SamT's Study Journal - A Beginner's Journey

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:02 pm

I played one game on KGS with an 8k opponent. I probably resigned too early, but I really didn't see any options left for points.

He was nice enough to hang around and give me a few comments after. I also started up Drago and did some analysis myself. It'd be great to know if my thoughts are anywhere near the right mark.

As always always always, comments welcome.

Off topic KGS question:

Charles Matthews · Post by **Charles Matthews** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:39 pm

SamT wrote:Tenuki Drill
In order to address my tendency to follow the opponent around and stay permanently in gote, I might try a "tenuki drill" I saw online somewhere, but I am pretty sure I will end up in a lot of losses for me. It may still be worth, it tho. The drill, as described was:

You must play tenuki every move.

Yeurgh. You must not. But someone said, years ago, that he got stronger when he realised he shouldn't play a move unless he absolutely had to. He was around 1 dan then.

While we are on ancient British wisdom, there is the one about a play being gote if you hope the opponent answers; and sente if you hope the opponent doesn't.

The most useful examples are actually "games of chicken" in the early endgame. There you really do follow the drill for quite a way (or lose).

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:24 pm

Charles Matthews wrote:Yeurgh. You must not. But someone said, years ago, that he got stronger when he realised he shouldn't play a move unless he absolutely had to. He was around 1 dan then.

While we are on ancient British wisdom, there is the one about a play being gote if you hope the opponent answers; and sente if you hope the opponent doesn't.

The most useful examples are actually "games of chicken" in the early endgame. There you really do follow the drill for quite a way (or lose).

Thanks for the feedback, Charles. I haven't been able to develop the nerve to actually carry through with the drill, even against the computer. I get 10-15 moves in, and I just... can't... tenuki. It's like staring off a cliff and trying to jump, even with a bunjee attached. Can't do it. Probably should be able to, actually. With a bunjee, anyway.

I have been trying to figure out when I need to play and when I don't need to. That exact thought, actually. Glad to see I was on the right track. I am not there yet. A long way to go.

Uberdude · Post by **Uberdude** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:40 pm

I played a few games on KGS for a laugh as AlwaysTenuki and NeverTenuki*. AlwaysTenuki was a lot harder to win with (but possible!). Both rather silly

.

*or some 10 letter abbreviation

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:37 am

Uberdude wrote:I played a few games on KGS for a laugh as AlwaysTenuki and NeverTenuki*. AlwaysTenuki was a lot harder to win with (but possible!). Both rather silly .

*or some 10 letter abbreviation

Well, if it was hard to win for you, it's probably impossible to win for me

But I may try it out some more against the computer.

S2W · Post by **S2W** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:06 am

Hi Sam,

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$B Corner $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 2 . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 1 . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . c 4 O a . . . . $$ | . b 3 5 6 . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ ------------------[/go]

This joseki mistake :w6:

rather than a is really common at ddk levels (and seems to be made increasingly frequently up to ~11k on igs, after which I don't see it any more). It's a good one to learn how to punish (black at b - after which you can either capture w stones if w plays c or connect) - it definitely helped me get to 10k.

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:21 am

S2W wrote:Hi Sam,

$$B Corner
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 2 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 1 . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . c 4 O a . . . .
$$ | . b 3 5 6 . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ ------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Corner $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 2 . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . 1 . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . c 4 O a . . . . $$ | . b 3 5 6 . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ | . . . . . . . . . $$ ------------------[/go]

This joseki mistake rather than a is really common at ddk levels (and seems to be made increasingly frequently up to ~11k on igs, after which I don't see it any more). It's a good one to learn how to punish (black at b - after which you can either capture w stones if w plays c or connect) - it definitely helped me get to 10k.

So, because of the #1 stone, this is slightly different than the san-san invasion (where san-san invades alone)? White needs to extend a third space at A instead of bending at the head of two stones like he does in the "normal" san-san?

I hane'd at six because that's what I usually do against a lone san-san invasion. I didn't know that the joseki differed here. Really, I had no idea

If I'm making mistakes on the basic san-san, forgive me. I learned san-san on my own, and haven't reached it in Ishida or Weiqi Dingshi Daquan yet.

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:16 am

My go training, since family has come back:
(...has been much skimpier.)

Games with my daughter.
3 games of go with my 5yo daughter, one per day. We play these mostly to exercise her ability to concentrate. Shes' only playing about 50-60 moves right now before she loses interest. Before she left on vacation, she was playing 100, so hopefully we can work her back up. When she came back, she was focused on making eyes -- the more eyes the better, to her. She's starting to back off on that now, and look for more territory.

If anyone is interested in seeing the games, I will try to get the pics of them off my phone to share. She isn't quite the go master she believes herself to be, though

Tsumego/Tesuji
I've been going very light on these - 20-30 at first, down to just about 7 yesterday. I really need more time to spend on these, or just better time management. I feel much sharper when I am doing 50+ of them.

Joseki
I've been doing a lot of these, for me. Weiqi Dingshi Daquan has been fun. Google Translate plus Sensei's Library has been helping me figure out Chinese parlance for certain moves, but I am only vaguely closer to understanding the Chinese. Also, studying up on the Lee Sedol/Gu Li jubango has given me a context for some of them, and I see them in games more and more.

Games Online
Many fewer games online. You've seen most of them.

(My feelings about KGS and IGS...)

Conversely, I played my first game on OGS today, and I liked the interface. Very slick. The fact that I won was also pretty nice. I almost feel guilty for winning this one. I am too used to losing, I guess.

(Game hidden)

Knotwilg · Post by **Knotwilg** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:14 am

If you allow your stone to be captured, two things happen:
1. your corner virtually dies
2. the stone you played instead is way too close to thickness

:b69:

When it has become fairly clear that this group lives, this area has become less interesting. All groups are safe now and the biggest open area asks for a move.

It may not appear to you like that, but a higher ranked player will not miss the opportunity to play there. This is my question to you: what is the biggest "open area" at move :w70:

. Hence, where should you have played with :b69:

?

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:18 am

I hope I can help! I'm just around 4 kyu so I don't really know what I'm doing:) couldn't get into too much detail because of time constraints though.

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:58 am

EDIT: Seems I'm late to the party, and multiple people posted while I was thinking and posting about san-san variations.

SamT wrote:I hane'd at six because that's what I usually do against a lone san-san invasion. I didn't know that the joseki differed here. Really, I had no idea If I'm making mistakes on the basic san-san, forgive me. I learned san-san on my own, and haven't reached it in Ishida or Weiqi Dingshi Daquan yet.

Don't worry so much about mistakes on "basic" joseki ... the variations are always broader than you think.

These are actually the kind of things I enjoy exploring. This one is nice because it often comes up in games, so there's good reason to think about the position. In fact, this very corner came up in a recent game of mine. The section in question starts at move 33. Note that I've done some study of the position, and it was difficult on me anyways. The entire game is interesting (to me, anyways). I hope you don't mind me posting it in your journal as an example. I've made a number of comments in the SGF that I hope are helpful:

In terms of KGS, have you made any attempt to use the Automatch function? It allows you to set how many handicap stones you are willing to give or receive, and you can give it an estimated rank. It will automatically try to match you up with an opponent with a proper handicap set.

I know that the KGS Beginner's Room has been pretty quiet as of late, but you can always pop in there and see if any other beginners would like to play a ranked game with you.

As for OGS, I'm on there, though I tend to play correspondence-length games (a few moves per day). If you can stand for a longer game, at whatever handicap, I'm up for it (ranked or not, doesn't matter to me). Send me a message on there.

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:25 am

Knotwilg wrote::b19: If you allow your stone to be captured, two things happen:
1. your corner virtually dies
2. the stone you played instead is way too close to thickness

When it has become fairly clear that this group lives, this area has become less interesting. All groups are safe now and the biggest open area asks for a move.

It may not appear to you like that, but a higher ranked player will not miss the opportunity to play there. This is my question to you: what is the biggest "open area" at move . Hence, where should you have played with ?

Thanks, Knotwilg!

See, there's always something for me to learn, even when I win.

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:54 am

Thank you, Elom!

Great feedback. I really like your variations. And 4k is still wayyyy better than me, so I can definitely learn from you.

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:00 pm

Marcus - thanks for posting your game. I'm going through it right now.

Re: KGS automatch.

Yes, I've attempted to use it repeatedly. I currently have wasted an hour of my life watching it spin spin spin. The problem seems to be that I have a ?-mark rank, and you seem to need a real rank for it to work correctly. The most it has ever done is matched me with an unranked bot or two, which helps not at all.

I do like the sense of community at KGS. I'm sure it'll sort itself eventually.

Knotwilg · Post by **Knotwilg** » Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:25 pm

All right, but what is your answer to the question I asked?

Life In 19x19

SamT's Study Journal - A Beginner's Journey

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