Even game vs a 13K

hailthorn011 · #1

This isn't the best I've played recently, but I'm hoping to get some insight on how I can improve. Any comments would be beneficial!

Loons · #2

My final thoughts are at move 141, you could probably skip straight to those (and there are no comments past there). Sorry that cracks appear in my sanity partway through my comments.

Edit: I didn't realise this was 10 second blitz. My advice: Don't play 10 second blitz. If you want short games, try a time setting like 5 + 3*30 or 20. As an aside, I would not have reviewed if I had realised this was 10 second blitz.

Edit 2: Changed to the British spelling of realise, because I live in New Zealand.

Edit 3: I guess you can play 10 second blitz if you want to, but you will make less absurd moves naturally if you have a little time to think. I feel this is probably not a fair representation of your go knowledge.

hailthorn011 · #3

Loons wrote:

My final thoughts are at move 141, you could probably skip straight to those (and there are no comments past there). Sorry that cracks appear in my sanity partway through my comments.

Edit: I didn't realise this was 10 second blitz. My advice: Don't play 10 second blitz. If you want short games, try a time setting like 5 + 3*30 or 20. As an aside, I would not have reviewed if I had realised this was 10 second blitz.

Edit 2: Changed to the British spelling of realise, because I live in New Zealand.

Edit 3: I guess you can play 10 second blitz if you want to, but you will make less absurd moves naturally if you have a little time to think. I feel this is probably not a fair representation of your go knowledge.

Thanks for the commentary. I did indeed make a lot of sad moves. And you're right, I did attempt to pick up a bad habit there. But fortunately, I don't think it will last. Again, thank you for all the helpful insight. I always thought making thickness was advantageous.

Loons · #4

I didn't say not to make thickness!

Don't try to turn thickness into territory (early in the game, etc etc lots of qualifiers).

Edit: Huh, the Senseis pages on thickness seem... not so great (if you are looking for things other than an interesting discussion of Japanese and Chinese language naunces often lost in translation to English). Look for a post by one of the powerful go sages of the forum talking about it. Joaz probably has one.

hailthorn011 · #5

Loons wrote:

I didn't say not to make thickness!

Don't try to turn thickness into territory (early in the game, etc etc lots of qualifiers).

I'm confused. I thought the point was to make as much territory as possible? I'm not trying to disagree with you, but I'm probably misunderstanding what you mean. Do you mean I should just form a basic shape for later on and attack my opponent's moyo instead?

Loons · #6

Oh, I see your confusion. I'm not able to clarify this easily, sorry. Just try to find something to read about "using thickness". There must be a forum post somewhere.

Edit: In the mean time, have an excerpt from the introduction of Takeo Kajiwara's "The Direction of Play":

" Most people think of go stones simply as a means of walling off territory, an attitude that is especially common in handicap games, yet it is no exaggeration to say that so long as you think that way, they will never really improve. No, stones are something more - they are instruments of power. "

Edit 2: Oh, I thought of an illustration. Look at the result of this game. When you had thickness, you attempted to make territory out of it. When your opponent got thickness, he attacked your nearby stones. Compare the result of each of those strategies.

hailthorn011 · #7

Loons wrote:

Oh, I see your confusion. I'm not able to clarify this easily, sorry. Just try to find something to read about "using thickness". There must be a forum post somewhere.

I will look into it. Or perhaps studying higher level games will help me to understand what you mean when you say that.

Joaz Banbeck · #8

5: This feels a bit timid. There are two corners in which your opponent is threatening to make a solid shimari, and you choose to make a still-can-be-invaded shimari for yourself.
The star point stone is not being put to optimal use.
E4 is probably your best move. It extends off of the Q4 stone, and challenges white in a corner.

11: Again, a bit timid. Your stones are not in trouble. You have miai of D16+C17 and C10. Play a big move like H17 or Q10.

13: White's last is a bizarre move that does almost nothing to harm you. Ignore it.

15: How many points is this move worth? How big is Q10?

17: Again, a small move.

47: He forgot to play S16. If you play S17 now, I think he dies. ( B:S17, W:S18, B:R18, W:Q18, B:T18, W:R19, B:S16 )

59: You have a wall in the upper right that wants an extension around Q10. You have a shimari in the lower right that wants an extension around Q10. Playing Q10 is huge.

71-83: These are tiny moves.

85: GOOD MOVE!!!!!!

89: Yet again, too timid. You have all of the power on this side of the board, and you must use it. Attack. Play Q9.

93: Ouch. You have gone past timid into being submissive.

The trend is unmistakable, so I'm going to stop here.

You play small moves, timid moves, as if you are unwilling to take the chance of playing something bigger and more speculative.

Go eat some raw meat. Watch some Clint Eastwood movies - particularly Dirty Harry. Change the way that you think about go, so that you can sit down at your next game believing that you are the biggest badass in Christiandom.

Dusk Eagle · #9

No video can possibly demonstrate a better way to use thickness thickness than the one below. It's still quite advanced for even me, but just try to understand as much of it as possible. I still go back to this one video every couple of months and relearn how to use influence, as it really is magic what it can do when used properly.

Video: http://www.gocommentary.com/free-videos/greatest-games-ever-played-04-huang-longshi-vs-jiang-tianyuan.html

P.S. I tried embedding the video using the flash tag but it didn't seem to work. I don't recall seeing it before either. Is it still being developed?

Magicwand · **#10**

what is the advantage of 15 and 16 exchange?
17: bad shape it is awful move.
19~34 : if you can not read that far do not thake that path
47: need i say anything on this? S17 is far matter move than this.
49: wow.. are you trying to kill this group? i say again..if you can not read 100% try to avoid that path.
63: if you dont stop playing this empty triangle..you are never going to improve.
79: why play here???? focal point of this game is at Q10. or J10.
81: your group is already connected and alive. why play here?
83: same useless move.
89: why not P10??
93: unescessary. you are already strong and you should concentrate on separating two white group

if you try to make a point by making a border then it is same as trying to be rich by collecting can deposit. you will always be a homeless and hungry.
but..like bill gates you make others earn money for you then you will be rich fast and easy.
i hope you liked my analogy.
if you follow the flow of the game then points come naturally. you usually get points by attacking your opponent. so you must try to find the flow of attack and defense.

please forgive me if i was too harsh on my comments.

Even game vs a 13K

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