the Prince is incapable of becoming a good king. It's Ian the evil King who doesn't want to yield his throne. And Ian the prince can't beat the King at being evil: no one is more evil than the evil King!

The biggest problem the Prince has, is that he doesn't believe he will be powerful enough by doing good, to overthrow the evil King.

Even in this comment, it's not the good prince speaking to the people. It's the evil king, making public fun of the good prince.

How to solve the problem?

- either find a good king outside yourself, to develop the good prince
- or kill the evil king in yourself (which is hard, as I have explained)
- maybe you can invoke a supreme ruler, who intervenes when the evil King dowplays the prince, and says "shoosh, evil king, go back to where you came from"
- or don't listen to amateur psychology and enjoy whatever it is you are doing

[Bill Spight]

And then there's the Evil Princess, who says, "What's with the board, big boy?"

[jlt]

Capture.JPG (31.8 KiB) Viewed 233837 times

[Ian Butler]

I am glad you continue the jubango, and I hope all your fighting spirit will be there for our next match!

Don't you doubt it!
I'm really enjoying the jubango, so I wouldn't want to pause that

Thank you, Bill, I'll try to do that.

In that context:

Game review
Played an online game earlier today...
I was thinking of diving in that right side, but for some reason it looked too dangerous. I think that's a fallacy in my thinking and I need to rid myself of that. I had read out three moves.

$$Bc Position at move 67
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . 2 . 3 . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . . |
$$ | . X O , . . . . . , . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . X . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X X X O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O O O O O . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Position at move 67
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . 2 . 3 . . . X . X O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | X X O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | X O O . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . X . . |
$$ | . X O , . . . . . , . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X X . X . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O O . X . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . O O . . . . . . O . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X X X O . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O O O O O . . X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . X O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I thought that was no good, because I have no base and I'm weak. But I need to learn that I'm not so weak because the two black stones in the upper left are also weak...

Learn to think instead, "I'm not so weak because the two black stones in the upper left are also weak and the chain of black stones on the left side do not yet have two eyes." There are a lot of Black stones on the left but learn to think carefully about their situation. Notice that even if Black plays B6, White can throw in at A7 and Black has only one eye in gote along the side. Consider how damaging a White play at H8 would be against the stones on the left. This possibility makes your invaders at the top stronger since any process of wrapping around the Black stones at the top will threaten the Black stones on the left.

Wow, very interesting. I hadn't even considered that black group to be sort of weak.

Another 3 blitz games online, another 3 resigns from me.

I guess I'll never learn.

There are two personae at work here: Ian the prince, who is trying very hard to become a good king. And Ian the evil king, who says to the prince, you'll never become king.

The subconscious bad actions by Ian the Prince, inexplicable from his desire to become a good king, are actually whispered into his ear by Ian the evil King.

It is not that Ian the Prince is incapable of becoming a good king. It's Ian the evil King who doesn't want to yield his throne. And Ian the prince can't beat the King at being evil: no one is more evil than the evil King!

The biggest problem the Prince has, is that he doesn't believe he will be powerful enough by doing good, to overthrow the evil King.

Even in this comment, it's not the good prince speaking to the people. It's the evil king, making public fun of the good prince.

How to solve the problem?

- either find a good king outside yourself, to develop the good prince
- or kill the evil king in yourself (which is hard, as I have explained)
- maybe you can invoke a supreme ruler, who intervenes when the evil King dowplays the prince, and says "shoosh, evil king, go back to where you came from"
- or don't listen to amateur psychology and enjoy whatever it is you are doing

Very insightful story here. I certainly want to make a good king
Only thing I can't follow in your analogy is to find a good king outside myself, what do you mean by that?

- Evil King Ian

[Ian Butler]

Pro Games
Just reached the 30 Pro Game milestone for 2019. Since January 1st this year, I've replayed 30 professional games. About 25 of them are from Shusaku (Invincible). I'm finding those games in particular intoxicating and I'm absolutely in love with Shusaku as a Go player. Even though it's in my nature to not follow the general consensus (non-conformist at heart!), I can't help but admire Shusaku so. His games really speak to me, and I'm already looking forward going through the rest of Invincible and watch his game grow even stronger as he gets older. Up to his first Castle Game now, getting exciting!

Tsumego
Having a real good tsumego day, today. Usually I do several tsumego, don't spend too much time on them and I get half of them right, half of them wrong.
Today, for some reason I wanted to prove to myself that I can get tsumego right, if only I spend enough time on them.
Happy to say I've succeeded today, done about 16 tsumego (doesn't sound much, does it...), got all of them right and I worked for them, spend almost half an hour on them, maybe even more.
The last one in particular was very good. I was completely missing it and usually I'd forget about it, but I kept trying and eventually found a dead-shape sequence that worked, and it was correct! I was so happy with having solved that one eventually.

It's also the first time I've done tsumego, put the book away, and force myself to pick it back up for an extra few.

[Ian Butler]

As a fun little exercise, I've been playing a few quick yet fun games online with a self-imposed rule: I can only play moves that are keima. So as more stones fill up the board, it gets easier, but in the opening it's tough. And you find yourself making moves just so you can make another move later on.

Of course, I am battling in the DDK range, and losing, too, half the time. But it's a lot of fun