The Story of a Loser - The Great Pitfall of Studying Go!

[dfan]

I completely understand it's impossible to review in detail but I was looking more for a "you don't use your verbs correctly, try using capitals at the start of a sentence but it's a creative text". Just general stuff.

OK, here are a couple of things from the start of the game. I hope they are useful!

is very small. The Black stone at F18 is not going anywhere.

is unnecessary as the two Black stones are already dead (see what happens if he tries to run out with E19 and/or G19).

, , , and are all very, very tiny. You're making 1 point of territory at a time, if that (some of these moves, like , actually fill in what could be your territory and are thus probably worth negative points).

[Ian Butler]

Thank you for that. So I should play a bit bigger. The reason why I play too small is probably because I feel I leave weaknesses behind. I've had games where trying to play big has had the opponent come in in territory I thought was mine and just wreak havoc.

[fireproof]

I'll join a local club to play go face to face and try to get my hands on some books to develop further. It'll be slower, but quality of life is everything.

I love computers, they're central to my profession, but I've found this approach to work the best, too. Enjoy the game!

[Ian Butler]

I'll join a local club to play go face to face and try to get my hands on some books to develop further. It'll be slower, but quality of life is everything.

I love computers, they're central to my profession, but I've found this approach to work the best, too. Enjoy the game!

I definitely will!
Tomorrow I'm going to see the club, hope it'll be fun!
Meanwhile I've been doing some work on my actual board but also some online games. If I keep an eye on the time and never play over half an hour or an hour it's not so bad.

I also feel some improvement. I see the basic stuff, I can make life and kill groups that are on the verge of creating life. It makes for fun games!

[Ian Butler]

Still alive and kicking. Have been to the local go club and it was interesting.
Meanwhile I've also been playing games on OGS, mainly quick 9x9 to improve fighting or correspondence/teaching games 19x19, so I don't have to sit in front of a screen hours in a row.

Not feeling a lot of improvement but when I watch/review older games I see the mistakes more easily so I am getting stronger. Slowly but steadily. Fighting is still a weak spot of mine so I need a billion more 9x9 games.

Fell out a bit with tsumego's so I should probably start that back up. It's just so tough doing them because I hardly ever get it right. Maybe I need more easy ones to start with.

[Bill Spight]

Fell out a bit with tsumego's so I should probably start that back up. It's just so tough doing them because I hardly ever get it right. Maybe I need more easy ones to start with.

Yup. The best problems are those that you get right about half the time.

[Ian Butler]

Reading now. Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go. Very interesting so far. Taking in one chapter a day. Learning a lot!
However, when playing games I still feel I miss good feedback.
Most things in my life I've learned myself. Go seems a bit difficult to learn on your own. So I think I need a teacher who gets to know my style and can really help me out.

[dfan]

Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go is a wonderful book, and everyone should read it, but it is written for a higher level of reader than is immediately clear. I think it is more about how to get to 1d than how to get to 10k. Don't be worried if you have trouble with the problems, and feel free to read it primarily for entertainment and inspiration at this point. If you come back to it in a year, you'll get a whole new set of benefits from it.

[Ian Butler]

Glad I'll be getting a lot of use out of it, especially later.

Just a 9x9 game I played today against a 17 kyu but I think the game shows I've grown in the game already.

[EdLee]

Hi Ian,

W is confused. Can you find a better sequence for W.

[Ian Butler]

Hi Ian,

W is confused. Can you find a better sequence for W.

Hmm how about 6-6? That way either black defends the one stone and white can attack the two stones below or black tries to capture and white wins capturing race (at least of the one stone).

[EdLee]

Hi Ian, yes, that move gives W Miai of capturing either the lone stone or the 2 stones.

[Fedya]

Black has better choices on and , too.

[Ian Butler]

Black has better choices on and , too.

For is it one to the right?
For is it 6-8? Because I was ahead I felt it was okay, though.

Another game, another (close) win. Very nice feeling to get better.

[jgr314]

Note: I'm just starting to play, too, so I'm not claiming this is right. Looking to share ideas and get feedback (esp corrections).

It seems doesn't need to be played at D2, but could be played at D8. My thinking is that D2 tries to
(a) protect stones at D1 and group at E2. But if black plays D2, white can capture at G1, so there's no need to rush.
(b) open a route into the left side for mischief. But D8 should be just as good for that b/c black at D7 needs another move to connect to friends.

Is there a better place than D8? Maybe C3 could be made into something?

Perhaps B2 as an alternative for move ? I don't know if it is possible to do more in the lower left than you accomplished in the game. When I try out some variations, I get to keep a little territory in that corner, but maybe I'm not playing black correctly.