Path to 9Dan, step by step.

Charles Matthews · **#101**

hl782 wrote:

Here are two games that i played and won yesterday.

Game 2:

is a bit early to enclose, but OK. :b13:

isn't so consistent.

:w16:

The vital point is at E4, bulge shape (now and for a long time).

:b17:

With the Chinese formation you need to play R15. :b21:

is slow.

- I think P9 is bigger. White can sacrifice the upper half of the group. So :w33:

can be at Q9, another bulge.

:b39:

- This sequence has been good so far, but this is heavy. If Black played at G16 ... well, quite hard for White to answer. To :b45:

White is too slow, so the result is clearly good for Black.

:b49:

Oh no, there are good bulges at E4 and K14, and you don't play either! To :w60:

is indeed disappointing. Comments end

hl782 · **#102**

Charles Matthews wrote:

hl782 wrote:

Here are two games that i played and won yesterday.

Game 2:

is a bit early to enclose, but OK. :b13:

isn't so consistent.

:w16:

The vital point is at E4, bulge shape (now and for a long time).

:b17:

With the Chinese formation you need to play R15. :b21:

is slow.

- I think P9 is bigger. White can sacrifice the upper half of the group. So :w33:

can be at Q9, another bulge.

:b39:

- This sequence has been good so far, but this is heavy. If Black played at G16 ... well, quite hard for White to answer. To :b45:

White is too slow, so the result is clearly good for Black.

:b49:

Oh no, there are good bulges at E4 and K14, and you don't play either! To :w60:

is indeed disappointing. Comments end

Hi Charles. Thanks for the reviews and comments as always!

Couple questions I have - What do you mean by 13 isn't consistent? So I thought for chinese fuseki you aim to take territory on one side (depending how opponent decides to play) - This game I decided to go for the bottom. Was the 3-3 invasion not a good continuation of it?

Also, for b39 - If black played at G16, doesn't it leave a weakness at F15 (the elephant's eye)? Idk i am very hesitant to play it the diagonal jump in my games because the weakness is hard for me to cover. If G16 is played, and white plays at F15, would black throw away the D14/E14 stones and aim to take the top? If so, doesn't that give white considerable thickness/territory near the upper left as well?

Kirby · **#103**

If white plays D3 after 13, it hurts your development on the bottom.

Charles Matthews · **#104**

hl782 wrote:

Charles Matthews wrote:

hl782 wrote:

Here are two games that i played and won yesterday.

Game 2:

Couple questions I have - What do you mean by 13 isn't consistent? So I thought for chinese fuseki you aim to take territory on one side (depending how opponent decides to play) - This game I decided to go for the bottom. Was the 3-3 invasion not a good continuation of it?

The enclosure at Q5 is good in a large-scale game: it is looser than R5 in the corner, but it cannot be so easily reduced from the centre. So Black should look for a large framework plan. :b13:

at F5 seems good to me.

Then White indeed could enclose the corner. But Black has ideas such as L15 to build a major central framework. Usually Black welcomes openings that are framework contests.

Charles Matthews · **#105**

hl782 wrote:

Also, for b39 - If black played at G16, doesn't it leave a weakness at F15 (the elephant's eye)? Idk i am very hesitant to play it the diagonal jump in my games because the weakness is hard for me to cover. If G16 is played, and white plays at F15, would black throw away the D14/E14 stones and aim to take the top? If so, doesn't that give white considerable thickness/territory near the upper left as well?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B So this needs a diagram ... $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . W . . X . . . X X . | $$ | . . . , . . B . . W X . . . . X . O . | $$ | . . . O . a . . . . X . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O X X . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . | $$ | . . O , . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . X X . X . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The idea of the marked black stone is obviously to attack the marked white stones. And indeed, the first question is "what about White now at a?"

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$W White goes for it (1) $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O 6 . . . . W . . X . . . X X . | $$ | . . . 7 3 4 X . . W X . . . . X . O . | $$ | . . . O 2 1 . b . . X . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O X X 5 . c . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . | $$ | . . O , . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . X X . X . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This is one way for Black to play. Now :b8:

is probably at b, because c looks like a tempting overplay (reading problem). The marked white stones are nearly captured.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$W White goes for it (2) $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . W . . X . . . X X . | $$ | . . . . . . X . . W X . . . . X . O . | $$ | . . . O d O 2 . . . X . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O X X 4 3 e . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . | $$ | . . O , . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . O O . . . . . X . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . X X . X . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Actually

here is a bit calmer. I don't believe :w3:

is really possible. Miai of atari at d and e seems to be good for Black.

The bottom line is that the white stones on the upper side are heavier than the black stones in the upper left. I didn't try to find the best line for this suggestion: I thought it was interesting as something to consider here.

PlaySlow · **#106**

You can read kato maso's chinese opening sure win or watch some videos from youtube about chinese opening, they really help on the topic.

hl782 · **#107**

2-3 today. Outplayed in one game, and in the other, passed when there was a move on the board, and lost a halfpoint loss. Lesson learned never to pass again unless im for sure 100%...

hl782 · **#108**

Probs my best game today - it was a free game against a 7k, with no handi & full komi.

Charles Matthews · **#109**

hl782 wrote:

Probs my best game today - it was a free game against a 7k, with no handi & full komi.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Reading problem $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . O 1 O , X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . . . 4 3 2 . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

A point of interest, if Black cuts as here: what happens after :w6:

?

and

are both slack. :b61:

is good to see!

By 101 you should probably come out the winner.

hl782 · **#110**

Charles Matthews wrote:

hl782 wrote:

Probs my best game today - it was a free game against a 7k, with no handi & full komi.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Reading problem $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . O 1 O , X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . . . 4 3 2 . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

A point of interest, if Black cuts as here: what happens after :w6:

?

and

are both slack. :b61:

is good to see!

By 101 you should probably come out the winner.

Hmm I fail to see what would happen. I only see an unsatisfactory result for black? Doesnt black run out of liberties after atari-ing twice? or is black suppose to cut to the left and try to make somethign happen...?

hl782 · **#111**

Here are 3 games I played yesterday, with quick reviews done by me. I am going to take an advice from a friend, who said to learn 1-3 things per game.

First 2 are wins. 3rd is a loss.

SoDesuNe · **#112**

hl782 wrote:

Charles Matthews wrote:

[...]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Reading problem $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . O 1 O , X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . . . 4 3 2 . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

[...]

Hmm I fail to see what would happen. I only see an unsatisfactory result for black? Doesnt black run out of liberties after atari-ing twice? or is black suppose to cut to the left and try to make somethign happen...?

My idea : )

Charles Matthews · **#113**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$W Further reading problem $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . O X O . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . . . O X O . O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X W . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

So what happens if White blocks on the other side?

hl782 · **#114**

Charles, is it something like this?

Charles Matthews · **#115**

hl782 wrote:

Game 3

:w24:

is nonsense: answer at Q7.

:b33:

You can break through at M4: more urgent than the top right.

:b47:

What about M4 now?

:b67:

is not bad. :b69:

- you can connect under at B7: the play at E4 is big.

:b73:

gives up too much. :b79:

- I don't link this. :b85:

- you thought the ladder didn't work?

:b95:

seems too tight.

103 - I guess the invasion at G17 works. In any case this play is not so big.

115: at M4 or M5 is still big. 117 - no, you kill off other options too soon here.

159. The corner probably dies after S15. Killing sequences depend on trusting the outside strength you have. Not a situation for joseki. 163 - try at Q18.

Charles Matthews · **#116**

hl782 wrote:

Charles, is it something like this?

Well, Black needs to play atari first, clearly; the ko line is no good for White, because of "no threats in the opening".

Then there are two options for the double threat. The simple extension is one; it is also possible to play contact on the second line, which is my all-time favourite tesuji. A second-order question is which option is better.

hl782 · **#117**

Updates - I lost 2 very close games yesterday, but won 3 others - 2 of them against 7 kyus in an even game. I'll post up those games later tomorrow.

Also, I finished Lee Chang Ho Tesuji Vol. 1 and 2 - and updated my front page respectively. I also finished recycling Get Strong at Tesuji (81% overall accuracy), and Lee Changho L&D Vol. 1 for the 3rd time (96%

) Next to recycle is 1001 L&D Problems! I'm not sure if others feel the same, but it seems to me that the LCH L&D series are much much harder than the LCH Tesuji series.

As for go theory, I started to read Fundamental Principles of Go by Yilun Yang, and the book is fantastic. The book is worth a 10/10 for containing all the reduction/invasion patterns of simple corner situations and putting them into one book. (Reminds me of Shuko's Reducing Territorial Frameworks). I think i'll read this and Lesson in the Fundamentals of Go by Kageyama again - and hopefully strengthen my basic grasp and whole-board intuition of the game.

Lastly, for my biggest weakness - shape - I did a quick run through of 'Shape Up' - and honestly it was a good book but i felt like i couldn't get the most out of it. Maybe it's because the idea of crappy shape can still win games is still stuck in my head. Idk. I know i need to improve on this. Maybe ill give the book another try when I am at higher levels.

SoDesuNe · **#118**

Charles Matthews wrote:

[...]

Then there are two options for the double threat. The simple extension is one; it is also possible to play contact on the second line, which is my all-time favourite tesuji. A second-order question is which option is better.

Actually quite interesting : )

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Extending $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . 3 1 O X O . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . 4 . O X O O O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O X X . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think, White will defend the bottom and give up the two stones, so the question is, whether attaching first gives an advantage to either Black or White.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Attaching $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 X X X . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . 5 1 O X O . X . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . 6 4 O X O O O X . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . 3 O X X . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If you change the oder of moves here or consider :b3:

an endgame play then Black would normally play this at 'a'. The exchange :b3:

for

is one of those beginner endgame mistakes. Although given the situation, it is questionable wether Black can really get this endgame but then :b3:

would be a also a wasted stone.

So unless I'm wrong, I guess extending is correct here : )

hl782 · **#119**

8kyu! yay

hl782 · **#120**

Here are three of my most recent games - the game vs enjoytam was my promotion game to 8k.

Path to 9Dan, step by step.

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