A beginner's journal of little interest

[Boidhre]

Maybe you should do some tsumegos at goproblems.com . They helped me a lot when I was DDK.

Any advice on what level to be doing or method? I was just doing a search for random 30-20kyu problems and solving. Or should I be doing the time trials?

[Celebrir]

I did a mix of time trials and searched problems. About the level: Just choose the level where you feel you can do ~70% of the problems. About the method: Think first, play then. If you get a "wrong" the first time, count it as failed, but continue to find the solution.

[Boidhre]

Thanks. I'll try and combine it with 321go and a few books I think.

[Boidhre]

I see you played as 17 kyu. This game was too easy for you. You were not really challenged. Yes, you lost it, but only through oversights that you already knew better than to make. Play up to yourself.

Actually, I forgot that I had this one. Here's a game from the same evening as before where I most certainly was challenged. Challenged far beyond my ability to cope. A 22k? who used to be a 4k player a few years back (or so they said, they may have been trying to make me feel better! Either way I was completely outplayed.) So against a stronger player and a 4 stone handicap which I have some trouble with anyway. I can't think of a better example other than some of my teaching games with SDKs where I was this challenged. I can make excuses like not being on form but really this was a massacre.

There's a few blunders that I can spot but overall I just don't have a sufficient grasp of go strategy and tactics to deal with this situation or analyse all my mistakes here. Very much one of those, the opponent was constantly one move ahead of me style games.

Note: I am not accusing this player of sandbagging as their game list shows only wins and their rank should adjust very quickly to where it should be and as such while they might have entered at too high a kyu they don't appear to be gaming the system, quite the opposite in fact.

[Bill Spight]

Yes, I doubt if this player was anywhere near 22 kyu strength. So, yes, you had a challenge. But you did not rise to the challenge.

You make the tactical mistakes of any beginner. But you have a feel for the game. When you play DDKs you get the big territorial points, both in the opening and the end game. That means that your strength is the same as players who have much better tactics than you. Once you learn some tactics you will advance a lot.

One thing you need to learn, which should actually be pretty easy, is how to prevent territory and take it away. Most of the game is about preventing territory. Look at it this way. In a game you play around 120 stones and make around 60 points of territory. That is an average of around 1/2 point of territory per move. But plays do not get that small until near the end. The average play gains around 7 points (komi). So why does that territory not show up on the board? Because the players fight for territory. Sometimes they play you take yours and I'll take mine, but mostly they play to thwart each other's intentions, to threaten stones and to invade and reduce.

Now, with your feel for the game you should be able to look at the board from your opponent's point of view and see where he threatens to make territory. Then you can play to counter that. The problem, of course, is that when you do that it is not always clear how not to get killed. One thing you need to learn is how to get killed, that is, how to sacrifice.

When I was starting out I lost at least two groups per game. How many groups do you lose?

Some comments that may be useful.

[Boidhre]

Thanks Bill, I do genuinely feel like I've the tactical skill of a 25+k player. I guess the only way forward is to grind out tsumego until things start improving? Or do you mean something more than that by tactics?

A game from tonight where I focused more on disrupting territory (from before I read your post):

I played very fast (for me), I figure I need to grind out a lot of fast games to try and improve my tactical instincts rather than playing only slow games which I've pretty much been doing up to now. I made a complete mess of the top right corner, otherwise it'd have been an easy win. I'm curious if this style of play is more towards what you're encouraging? (I'm not expecting any detailed comments as it was played at near blitz speed by me)

[Bill Spight]

A few comments.

[Boidhre]

A few comments.

Perfect, thanks.

[Boidhre]

I've been playing quite badly lately. Not sure if it's my concentration or something else but I feel utterly lost and overwhelmed by the game at present. This game I lost by making a very ill-judged probe into the left , not immediately filling an "elephant's eye" when I spotted it and not attacking 3 stones I'd isolated at the top during the opening/early middlegame. I'm also not sure I got enough of a return for helping him build that wall at the bottom. And probably a whole host of other mistakes in tactics and strategy that I fail to spot with my current ability. Anyway, I welcome any criticism of my play here especially of the opening where I felt I lost this one.

Edit: Oh and he was 10k? not 10k. Just because it's not obvious on the viewer.

[EdLee]

Hi Boidhre,

I've been playing quite badly lately. Not sure if it's my concentration or something else...

The something else -- Basics (fundamentals):

[Boidhre]

Perfect, thanks EdLee! Exactly the kind of analysis that I was looking for.

[EdLee]

Hi Boidhre, you're welcome -- I added a few more notes, especially pay attention to why was very bad. All basics.

[Boidhre]

Another close game versus mus. Tried to spot errors here as best I could and included them as comments. Overall, I think I played too passively and missed opportunities to invade and disrupt territory.

Edit: Oh and I should say what I've been reading/studying: I'm reading concurrently "Opening Theory Made Easy" and "In the Beginning." I'm finding both fascinating, I'm not sure how much strength I can gain from them at my current level but I'm enjoying reading them which is what mostly matters to me. Keeping the game interesting >> being absolutely as efficient as possible with my time. I'm also working through tsumego at the moment trying for a half hour per day but not disappointed with 15 minutes. I find solving them enjoyable so this isn't a chore for me thankfully. Almost all my games except for custom ones are 10 minutes a side at the moment. It allows me to get more games done and less time spent. My games with mus have very long time limits but that's due to his internet connection not being the best at times.

[EdLee]

Hi Boidhre,

Still the same basics: Broken shapes (Fractured shapes).
Go back and study in your game with bentw; more examples in this game:

[Bill Spight]

This opponent is not letting you get so many big plays.



Points of focus:

1) Note the different nets.

2) Keep your opponent's weak groups separated.

3) Avoid tunnel vision. You missed some big plays because of that.

4) Take care at the end of the game. You still leave plays unplayed. Also, there can be big plays lurking then because of lack of liberties.