My goal is to reach 1d ranking on KGS by the end of the year

I started this challenge on 24/12/16 at 13k on KGS. I have never studied go seriously like this before, just the casual games here and there.

I will be self studying using the methods below

1. Tsumego

This is where my improvement will come from. I will be doing as much Tsumego as I can everyday during my free time. The website I use to do Tsumego is http://www.101weiqi.com. They have the largest collection of problems online (currently 70k+ problems) and has organized sections where you can drill a particular Tesuji or do problems from a particular go book(all the popular go books have been uploaded). The website is in Mandarin, but an English speaker should be able to easily navigate it using translate tools.

I mainly do a lot of easy problems which I can fully read out within 45 seconds. The difficulty of problems that I can read out within 45 seconds has been steadily increasing and I find this really helps with reading speed during real games. There is a special timed challenge mode on the website where you can do problems in this form. The added benefit is that it adds a fun factor to doing tsumego, like a mini game.

2. Play and Review

One serious game per day on KGS, with detailed review with leela afterwards.

3. Blitz games with Leela

2-3 blitz games with Leela per day to help with intuition for direction of play.

My method of self study is inspired by this post,

https://forums.online-go.com/t/repost-to-become-a-master-of-go-is-not-easy-but-to-become-an-amateur-5d-or-6d-is-not-hard/789

where high dan player explains that the way to improve is continuous and relentless effort on tsumego. This advice is echoed by many other strong players both amateur and professional alike.

This journal will track my progress following this advice and maybe encourage others who hate tsumego to give it another chance!

Today's game:

I feel I was a bit behind after the opening, I forgot the joseki and it got messy.

I had a nice attack going in the mid game but messed up on move 109. I didn't read this out properly during the game and my top right corner was reduced way too much. Leela says it should be at N15.

I missed the kill on move 155. I actually realized my mistake 1 second after I played the wrong move.

I think end game was ok, maybe should have played D2 earlier.

Managed to win by 1.5 points.

Today's game:

I got ahead in the opening and was generally ahead during most of the game.

Probably should have cut immediately at F11 on move 65. I was eyeing this cut for the next 30 moves or so trying to build up influence before cutting.

I took a long time reading during the fight in the middle, quite happy I did not make any major blunders. Doing Tsumego really paying off here.

On move 153 I thought the middle group was dead so I tenukied. Reading mistake

Move 169 I made another reading error, I thought i could still kill but ended up losing 3 stones.

Overall I think this game is the best of my current ability. If you have any feedback please share.

Looking at your tsumego chart, I am in awe.

I have done maybe 500 tsumego in my whole life.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Good game! You have some solid moves in there.

I have the same rank that you do on KGS, but you and I have very different playing styles. I'm not quite the scrappy fighter that you are. So, take these comments as ideas from the perspective of someone with a different playing style rather than as advice.

I've made a few other comments here:

Thanks for the game reviews

Much appreciated

Just got bumped up to 6k at around 20k tsumegos done.

Recently I have been supplementing my tsumego with a few blitz handicap games against leela everyday. That has really tightened up my direction of play and finding end game sente moves, which I think is an area tsumego doesn't directly help improve.

I am a lot more comfortable with attaching for shape now, as opposed to before I would get cut to pieces when I tried.

Here is the game from yesterday which got me promoted. Look forward to any feedback.

11 should connect
13 should be R16 to break White's shape
15 should be Q14 to connect
37 isn't big, neither is 39
47 isn't good, consider maybe e9
67: don't bother, if you can make him connect on the first line, you'd prefer that. connecting under is like totally wasting a move

Thanks! Knowing how to properly punish when people go off joseki seems to be a weakness of mine.