when someone invades and you attack but then...

[Bantari]

better yet, one simple and clear principle is better than 3 less simple and less clear ones, so:

1. Make correct moves.

Do you just try to jest or do you have principle doubts about other, more specific principles often being less simple and clear than the one universal principle (alternative: "Apply the game aim.")?

I try to jest, Sheldon. Its called 'sarcasm.'
The underlying idea is that, when addressing 11k player, saying he needs to "Read correctly" is about as meaningful as saying (to anybody) "Play correctly" - both are true and absolutely unhelpful. Imho.

Same goes for your other points.

PS>
By the way - you don't mind if I call you "Sheldon", do you? Just for a while, it will make me happy.

[RobertJasiek]

Bantari, the read correctly principle accompanies the other two principles, so that one knows how to apply them well: by reading and preferably reading correctly.

Working out the details and editing diagrams for that purpose amounts to up to ca. 2 hours. This is much more than any one of us wants to invest. Nevertheless, this does not make the principles useless for the OP, because he can relate them to the other posters' messages, such as Bill's and his application of the reading correctly principle by studying a few relevant variations.

It has been said that teaching 11k would be difficult. It is not: just combine general advice with specific application in diagrams and their comments. This is not difficult, but just a matter of needed teaching time investment.

[cherryhill]

so there is a lot of great stuff in this thread, i'm sure. but i am having a hard time knowing what to do about it. i guess my shapes are very bad. how do i get better at this? i honestly don't know much about shape at all. when i do tsumego shape never enters my mind. shape rarely ever enters my mind during a game. i am not even sure what basic shapes are, which is probably why they never enter my mind. i know the empty triangle is bad, as are dumplings. i know hane at the head of two is usually good and so is the tigers mouth. that is about it

[jts]

Well, this page is a good place to start:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?LameDuGo

Do you understand the ideas on that page? These, I think, are adequate to understand the specific mistake Ed and Bill identified.

"Shape" is a huge topic. I think of broken/ripped shape as being the most fundamental level of shape. But there's a lot more to it. We had a thread on the topic a month ago: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8614

Oh and look, a similar topic from a year ago (that recently blossomed into trench warfare over the cost of a bus fare, but the first two pages are good) - viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5825

And if you were to read any one book about go, "Opening Theory Made Easy" would be a good choice - it just so happens that a third of the book is about go.

But again, all this additional information about shape is above and beyond the basic point: when you let your opponent separate your stones without separating his stones in return, you suffer a loss.

[Bill Spight]

when i do tsumego shape never enters my mind.

Oh, but it should. In a life and death problem one player wants to make eye shape while the other player wants to prevent eye shape. IMO the two great themes of life and death problems are eye shape and shortage of liberties.

E. g.,

$$Wc
$$ --------------
$$ | . 2 . X O . .
$$ | 3 1 4 X O . .
$$ | X X X X O . .
$$ | O O O O O . .
$$ | . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . .

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ --------------
$$ | . 2 . X O . .
$$ | 3 1 4 X O . .
$$ | X X X X O . .
$$ | O O O O O . .
$$ | . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . .[/go]

Black dies because, even though she can make eye shape with , there is a shortage of liberties.

[Bantari]

Bantari, the read correctly principle accompanies the other two principles, so that one knows how to apply them well: by reading and preferably reading correctly.

Working out the details and editing diagrams for that purpose amounts to up to ca. 2 hours. This is much more than any one of us wants to invest. Nevertheless, this does not make the principles useless for the OP, because he can relate them to the other posters' messages, such as Bill's and his application of the reading correctly principle by studying a few relevant variations.

It has been said that teaching 11k would be difficult. It is not: just combine general advice with specific application in diagrams and their comments. This is not difficult, but just a matter of needed teaching time investment.

Totally true! Teaching is very easy, you just need to tell them exactly what they need to know to improve at any given moment. Piece of cake.

Sorry, Sheldon - couldn't resist.