Another beginner program...

[judicata]

I agree with SoDesuNe, and Get Strong at Tesuji is my favorite problem book in addition to Graded Go Problems. I like 1001 L&D also, but I might start on Get Strong at Tesuji before finishing 1001. I say this because GSATesuji is more interesting, and you can just stick to the 1-star problems for the most part.

That's just IMO, not a big deal either way.

[Boidhre]

Get Stong at Tesuji is a wonderfully interesting book. I'm almost finished my first run through the one star problems and I've found it a lot of fun.

I'd recommend following SoDesuNe's advice and combining it with Davies' Tesuji for the theory.

[blindgod]

Did problems 61-80 in GGP Vol.2 and got 17 correct. Then did problems 51-60 in 1001 L&D and got 5 correct, but in my defense, two of my answers fulfilled the requirement of the problem (black to live), but they weren't worth as many points as the answers in the book.

I've tried to go through Davies' Tesuji twice now, once when I first started playing (on the advice of the man running the Go club I attend) and once about 3 or 4 weeks ago. My problem with it is one that I've found with a number of his books: I find the way the information is presented to be obscure and extremely difficult to engage with. The fact that this is something I've encountered in more than one of his books leads me to think that the issue isn't that the material is too difficult or complicated (though I'm sure that doesn't help at times) but that something about his writing style or the style of the books themselves doesn't work well with me. Maybe at some point this won't be the case and I can sing the praises of his books along with everyone else. Though I do like the The 1971 Honinbo Tournament.

[Boidhre]

Did problems 61-80 in GGP Vol.2 and got 17 correct. Then did problems 51-60 in 1001 L&D and got 5 correct, but in my defense, two of my answers fulfilled the requirement of the problem (black to live), but they weren't worth as many points as the answers in the book.

I've tried to go through Davies' Tesuji twice now, once when I first started playing (on the advice of the man running the Go club I attend) and once about 3 or 4 weeks ago. My problem with it is one that I've found with a number of his books: I find the way the information is presented to be obscure and extremely difficult to engage with. The fact that this is something I've encountered in more than one of his books leads me to think that the issue isn't that the material is too difficult or complicated (though I'm sure that doesn't help at times) but that something about his writing style or the style of the books themselves doesn't work well with me. Maybe at some point this won't be the case and I can sing the praises of his books along with everyone else. Though I do like the The 1971 Honinbo Tournament.

The problem with his books is that you need either a lot of playing or problem solving experience before the things he talks about make sense to you. Thus the recommendation to do Get Strong at Tesuji while reading the Davies book. Play games, do Get Strong at Tesuji and read Tesuji alongside doing these two things and it'll make a lot more sense to you. I was the same when I tried to read Tesuji at 22k, I just didn't have the playing experience for it to work for me.

[mitsun]

Here is a tesuji problem adapted from the game you posted earlier.
W to play and capture the two B cutting stones.

$$
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$[/go]

[EdLee]

blindgod, after you've tried to solve mitsun's problem:

$$
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . b . . . . |
$$ . . a X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . b . . . . |
$$ . . a X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$[/go]

A first feeling to spot is (a) -- it's a vital point of this shape, but it does not always work, so you need to read (as always ).
Otherwise, another spot is (b) -- sometimes you can squeeze, sometimes you cannot.

[blindgod]

$$W
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . 1 X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$------------------
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . O X . . . . |
$$ . . O O X X . . |
$$ . O X X O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . 1 X O . . . |
$$ . . . . . O . . |
$$[/go]

I think this is the answer, but I can't really take any credit because it's very similar to a problem in GGP vol. 2 that I encountered yesterday. I didn't get it correct when I came across it in the book.

Went to the library intending to get Opening Theory Made Easy, only to find it checked out and not due back until 7/18. Got Second Book of Go instead.

[mitsun]

On the contrary, you should take credit for having learned this pattern from the book.
And now you know that it has occurred at least once in an actual game of yours.
Hopefully from now on you will regularly spot this tesuji in real games

[blindgod]

Well, I was lazy and didn't do any problems from GGP vol 2 or 1001 L&D over the weekend. I did, however, go through all 200 opening problems on GoChild, getting 164 correct. I feel like the way those problems were set up might be helpful, as it gives a number of possible moves and you have to choose the best one. This often happens to me in my games where I can see about 3 moves I want to play and have a difficult time deciding when none are urgent, need-to-play-now type moves.

Will be back to my problem books this evening.

Played two games on KGS, both of which were frustrating. I was playing white in handicap games in both. The first quickly devolved into a fighting game where I played badly and resigned as my opponent was getting territory from our fighting and I wasn't getting anything. This is no good; I can't just get anxious and fall apart during these kind of games.

The second game was one that went on far too long. I wanted to end it quickly, so I kept capturing groups hoping that my opponent would resign. Eventually I had to prod him and and he passed and I won. However, the game was so one-sided that I feel worse having played it.

I was hoping to have a game I could put up for review, but both were so bad that the only appropriate commentary is <facepalm>.

[blindgod]

Last night I did problems 81-110 in GGP vol 2 with 25 correct and problems 61-70 in 1001 L&D with 6 correct.

I thought about it and realized that I was being a bit silly by not wanting to post the game I lost badly. I think that I have great potential to learn from this game seeing as how it's a style of game I seem to have problems with. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

http://files.gokgs.com/games/2012/6/4/blindgod-melchikey.sgf

[jts]

You didn't need to resign. You cant be discouraged if the board looks bad for you when you're giving handicap. (think how bad it looked after move 1!) one way to look at this is, the top is settled and you each got a corner and part of the side; now it is time to turn to the bottom. I would also be hopeful about my chances of killing or reducing the upper right. Time permitting, I'll give an actual review later.

[Twitchy Go]

Move 4: the 33 is still open, as is approaching at 2-4 or 2-5. B wanted Q14 or P14 I think.
Move 5: Jump back and make a base at K16 or K17. I got the feeling you felt very pressured to make life and that would have given you lots of breathing room.
Move 17: Connect at J16. The ladder is favorable for W so you can kill his 4 stones on the bottom this way.

Try to settle your groups before going on the attack. You got into this position because you kept reducing the corner instead of securing the base for your O17 stones. Can’t hit very hard standing on one leg and all.(as an aside, attacking to settle/gain strength is ok as well. Just not on this board.

And jts is right, no need to resign here. B D15 stones are attackable, and the 3 sides of the board still have room for development. (the bottom is biggest)

Sorry for the text block but my computer wasn't cooperating with sgf files.

$$Wcm1 4 lib to 3 W wins
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 5 X X X O . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O X O O 3 O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 O X 2 . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |

$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 4 lib to 3 W wins
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 5 X X X O . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O X O O 3 O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 O X 2 . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |

$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Even if B pushes at 5 first to get an extra liberty still comes down to 4 to 4 W move.

$$Wcm1 favorable ladder
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 3 2 X X X O . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 4 O X O O . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 O X . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |

$$ ---------------------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm1 favorable ladder
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 3 2 X X X O . O X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 4 O X O O . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 O X . . O . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |

$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Some diagrams to illustrate move 17.


I'm not that strong though so take what I say with a grain of salt

[jts]

Comments:

5: I would be happy to make my long extension to K16. If you insist on doing something in the corner immediately, I would play P16, giving him a choice of cutting points. Hane-and-connect on the second line just strengthens W.

13: Not right. When you want to get ahead in a pushing race like this, the knight's move (J16) is usually better. After J16 K17 K16, White has one cutting point. After J17 J17 K16, White has two cutting points.

21: Don't push unless you can cut. This is a great illustration of the proverb. The meaning of the P16 atari is to cut at Q15; if you are too afraid to cut, you need to save P16 for later.

23: Black's ladder doesn't work. Can you see why? White K15 will give B problems, whereas letting him capture connects all his stones.

25, 27: Kind of silly. In an even game, this would just be bad: "Don't approach thickness." K17 has too many options for W's scattered stones to be a threat. In a handicap game, there may be a point where W wants to live here, but only once W has already gone on the offensive in all of the empty corners.

45: Get D18 (sente!) first.

69: L12- Firmly separate your opponent's stones. (Sure, K12 prevents broken shape, but that's pretty useless if you give B double atari instead.

81: F13, or tenuki to the bottom, is good.

Just as a stylistic point, people tend to jump around the board in high handicap games. Basically, since W is behind in every part of the board, he can never go wrong by ignoring B's latest move (B will be especially shocked if his move was an atari!) and trying to get sente elsewhere. I, like you, prefer to play out the situation on each part of the board before moving on to the next, but you should experiment with the other way.

[blindgod]

If anyone's interested, I've got two games going in the 1-on-1 Malkovitch game subforum. Games #168 & 169. I've continued working on GGP vol2 this week, doing problems 111-160 with 40 correct. I got a copy of Get Strong at Tesuji, so I'll be starting on that soon. Haven't really had time to play on KGS this week other than Monday, which is part of the reason I'm doing the Malkovitch games. As with my other games, any feedback on those is always appreciated.

[blindgod]

Man, it's hot outside.

So I've done problems 71-90 with 14 correct in 1001 L&D and 161-190 in GGP vol 2 with 21 correct. As before, the problems based almost entirely on reading have been giving me the most trouble.