Hi all, here my game played against computer, no handicap and with 6.5 komi.

During the game I commented my thoughts, any correction is welcome.

Based on this game only, what is a rough extimation of my rank on KGS? I wanna play there but I'm waiting to be stronger (a little) to don't waste too much time.

Finally feel free to comment my daily schedule to emprove (I am a math teacher, so I can't play full time go)

1) play a serious game against strong computer no handicap.
2) do at least 5 tsumego
3) Study 1 professional game trying to understand moves.

_________________
Don't play 1-2-3
Just play 3

(Go proverb)

Hi Fllecha

One thing I like to do after a game is to go here http://ps.waltheri.net/ which is a database of pro games.
Then I start the game again here and see at which moment there is no more pro game matching.

With that tool, you can see that is not very common "ranked choice 21" and is more ofen approached at "a"
given the actual , the kick ( ) seems to be a nice choice here as you allread have the marked black stone.

so maybe something like this instead...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm6
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . 4 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

_________________
Converting the book Shape UP! by Charles Matthews/Seong-June Kim
to the gobook format. last updated april 2015 - Index of shapes, p.211 / 216

1) Not necessarily the best way to use a computer opponent. Especially with a program using a MCTS evaluator because you can't really determine that you are getting better, making fewer mistakes, just because the margin of loss decreases.

Ideally you want the difference to be such that you win one out of every four or five games. In other words, set the program as strong as you can and take the number of handicap stones that result in that, and then when winning one in every three or so, take a stone less. If you are bothered about being too unlike an even game, you can choose a weaker level for the computer so you are taking just 3 stones (the range 2-4 stones is a much more open board than high handicap games and at 2-3 stones you are going to learn about joseki).

The reason you need to have the effective difference such that you usually lose but sometimes win is that you are trying to learn the difference, trying to learn not to make a particular mistake and trying to unlearn bad habits. You can't do this by trying to reduce the margin of loss since a MCTS evaluator is going to play the same way a match (two boat) sailboat race is sailed -- the boat in the lead aims to stay between the boat behind and the next mark to guarantee staying ahead, not necessarily best to maintain the margin of the lead. In other words, just because you are consistently losing against a program of this sort by ten points does not mean you will win by taking another handicap stone. You might still find yourself losing by almost ten points and again the same taking even another stone.

Look, you say you are a math teacher? (long ago I was too) How do you set problems for your students? << what difficulty of problems to the current state of their knowledge leads to the fastest learning? >>

2) A good idea. Best if you have a program serving you up the problems that is keeping track of which you got right and which wrong (and serving the latter up to you again, etc.). Best if you have a program with various levels of problems available so you can use a level where you can fairly quickly get about 75% correct (not just a correct first move, since knowing that it is a problem certain principles might let you know "if there is a solution, this must be the first move").

But I suggest you actually work with two levels of problems. One level easy enough to get right 90% of the time where the problem question is "what is the status?" ( in other words, not "black to live" but "can black live or get ko?"). That's the level where learning tsumego can transfer to play because in a game nobody is telling you "this is a tsumego".

3) I think this depends entirely on your current level. I would say looking at well commented games that are between players maybe a half dozen or so ranks above you would be more useful since those are the mistakes and bad habits you are trying to learn to avoid.

ABOUT DOING TSUMEGO: When solving a tsumego I have a question: can I move stones on the board (trying to play best moves for both obv) or I have to do only mentally? Because visualisation can only be trained mentally not moving, in chess we do so, is the same in go? And for harder problems?

As I teacher I set tests in this manner: I divide it into two parts, one that can be done only by studying rules, and making it (perfectly) leads to 6/10 which in italy is the least passing mark. Then the second part consist fo exercises that need to combine at least three rules to solve a problem using logic/intuition and rules knowledge. The last exercise is about something I never explained directly during lecture, but is solvable using almost all the rules. So the average student, which effectively studies the rules, quickly does the first part and having assured the passed mark can start thinking with his own head, the good student quickly reach the last exercise and start thinking and the fragile student reach the pass mark doing the base-exercise using the full time. The bad ones simply get 3/10.

_________________
Don't play 1-2-3
Just play 3

(Go proverb)

First, I want to clarify some terms.



This is the "keima approach" or "knight's move approach".

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$---------------|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . X . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . W . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|[/go]

This is a "kick":

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$---------------|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . X . . .|
$$. . . . . B . .|
$$. . . . . O . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|[/go]

Note that those have all been starting with a 4-4 stone ( aka "handicap stone" or "hoshi stone" )
A kosumi ( aka "diagonal move" or diagonal connection" ) is almost never played in response to an approach.


On the other hand, the first move may be at the 3-4.
Again, the knight's move approach is often used by the second player.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$---------------|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . X . . .|
$$. . . . , . . .|
$$. . . . . W . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|[/go]

Now a kosumi makes sense, and is one of the more common responses to the approach.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$---------------|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . X . . .|
$$. . . B , . . .|
$$. . . . . O . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|
$$. . . . . . . .|[/go]

_________________
Help make L19 more organized. Make an index: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5207

I wouldn't say almost never. It's a reasonably common (#5 in popularity) idea in san ren sei:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

And there's a 2d (former 4d) in Britain who plays it often, but probably it's a mistake most of the time he does it.

It may be, but remember: the OP is asking joseki questions. Describing the 5th most common play in a particular fuseki may be just a bit too arcane for him right now.

When considering just joseki and not fuseki, dailyjoseki says the kosumi is used less than 1% of the time.

_________________
Help make L19 more organized. Make an index: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5207

Here's a crude 9k review

Re daily schedule: you might want to include some you tube lectures: nick sibicky in particular has a great series of videos on go fundamentals which are great for beginners (as well as more advanced players)

Trank you for the review. I actually found Very interesting nick lessons i started watching them.

_________________
Don't play 1-2-3
Just play 3

(Go proverb)