Life In 19x19

Kirby:

My advise you to play game that is 끈적끈적.
maintaining balance and grabing chance is the key to play such style.

also, I see that you have reading strength but you have to connect series of good moves into one long sequence.
I think you will need to read less to improve.
Your reading was way too complicated (and wrong i think).
selecting simpler variation will make your mind clearer and result less mistakes.

just a thought.

Magicwand wrote:My advise you to play game that is 끈적끈적.
maintaining balance and grabing chance is the key to play such style.

Interesting. I'm guessing that my style is not this way now, right?

Magicwand wrote: also, I see that you have reading strength but you have to connect series of good moves into one long sequence.

I don't quite understand what you mean with this part, above.

Magicwand wrote: I think you will need to read less to improve.
Your reading was way too complicated (and wrong i think).
selecting simpler variation will make your mind clearer and result less mistakes.

It's the first time I've heard the advice to read less. I guess you are saying that reading less is better than reading incorrectly. I suppose that's a good point.

Magicwand wrote: My advise you to play game that is 끈적끈적.
maintaining balance and grabing chance is the key to play such style.

Looking at google translate, I get "sticky" for 끈적끈적, but this doesn't seem to make sense to me. Could you describe what this style looks like?

The first I got was:

Kirby wrote:

Magicwand wrote: I think you will need to read less to improve.
Your reading was way too complicated (and wrong i think).
selecting simpler variation will make your mind clearer and result less mistakes.

It's the first time I've heard the advice to read less. I guess you are saying that reading less is better than reading incorrectly. I suppose that's a good point.

I can also take away this: Reading should be impartial. I often want something to happen and thus cloud my reading or steer it into ways which support my goal. Even if I have to admit, that my goal cannot be accomplished, I often return to the position and read it again and again.

Could be just me, though ; )

skydyr wrote:

Magicwand wrote: My advise you to play game that is 끈적끈적.
maintaining balance and grabing chance is the key to play such style.

Looking at google translate, I get "sticky" for 끈적끈적, but this doesn't seem to make sense to me. Could you describe what this style looks like?

Sticky is the correct translation. I saw an article here[1], which is about pro player Kang Dongyun. It says that his go style is famous for being "끈적끈적". He'll often get into a disadvantageous position, but he pops back up, and turns the tables. I think that's the "stickiness" (the opponent can't push him down for good, since he keeps popping back up). It says that Kang Dongyun's weakness is the opening, but because he has 끈적끈적 style of Go, he can often win by making these kind of turnarounds.

From my own perspective, maybe a good English word to describe this would be "tenacious".

That being said, maybe I should study Kang Dongyun's games. If I am to have 끈적끈적 style, maybe I should see more of what that looks like.

[1]http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/baduk/496132.html

I played against KGS 2d today. I won, but it was really lucky. It should have been capturing race, and I think he could win, maybe.

But anyway, he just let me connect, and he died.

Here's my review.

Problem Areas

Position 1

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[go]$$ Position at move 31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . B . O . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . O . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think it's easier to just take a corner enclosure here:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Position at move 31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . B . . . O . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . O . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

It doesn't give white as much pressure, but as white is open on both directions, I don't think I can give much pressure, anyway.

Position 2

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[go]$$ Position at move 53
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . O . . O O . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X X . B . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think I should just go one more, since I stay as one group and am not cut:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Position at move 53
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . O . . O O . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X X B . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Why not?

Position 3

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[go]$$ Position at move 69
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . X . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . X O . . O . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . X . O . . O O . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X X O X . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Seems super small, as white is pretty much alive. Instead, I think I should do something like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Position at move 69
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O 2 O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , 1 . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . X . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . X O . . O . . 3 . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . O . . O . . |
$$ | . X . O . . O O . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X X O X . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Position 4

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[go]$$ Position at move 81
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O O O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , X . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . X . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . O . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . X O . . O . . O . X . . . B X O . . |
$$ | . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . X X X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . O X . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . O O . . O . . |
$$ | . X . O . . O O . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . O . . X X O X . . X . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O O X . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I didn't read out that I could kill him - it just looked like a chance. So, I bet the entire game on trying to kill him. If I failed, my stones could die. And I think they probably should have.

Instead, I should play calmly, and reduce the center. He has about... 45 plus what he gets in the center. I have about... 40, maybe.

So there's probably still a good chance if I play good endgame.

This is an example of where I could have tried to kill, or tried to make it close and play it out. Sadly, I chose to bet the entire game on killing. It happened to work, since he gave it to me, but it probably shouldn't have.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Position at move 31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . a . . . O . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . 1 . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . O . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Am I too single-minded towards the center?
I don't like 'a' because it just takes territory and has no follow-up/goal. Maybe this situation calls for a move like that, I don't know, it feels rather passive to me

Definitely enclose that corner.

Shaddy wrote:Definitely enclose that corner.

Can you explain why?

White's best response to anything Black plays in the top left (not attachment or shoulder hit, obviously) is to one-space jump from the weak group. Where do you want your stone in the top left to be after he does that?

Edit. If Black plays knight's enclosure W can make a 1-space extension on top. Given that, I'll specify that the enclosure should be the large knight's enclosure.

Shaddy wrote:White's best response to anything Black plays in the top left (not attachment or shoulder hit, obviously) is to one-space jump from the weak group. Where do you want your stone in the top left to be after he does that?

Edit. If Black plays knight's enclosure W can make a 1-space extension on top. Given that, I'll specify that the enclosure should be the large knight's enclosure.

Thanks for clarifying.

For some reason, I thought you were talking about enclosing the top right corner, but now I think you're talking about the top left.

If so, that makes sense to me.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Position at move 31
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . B . . O . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . O . . O . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

You didn't consider this play?

(I see that Shaddy has made the same point. )

Kirby wrote:I played against KGS 2d today. I won, but it was really lucky. It should have been capturing race, and I think he could win, maybe.

But anyway, he just let me connect, and he died.

Giving a new meaning to connect and die?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm49
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . X . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X . X X . O O . O . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O . . X . , . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O X . . . . . . . . X X . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . X . O O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . O . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . X . X . . . . . , . . . . X , . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . 1 . O . . O . . , . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . 2 . . X 3 . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If you are going to play why play ?