Life In 19x19

EdLee wrote:

Krama wrote:Some say one thing, other say the opposite.

Hi Krama, welcome to crowd-sourcing opinions.
At least three factors are at play here:

• Some people know what they're talking about.
• Some people don't.
• Many things depend on the individual: what works for one person may be a disaster for another.

One needs to learn to figure out who (and what) to listen to (important when looking for a teacher).
One needs a good eye.

Thank you.. I do understand this, however how do you know if you have a good eye?

Krama wrote:ez4u, thanks for the diagrams. I was actually able to read out the second last diagram but not the last one. I simply can't read that far yet. That is why I thought I saw a way that black can escape (with that atari) but failed to see that you can simply counter atari and give that one stone away.

I am so ashamed right now

I guess I should drop the theory books and stop playing for a while, while doing only tsumego. I need to improve my reading.

I don't think a 9 kyu should feel ashamed about not yet reading/knowing a specific tesuji. There is still plenty of time for thinking, "Wow! Just wait until next time."

When you become a dan player and forget this kind of thing, well that's a different story.

Krama wrote:I guess I should just drop the theory books for now, however for improving reading do you people think I should be playing longer games (30 minutes at least per player) or is playing blitz (pure byo-yomi) games better?

Some say one thing, other say the opposite.

I think that playing online may skew your sense of how long a serious game of go takes, to some degree. In the grand scheme of things, 30 minutes is actually pretty short as far as go timing goes. It is, for example, the minimum that the AGA will consider for a rated game, assuming overtime bringing timing into the 45 minute total range per player. Blitz is good for reinforcing things, but until you're at a level where what you know should be reinforced, it will develop and reinforce more bad habits than it will fix. I have heard people suggest, in all seriousness, that you shouldn't play blitz games until you are 5-7 dan for this reason, though most people don't go that far.

As for what to do with that time? Read every move. Look at groups on the board and determine and keep track of their status (alive, dead, unsettled, weak, strong, etc.). Count. Consider weak points and aji, and how you might use them later. Consider what to do if your opponent invades around point X, or if it would be better for you to invade at Y or reduce at Z....

Krama wrote:how do you know if you have a good eye?

Partial answer: do you have any experience with having a good eye in any other field(s) ?
Partial answers: Dunning–Kruger effect -- Blind spots.

EdLee wrote:

Krama wrote:how do you know if you have a good eye?

Partial answer: do you have any experience with having a good eye in any other field(s) ?
Partial answers: Dunning–Kruger effect -- Blind spots.

The more I read your answers the more I get confused. I guess I am just stupid.

Krama wrote:

EdLee wrote:

Krama wrote:how do you know if you have a good eye?

Partial answer: do you have any experience with having a good eye in any other field(s) ?
Partial answers: Dunning–Kruger effect -- Blind spots.

The more I read your answers the more I get confused. I guess I am just stupid.

The Dunning-Kreuger effect is where people who are not good at something (yet) have a bias that makes them underestimate the skill of very good players and overestimate their own skill or be blind to the mistakes they are making. With go it's where we ape the moves of stronger players thinking we understand them when we really don't and where we make the same mistakes over and over again because we're blind to them being mistakes. Pretty much everyone suffers from the latter to some extent or another even if they are wise enough to avoid the former.

Krama wrote:

EdLee wrote:

Krama wrote:how do you know if you have a good eye?

Partial answer: do you have any experience with having a good eye in any other field(s) ?
Partial answers: Dunning–Kruger effect -- Blind spots.

The more I read your answers the more I get confused. I guess I am just stupid.

Never forget the alternative possibility - that our answers are just confusing! This is L19 after all. We pride ourselves on our elliptical replies.