Hi all,

So, I feel like I am making OK progress in my go. One thing I am finding tricky though is to recall all the go concepts I have picked up from books or videos. I have a working knowledge of quite a few concepts, but often don't apply them during my games. For example, I might find that I review my game, and then remember "Ah yes, I need to play away from thickness". I know I should do this, but was concentrating on some other concept at the same time (e.g., "after corners, make side extensions"). Lots to remember and keep active in one's mind.

How did you handle this when improving? One idea I had was to focus just on one concept during a game, to get active practice with it (e.g., just focus on making good shape), but I find the game is just too "big" to do this effectively. I feel almost like I need a list of all the concepts I have learned at my side during the game to look over every move and remind myself.

Not sure there is a question here really. Maybe just a bit of a vent!

Cheers,
Jim.

Review your games, get others to review them as well, and try to actively consider multiple moves and identify the reasons for them when you play.

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Occupy Babel!

At your beginner level, intermediate concepts such as thickness are hardly relevant for you. You need to know and apply the basic concepts and principles, such as Connect your important stones, Verify connection by reading. If your books do not tell you such basics, you have the wrong books for your purpose.

One thing about go concepts is that they nearly all have exceptions, and the more general they are, the more exceptions they have. One aspect of improving is developing the judgement to see what is important in any situation and whether it is an exceptional case. Judgement comes with experience.

One thing that may help is to frame concepts as condition-action pairs. Some of them are already in that form. Hane at the head of two stones, do not approach thickness, for example. More abstract concepts are more powerful than more concrete concepts, but, especially at your level, you should focus on more concrete concepts, as they are the building blocks of your game.

As for checklists, it is important not to overthink. Checklists should be short guides. FWIW, I have recently come up with one. Not for every play, but at crucial points in the game: ACH.

Analyze the situation.

Count. Count points, stones, liberties, eyes, ko threats, whatever is important to count.

How do I accomplish my goals?

Good luck!

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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.

Hyperpape - thanks. Yes, reviewing games helpful.

Robert - OK.

Thanks Bill - very helpful !

I am not much better than you, here are my 2 cents.

Reversing your perspective can be a useful trick, try to look for and recognize the mistakes you have been reviewed in your previous games.

The first book by Yuan Zhou is Understanding how to play Go,
but I have found much more useful his later book: How not to play Go.

Good life, good Go!
Galation

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When you play Weiqi you are joining millions of people across four thousand years of time.
Jonathan Hop - So You Want to Play Go?

Hi Neocortex,
I've had the same problem as you : too many things to study and remember.

In this case, my solution is to get easier books. I've been 6 kyu kgs for months, so maybe I'm not the right person to ask, but I think that it is better to review and improve the mastering of really basic and easy concepts, than to try to learn too many advanced ones.
For example, I found Tsumego, by Motoki Noguchi, or Haengma, by Youngsun Yoon, a bit difficult, while Attack and Defense, by Davies and Ishida seemed very interesting and enjoyable for me. So I went on studying Attack and Defense, which is a quite advanced book, but stopped studying Tsumego and Haengma, and got Graded Go Problems for Beginners vol 2 instead, which is much easier.

Youngsun Yoon's Haengma has some quite advanced material.