Hi everyone! Maybe because of general bad mood and many real life problems, or maybe not, recently my "performance" have dropped, and I started to lose more than win... I'm unable to easily cope with my loses, so I tend to play better after each win, and play worse after each defeat

This is one of the games I lost today, once again I had a feeling that I have the upper hand, but than "suddenly" some of my stones got cut and the game was more less over...

Even though this was the "losing exachange", surely there are many more moves that I could play differently, and I ask You venerable L19x19 members to point these out to me.




Any advice would be more than welcome.

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Formerly Gorim

Losing those stones was a shock. But Black still had chances. Black's lackluster play after move 140 frittered those away.



Main focus: Faint heart and fair lady and all that. Courage!

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

I haven't reviewed your game, but just have some general encouragement. Well, maybe not encouragement, but rather letting you know others experience the same thing. I had a nice, long period of improvement, then last fall halted. Some of this was because of personal issues, so I wasn't playing/studying nearly as much. But also, most of us run into certain aspects of the game that are more difficult to learn but necessary to improve, so we hit a road block.

Anyhow, late into the winter, I had another surge of growth. But, unfortunately, work picked up again and I now feel like I've lost at least 1/2 a stone. It can be frustrating to start losing more games, but just focus on enjoying each game and learning from them.

It is hard to explain, but I try to tell myself that the #1 goal is to learn/improve. Trying to win is still important--if you don't try your hardest, you won't learn as much. So, the cliche that we've all probably hated at some point, might just be right: "It isn't whether you win or lose, (it is how you played the game/as long as you tried your best, etc.). But anyway, you'll start improving again.

(Before people start bickering, I know some of things I said overgeneralize, don't apply to all people, etc., etc.)

Thanks EdLee and Bill for the valuable comments, I realied the first gote EdLee pointed out, but other I didn't.

Judicata: I know that many go players suffer from various ego/rank related issues, but the knowledge itself isn't enough to overcome those issues. I hope that it will come with experience, because otherwise it will be hard to both enjoy and to improve

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Formerly Gorim

I don't know about you but in life in general when I go through a rough patch I just try to hunker down and chip away at things while waiting for an uptick in mood/confidence/results. In go terms it'd be doggedly doing my tsumego and study every day despite not seeing any returns for my efforts. It's very hard to do though unless you've a lot of willpower (which I don't to be honest). If you've ever studied a language you'll have experienced similar plateaus where you seem to just be stuck and your efforts aren't gaining you much, the only way past these is to keep working away on it while analysing your efforts to see if they're working right and keep building up your tools and resources until something finally clicks. Then, I know feck all about go, so take that with a fist of salt.

Just one idea for thought ...
Move 42 is the normal continuation in this corner position, but on occasion the hanging connection at S13 is better, and this game looks like one of those occasions. Compared to the game continuation, W gives up corner territory but gains immediate eye shape and safety for the side group. Given the strength of the surrounding B groups, this seems like a good trade in this game. Note how much trouble the B peep at S13 caused, even after W blocked at R11.

Quite the pessimist . The short/efficient way to describe what I meant was "hang in there, you're not alone."

Mitsun: I think You're right, wouldn't have think about it myself. Having said that as EdLee pointed out, black move 43 was a poor one, so it would be a good gote move or in the real game situation poorer sente move

Judicata: yeah thanks Got an old Manowar cd to my car today, nothing lightens the mood better than a big dose of loud and hilarious "Kings of Metal" Two hours of listening about axes and hearts of steel, and already had an enjoyable game this evening

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Formerly Gorim