Hi

This is another of those typical games, playing against GNU Go on level 10. The last game I posted, I lost by 25.5 point. This game, I won by 6.5 points. One weird thing to note is that the previous game (the one I lost) was a game in which I played seriously, and this game was played at hyper speed. I didn't read, did barely think, misclicked at least twice, made an epic blunder at move 125 by allowing white to reduce, and missed several opportunities to win by a bigger margin.

Actually, I also regularly manage to get GNU Go to resign before move 100, which it only does if you're 45+ points ahead and it doesn't think those can be made up. But, as with the previous game, I sometimes lose by 20+ points.

I don't need anyone to analyze this game. At 2 seconds a move, it's useless to study seriously. I'm just posting it as a stark contrast to the previous one. I'm just wondering if I'm the one fluctuating 5 stones in strength up and down, or if it's GNU Go, somehow... I'd like your thoughts on that. (And this really was level 10, just like the previous game; faking that would just be fooling myself.)

Maybe I should start playing more serious games against stronger engines. (I'm still undecided regarding KGS...)

Yes, hop on and start playing. You can join KGS Teaching Ladder Room and Beginner Room and find people who can help you review live anytime.

My main takeaway from that game was that white doesn't know how to attack, so I would definitely look for a stronger engine or setting to play at, if you're not playing against people.

Oh, but it is important to find out where your impulses lead you astray. This game reveals a bad case of followitis.

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Thanks for analyzing the game anyway, Bill.

You're right, I do try to protect anything and everything all the time. I have to learn to make trades, or even to just flat-out take bigger moves; losing 5 or 10 points of territory somewhere is worth it if I can break into a 50-point moyo and wreck it. But indeed, the impulse often is like: "Aaah! I'm going to lose 5 points! Block it!"

So the tings to study/do are:
- Get a book about shape.
- Stop trying to block the opponent's small plays, even if those plays gain him some territory or lose some of my own; just play bigger moves myself.
- Get a book about strategy, and one about joseki's.

Eliminating that bad habit could let you advance one or two more stones in a short time.

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

That would be great Now I mostly play even against GNU Go, and win slightly more than I lose. I think I could look to a stronger engine for serious games when I'm able to consistently give GNU Go a 2 stone handicap. At that point, I'll probably have to take 2-4 stones or so again against something like Fuego 1.1.

Hi Babelardus,

You may have to remind yourself (at least for the time being)
that every move or sequence is a trade.

Both sides are trying to out-trade the other, all the time.