PeterN's Study Journal

Create a study plan, track your progress and hold yourself accountable.
PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Continued reading 1,001 Life and Death Problems
Games Reviewed: 5 lost games
Other: None

Ok, the last couple of updates were a bit sparse, so time to add some text at all this time.

Briefly dipped back down into 4k this week, but fought back and regained that 3k rating, if only barely.

Have now finished the first 600 problems of this tsumego book, with 51 of them incorrect so far, but the difficulty is ramping up, still, on the last attempt at this book I think I simply abandoned the attempt somewhere around this point.

Quite a few ASR League games this week, which did not go too well, two of which I can point to areas of stupidity which cost me the game (though to be fair if it wasn't for them a different move of stupidity would probably have done it).



Aside from the weird play on the upper left (Yay... I captured a stone... -_-) the main issue on this game was the lower right corner. This is the first time I think someone has properly attacked it when I've had it and I got caught by surprise. I also completely misread that he had one eye when he really had two.



Fighting and me not knowing how to form a moyo, but no individual blunder of instant loss.



N16.... Why oh why.... Also got told P9 was a really bad move :-(



I thought I was doing really well with this one, the lower right is a joseki I have somewhat memorised up to a certain point and it seemed to be going good, then disaster struck when I played T5, I think just capture the stone and I win the capture race.



4D's hurt to fight.... Every bit of weakness revealed pretty much instantly, still, these types of games are the only ones which might make it get through to me that I should play sensible defending moves instead of weird attacky-defencive moves. Also J16 was a deliberate overplay as he assumed I wouldn't find the correct response starting with N15 (which he showed me in the review).

And one further game I played this week which looks at the start to be a great example of attacking but is really an example of not having a clue what to do when it fails. And reading failure, that too: -



PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Continued reading 1,001 Life and Death Problems
Games Reviewed: 2 lost games
Other: None

Continuing with this seemingly never ending tsumego book, running at about 10% incorrect for the current section I'm in which doesn't seem too bad as it's in the later half now.

Both reviewed games were from the ASR League, both against dan level opponents, both of whom can outfight me (what a surprise there....).

PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Continued reading 1,001 Life and Death Problems
Games Reviewed: None
Other: None

Progress on tsumego has crawled to a crawl now I've reached the 850+ problem range, difficulty has increased to beyond what I should be doing probably, but hopefully I will finish this book next week.

Work is also getting busy so not having much brain power left to spare for go once I finish.

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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Finished reading 1,001 Life and Death Problems (85.9% correct)
Games Reviewed: None
Other: None

Finally finished that tsumego book, last 50 or so problems were a disaster for getting anything right, mixed in with a few where I got the right moves but the wrong order. Time to move back to a book not so long next.

Again a week where I've done nothing else, and only managed to play two games at all this week, the second of which I did not really deserve to win but my opponent ignored a move which shorted him one critical liberty. Still needing to work on my largest moves ideas.

PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Started and finished reading Graded Go Problems for Beginners III (95.2% correct)
Games Reviewed: 3 lost games
Other: Played through games 60-64 of Invincible, Started reading Otake's Secrets of Strategy

There was no update last week as I was ill, but have recovered some motivation for this week, playing a crazy number of games yesterday (16! Yeah, I didn't do too much else yesterday :lol:).

The tsumego problem book was finished in a single week's worth of train journeys, so somewhere between 150-250 minutes. Tsumego seems a whole lot easier when the problems aren't quite so hard, but time to shift up to book 4 again next week.

Played through some more of Invincible just because I felt like it and haven't for a while.

Beginning to read Otake's Secrets of Strategy I'm definitely seeing myself falling into the traps it mentions; blind faith in josekis and wrong direction, mixed in with a dose of preferring to live small locally rather than head towards the centre. The first of which I wasn't even realising was a problem, more thinking I just didn't know enough josekis. I have started to try to correct these in my play, though whether I manage to keep that up remains to be seen.

Games this week started out feeling like a disaster, feels like I have a lead and then it just slips away from me inexoriably until I lose (though to be fair I haven't lost every game by any means). I still have major issues with large points.

Two of the lost games where on ASR League, while the other was a normal game. ASR League games where largely bad fighting, while the third was one of the ones where the lead slips away: -



:w22: - Attempts to head towards the centre commence.
:w28: - And thinking about stopping black from getting there.
:w30: - I think this was a mistake, the intention was simply to stop B from connecting, but I don't think B can even without this move.
:w36: - Don't know if this sequence is a good idea or not, but I can't see anything else I can really do.
:w62: - My moyo feels much reduced now but this is still the best I can come up with.
:w70: - Overplay? B could simply cut this and there's nothing I can do about it that I can see.
:w72: - Slow, but what choice do I have?
:b77: - I'm glad that wasn't on the other side; H11 say.
:w94: - R18 larger?
+100
:w0: - Should have defended B8 first I think, if B atari'd at B7 it would have been worse for me.
:w26: - Small I think. L13 or O5 are pointed out soon by B.
:w36: - M15 larger?
:w54: - Small again. N2 or N6 perhaps?
:w92: - :oops:

There was also this game which I haven't got around to reviewing yet, but was one where I also attempted to move towards the centre, and looking back at this game, it doesn't look like one of my games to me: -



So lessons learned this week: -

1 - Blind faith in joseki = bad
2 - Move towards the centre
3 - Attack from the right direction
4 - My ability to play large points is... poor.

PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Started reading Graded Go Problems for Beginners IV
Games Reviewed: 2 lost games, 2 won games
Other: Continued reading Otake's Secrets of Strategy

Well, this is the first week in a long time I've reviewed a game that I won against someone a lot weaker than me. Feels strange looking at it from the point of view of trying to teach someone in the review (most of my won games that are reviewed are only against someone a stone or two weaker than me), and I am so not used to doing that. Come to realise that I don't exactly understand what I'm playing or why, I just sort of do because it looks and feels right and is what I'm used to (or it's just flat out reading some of the time).

PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Continued reading Graded Go Problems for Beginners IV
Games Reviewed: 2 lost games, 1 won game
Other: None

A bit of a bad week for playing games, I feel I'm slipping back into trying to kill everything mode instead of thinking about how to play in a more sensible manner. Playing time is also speeding up and auto-playing moves are re-appearing.

Need to kick these habits not just linger where I am.

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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Progress Report: -

Tsumego: Finished reading Graded Go Problems for Beginners IV (82.6% correct)
Games Reviewed: 3 lost games
Other: None

Well, interestingly in the tsumego book I believe I encountered the exact position from a problem the day before I found it in the book this week. Unfortunately I did not succeed in solving that problem (supposed to be at the top of the board, but my diagram may be wrong):

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......[/go]


Had three lost games on the ASR League this week, one of which I essentially lost from move SIX :o, although more accurately from the horrible spiraling out of control that just started with move five. I don't think I have ever felt so utterly outplayed.



PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by SoDesuNe »

PeterN wrote:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......[/go]



Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$|---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]



Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$|---------------
$$|.1.O5X...
$$|.243OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc :b9: at :b1:
$$|---------------
$$|815O7X...
$$|346.OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|2OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Took me longer than I care to admit (hope it's correct at least) and I actually finished that book not so long ago :p Got somehow confused by a similar shape that results in Ko.
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

Yeah, this is not an easy tsumego to read out, certainly beyond my level, though I'm hoping to just flat out memorise the right answer. Bent fours are a bane of my reading.

W should live if you 1 where you do, 4 should be at C19 in diagram 1, and then A19 if you capture. I can say this with certainty only because that's the wrong answer the book gives :lol:

Also thanks for showing the correct version of how to do my diagram, I do them so rarely.

PeterN
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by Bill Spight »

SoDesuNe wrote:
PeterN wrote:
Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......[/go]



Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$|---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]



Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$|---------------
$$|.1.O5X...
$$|.243OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc :b9: at :b1:
$$|---------------
$$|815O7X...
$$|346.OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|2OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Took me longer than I care to admit (hope it's correct at least) and I actually finished that book not so long ago :p Got somehow confused by a similar shape that results in Ko.


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$|---------------
$$|.14O.X...
$$|.2.3OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]
The Adkins Principle:
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— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by SoDesuNe »

Uh, still confused it seems.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc First Hane... and if White blocks...
$$|---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|2OOOXX...
$$|1OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc ...now this should work (BAZINGA!)
$$|---------------
$$|53aO.X...
$$|.4.bOX...
$$|2OOOXX...
$$|1OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


---

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc ...and if White here...
$$|---------------
$$|.2.O.X...
$$|....OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|1OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc ...we have a Ko : (
$$|---------------
$$|.2.O5X...
$$|3.67OX...
$$|4OOOXX...
$$|1OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


---

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc But what about this one directly?
$$|---------------
$$|...O.X...
$$|...1OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc Now this looks dead :o
$$|---------------
$$|.3.O.X...
$$|..21OX...
$$|.OOOXX...
$$|.OXX.....
$$|.X.......
$$|..X......
$$|.........
$$|.........[/go]


A move order hick-up? Yare, yare!
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by skydyr »

Regarding the game, the 3-3 point is inefficient to build from. You should ignore it for a while, because it's not a threat as a result, it's just points. I think black's goal was to goad you into an overplay and then use the side stone to fight. If you must approach, the large knight's move approach may work fine, but something like san-ren-sei would be quite good as well.
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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by PeterN »

skydyr wrote:Regarding the game, the 3-3 point is inefficient to build from. You should ignore it for a while, because it's not a threat as a result, it's just points. I think black's goal was to goad you into an overplay and then use the side stone to fight. If you must approach, the large knight's move approach may work fine, but something like san-ren-sei would be quite good as well.


Those were the two of the three options he recommended I should have used instead, the other being a two space low approach. I rarely see 3-3 stones, though they're not as "what do I do now?!" as 5-x stones!

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Re: PeterN's Study Journal

Post by skydyr »

PeterN wrote:
skydyr wrote:Regarding the game, the 3-3 point is inefficient to build from. You should ignore it for a while, because it's not a threat as a result, it's just points. I think black's goal was to goad you into an overplay and then use the side stone to fight. If you must approach, the large knight's move approach may work fine, but something like san-ren-sei would be quite good as well.


Those were the two of the three options he recommended I should have used instead, the other being a two space low approach. I rarely see 3-3 stones, though they're not as "what do I do now?!" as 5-x stones!

PeterN


Yeah, that's also quite viable. My sense is that the 3-3 can be better for white than black, because you are basically plunking down 30 points plus komi and challenging black to overcome it on the board. It's certainly not unplayable, though, and has the benefit of unfamiliarity to boot.
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