Hi Pio2001!
Pio2001 wrote:
Eventually, I found one of the culprits to be frustration. When I am frustrated and I want to do better, things only get worse !
I know the feeling very well!
Pio2001 wrote:A good sign that I am not playing properly is when I don't use all my thinking time. A solution is not to play any stone before having answered the question "what if my opponent answers there ?". When I am frustrated, I rush for moves that seem best, but I omit further reading, which decreases my ability a lot.
Another thing that I'm loosing when I am frustrated is a fundamental principle that is not often taught in book : to pause the reading and count the game to see who is ahead.
The first pages of the book "Positional Judgement" by Cho Chikun.
Pio2001 wrote:Two fundamental strategic principles that no reading ability can compensate for are :
1)During the Fuseki, pause the reading and check for the status of all groups of stones. The priority is to cure our own weak groups, then to attack the opponent's weak groups.
2)During the chûban, as soon as all groups are more or less stable, pause the reading and evaluate who is ahead. If you are, stop all attacks and just defend. If your opponent is, start a reduction, or an invasion.
Very good advice! I haven't played that way...
Pio2001 wrote:Out of frustration, these two principles just vanish into a "play-the-biggest/smartest-move" rush.
"The divine move", yes I know this too...
Pio2001 wrote:It reminds me of one of my favourite lines in a belgian comic (Spirou et Fantasio), when the heroes come to help a prisoner evade from a military prison in a foreign country :
"Aoh ! I was wondering if they'd find courageous people to come and rescue me !
-Well, they didn't find any, so we came with the jitters !".