A beginner's journal of little interest

[Sverre]

A win for a change. In a review after this I was told that I was being too aggressive and that this was the major problem in my play in the game. I'd appreciate some thoughts on this statement.

Too aggressive? I love Black's play in this game! Well done!

Some thoughts:

I would play B14 at m18 to split White.

I would play B20 at r5 to secure the corner better

I would double hane with B30

B32 feels far too defensive; do something else! (d18 looks good)

At the end of the game: what happens if B plays a18?

Overall, you perhaps defended more than you needed to, but that is OK in a handicap game.

[Boidhre]

At the end of the game: what happens if B plays a18?

Hmm, I see a seki with a17 but nothing good from a18.

Thanks for the thoughts.

[Sverre]

At the end of the game: what happens if B plays a18?

Hmm, I see a seki with a17 but nothing good from a18.

Thanks for the thoughts.

a17?

$$Bc
$$------
$$|..OXX
$$|2.OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|..OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$------
$$|..OXX
$$|2.OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|..OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X[/go]

[Boidhre]

At the end of the game: what happens if B plays a18?

Hmm, I see a seki with a17 but nothing good from a18.

Thanks for the thoughts.

a17?

$$Bc
$$------
$$|..OXX
$$|2.OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|..OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$------
$$|..OXX
$$|2.OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|..OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X[/go]

Ah, I though b16 was forced, my mistake.

Ahhhh, I've figured out a18. Very nice.

[Sverre]

Ah, I though b16 was forced, my mistake.

If W replies at b16 he's dead, by bent 4 or bulky 5

$$Bc Bent 4
$$------
$$|5.OXX
$$|34OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|.2OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Bent 4
$$------
$$|5.OXX
$$|34OOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|.2OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X[/go]

[Boidhre]

Ah, I though b16 was forced, my mistake.

If W replies at b16 he's dead

$$Bc The x's make a bulky 5
$$------
$$|xxOXX
$$|3xOOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|.2OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc The x's make a bulky 5
$$------
$$|xxOXX
$$|3xOOX
$$|1OOXX
$$|.2OX
$$|OOXX
$$|XX.X[/go]

Indeed. I'm blind.

[EdLee]

I was told that I was being too aggressive and that this was the major problem in my play in the game. I'd appreciate some thoughts on this statement.

Who said this and what was that person's level?
Your biggest problem, like many others' at these levels, lies in your basics. Everything else is secondary.

[Boidhre]

It was a 1d? Ed, I think he was around 1k/2k really going from his rating graph. The advice ran contrary to what I'd been told here over and over so I wanted a second opinion. He felt I should play more solidly and hane less often.

[EdLee]

It was a 1d? Ed, I think he was around 1k/2k really going from his rating graph.
The advice ran contrary to what I'd been told here over and over so I wanted a second opinion.

He did not know what he was talking about.

He felt I should play more solidly and hane less often.

This is wrong, a wrong idea, a wrong solution, and a completely wrong way to teach.
This is a prime example of a kyu or low-dan feeding you poison.
What you want still is to improve your basics.
You want to learn when it's correct to hane, and when it is not.
When it's correct to extend, you extend; when it's correct to hane, you hane.
It has nothing to do with the frequency of your hane, and everything to do with the exact board position.

"Hane less often" is a completely wrong idea -- it's like someone teaching you how to drive like this:
"You should go straight more often and turn right less often." It makes no sense at all.

PS. I like how you referred to him as an "it", like Obi-Wan on Darth Maul in Episode I.

[Boidhre]

It was a 1d? Ed, I think he was around 1k/2k really going from his rating graph.
The advice ran contrary to what I'd been told here over and over so I wanted a second opinion.

He did not know what he was talking about.

He felt I should play more solidly and hane less often.

This is wrong, a wrong idea, a wrong solution, and a completely wrong way to teach.
This is a prime example of a kyu or low-dan feeding you poison.
What you want still is to improve your basics.
You want to learn when it's correct to hane, and when it is not.
When it's correct to extend, you extend; when it's correct to hane, you hane.
It has nothing to do with the frequency of your hane, and everything to do with the exact board position.

"Hane less often" is a completely wrong idea -- it's like someone teaching you how to drive like this:
"You should go straight more often and turn right less often." It makes no sense at all.

PS. I like how you referred to him as an "it", like Obi-Wan on Darth Maul in Episode I.

Hmm, it might be a cultural thing but I didn't refer to him as it there. Similar to how I could say "It was a salesman than sold me that car", I'm not referring to the salesperson as an it. In Ireland anyway this would be considered correct usage. I've no idea about US usage. I was effectively saying "It was a 1d? that told me that", if I said "He was a 1d? that told me that" it'd sound very wrong to me.


I agree, about basics and fundamentals. One needs to take the long view to improvement and not just focus on what'll get you the next stone fastest.

[jts]

Hmm, it might be a cultural thing but I didn't refer to him as it there. Similar to how I could say "It was a salesman than sold me that car", I'm not referring to the salesperson as an it. In Ireland anyway this would be considered correct usage. I've no idea about US usage. I was effectively saying "It was a 1d? that told me that", if I said "He was a 1d? that told me that" it'd sound very wrong to me.

No, this is correct American usage as well: "It was Colonel Mustard, in the parlor, with the wrench."

[Boidhre]

A much tougher handicap game against one of the Irish players:



I was losing until he made a serious error in the endgame. I felt I was outplayed in many areas here and in the top right especially I just couldn't read it out and chickened out. I messed up a fair bit in the yose too which I'm unhappy about. Thoughts as always are welcome. A fast game so if people don't want to review then that's fine.

[Bill Spight]

Some more about attacking.

[Boidhre]

Thanks Bill, some very interesting moves there.

[EdLee]