A beginner's journal of little interest

[Boidhre]

Bill, I agonised over that bulge at . I didn't see your other those large jumps are a blind spot of mine, I rarely consider them. Currently I've noticed myself making this mistake though of leaving a local situation to approach a corner but ending up with a worse result (in my view) than if I play a local move and my opponent closes the corner. One of many things to work on I guess.

[Bill Spight]

Bill, I agonised over that bulge at .

Good. You considered it. That's the most important thing at the kyu level. If you always consider the right play, it is hard not to be SDK, just by the law of averages.

I didn't see your other those large jumps are a blind spot of mine, I rarely consider them.

Think of it as a boshi. Attack!

Currently I've noticed myself making this mistake though of leaving a local situation to approach a corner but ending up with a worse result (in my view) than if I play a local move and my opponent closes the corner. One of many things to work on I guess.

Urgent points before big points.

It's a Zen kind of thing. Beginners often continue playing in a local area after the local temperature has dropped. Then they learn to tenuki. Then they have to learn when not to tenuki, because the local area is urgent. Mountains are again mountains.

[Boidhre]

Most of my issue with those large jumps as attacks is a vicious circle. Because I don't play them often I can't read them quickly compared to moves I'm more familiar with. Because I can't read them out as easily my instincts are to play other moves instead.

I'm trying to combat this by forcing myself to play large knights and similar where I can't clearly see a reason not to (which usually exists, I'm just blind to it). We'll see how this goes.

[Boidhre]

Not a loss but my first finished game with long time limits against someone near my strength (EGF wise) since my long absence from the game:



Any thoughts welcome.

[EdLee]

Hi Boidhre, welcome back. This opponent was... not very good.

[Boidhre]

Myself and a tipsy topazg:



Neither of us in optimal form by a long shot but an interesting game for me nonetheless. (4k? with a big ? by the way, I haven't had a solid KGS rank in well over a year)

[EdLee]

Random thoughts.

[Boidhre]

Thanks Ed. Several of those bad moves were of the "thought I saw something working" kind unfortunately.

[Bill Spight]

For extra credit, what is the score?

[Boidhre]

W+14.5? White owes a move inside after Black T19 and dame being filled. I think the black group on top is ok.

I've a feeling from your choice of smilie that I'm missing something huge here.

[Bill Spight]

W+14.5? White owes a move inside after Black T19 and dame being filled. I think the black group on top is ok.

I've a feeling from your choice of smilie that I'm missing something huge here.

Right. White has to protect.

I was just surprised that you both missed that.

[Boidhre]

W+14.5? White owes a move inside after Black T19 and dame being filled. I think the black group on top is ok.

I've a feeling from your choice of smilie that I'm missing something huge here.

Right. White has to protect.

I was just surprised that you both missed that.

Someone's wife was annoyed with someone playing go so the very late yose was rather rushed.

[Boidhre]

So I've neglected this journal and go almost totally over the last year. This was primarily due to ill-health, I've been depressed, manic and mixed most of the last 12 months and whatever sleep disorder I have has worsened considerably and my sleep became free running (as in going around the clock, almost always in the same direction) on top of the sleep disruption from the bipolar. I'm getting the sleep disorder looked at in my country's only sleep clinic that handles non-aponea cases, which means journeying to Dublin constantly. Also as an added (but welcome) stressor my wife got a Post-Doctorate position, the problem is that it's a 3 hour commute away and this means several days of the week I've sole care of the children (who are school/preschool age). The care bit is fine, the having to be fully alert and awake for certain at particular times of the day doesn't mix well with the free running sleep so that means 1-2 hours or no sleep many nights which of course aggravates the bipolar that isn't fully controlled because I'm not that responsive to medication.

I was amused when my psychiatrist said to me that she hoped I had sleep aponea (I'm a candidate for it due to a narrow airway though it wouldn't cause free running sleep) because that at least is something they could treat and somewhere they could pretty much guarantee me an improvement in quality of life. It's not a good sign when your doctors are wishing conditions on you!

[EdLee]

Hi Boidhre, post-doc in which field ?

[Boidhre]

Hi Boidhre, post-doc in which field ?

PM sent. Tiny world, she wouldn't like me talking about it publicly.