Life In 19x19

Why not just have a study session with our friend, Leela? Or perhaps her buddy, KataGo?

Well, Kirby, I have no problem with analyzing my own already-played games or particular sequences with bots to get a sense for what moves were particularly good (well, particularly not-as-bad-as-the-rest) and ...

I don't like the 4-4 point. (This is not a thread about the 4-4 point--yes, I realize it's likely the strongest opening/corner move, a hair better than 3-4, etc. I won't bore you with my reasons; just trust that I don't like it and you're not going to convince me otherwise.)

Are there any ...

This is a fascinating thread and a fascinating topic. Center stage is a very real debate about what to do with vast swaths of received "go wisdom," and both sides have very compelling arguments.

I won't pretend to have anything new to add as to the substance of those arguments, but I'd like to urge ...

One other speculative thought to add to Uberdude's observation about the high approach: as I understand the complicated lines, the strategic** reason why the 3-4 player (let's just assume it's black) may prefer them rather than accepting a large solid corner is that, presumably, white chose the ...

From my admittedly limited (though existent) experience with OGS, I would classify it somewhere in the middle in terms of aggression levels.

I think what you're experiencing is more generally true of DDK life. I'd attribute this to two things, both already mentioned to some degree:

1) On a lot of ...

Agree with Bill. Professional play will calibrate your understanding of certain aspects of the game (flow, timing, direction, shape, sente) and shape your aesthetic judgment in a way the raw, mistake-ridden play of 9 kyus (or hell, low dans) will not. Even though you will have little idea what's ...

I think it's obvious that newer players are inclined to play on star points--they look so big and important. But, for sure, that needn't mean stronger players are manipulated quite so easily. Growing in one's intuitive grasp of the meaning of a given arrangement of stones (i.e. their shape) is a big ...

IMO, playing territorially means you're actively taking 10-15 points cash here and there in the opening (try the 3-3/3-4 opening) and translating that into a winnable game by playing sharp, quick moves that prevent a moyo and, imo, keep the middle game more interesting (with more moving parts).

I'm ...

I'd be interested in a small yet not-cheap-looking (the classier the better) 19x19 board to sit in my office to generally a) impress/repulse people with my refined taste in games or intense nerddom depending on their perspective, and b) draw in unsuspecting passerbys with a moment of time to waste ...

Awesome!! Thanks for doing this, I will try it out with the kiddo.

My 2-year-old already has some pretty advanced Go technique down though--check out this B2 Bomber variant:

Not a very comprehensive response here, but quick thought: at B 117 , you missed out on the free and fun ko white set up for you.

My guess is, to miss something like that at your level, you were playing really hurried--and as a result, giving your opponent more credit than he deserved.

and are of course fine and good moves in a local sense, but they're moves that are insufficiently concerned about (or, in the latter case, aggressively in denial of) the huge elephant on the board. That white wall what the game is about now. White gave up 40ish points (not a scientific count) for a ...

I agree with BlindGroup that you should add playing games with an eye towards being reviewed by others to your regimen.

I would further add that you should consider playing your own games against other human players instead of trying to memorize any AlphaGo games or playing against LeelaZero. At ...

I've created a new account in the last few months. I guessed the rank at 4k initially. I think the way the system works is that it re-evaluates your provisional rank every five games. I won 4 of 5 at 4k, but then won only 3 of 5, 1 of 5, and 1 of 5 at 3k provisional. So, it kicked me out at 4k ...

Well, here's another data point consistent with Schachus: I just went 11-9 as a provisional 2d (each game I was ranked as a provisional 2d). My assigned rank after going 11-9 is 1d.

Does anyone have any insight on what record is required after 20 games in order to actually be ranked at your ...