I'm feeling more optimistic, so I have decided to rename my SJ accordingly.
To what extent I can improve my go I do not know, but what I do know is that I have improved my appreciation of the truly beautiful game.
I've nearly finished Nagahara's Strategic Fundamentals of Go and together with Attack and Defence by Davies/Ishida I feel that I have acquired a better grasp of the tools by which one can play go well. In the past, I was lazy and misguided, and concentrated on the verbal descriptions, but this time I have focussed on the game diagrams. My motto from now on is "fewer shortcuts, more attention to detail!".
However, I am going briefly to describe some key ideas in my own words, as a way of consolidating what I have learned.
From A&D:
* Indirect play can succeed where direct play fails. For instance, a leaning attack can support an attack elsewhere on the board. More locally, many joseki abound in leaning tactics: you switch directions in order to "borrow strength" to help you settle your earlier play.
* Chasing is very vulgar. Typically you end up running amok over your own farm. Indirect tactics, such as leaning, tend to be much more effective.
* It's often enough to attack just to build up your thickness or to gain profit.
* Defence is important: a stitch, in time, saves nine. In other words, taking the trouble to repair a defect before you go attacking can save you all kinds of losses later in the game.
* Good defence is not passive: a repairing move may have a big follow-up to look forward to. You can use the technique of sabaki for helping your stones while inflicting losses on the opponent.
* There are many specific sequences (mid-game joseki and tesuji) in A&D that one simply needs to know thoroughly. For example, there are several ways to handle the invasion into the daigeima extension.
From SCOG:
* Miai and Aji: I never made the connection before, the miai and aji are deeply connected concepts. Miai is a fork for tormenting the opponent: you make moves with two or more follow-ups, guaranteeing that you can take one or the other should you so wish. Aji provides one prong of the fork. A fairly simple miai technique is to invade the opponent's prospective territory with a move that threatens to grant some dead stones a life-giving connection (using their aji) or to connect out in the opposite direction. Aji is not just something that might ripen; it is something that you can actively nurture and work upon throughout a game.
* Thickness and Korigatachi: They are like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. A thick shape has no weaknesses. Therefore, you can use it to support aggression far away (like the mighty castles of Edward I Longshanks of England). You can use it as a base for grand expansion. You can use it to block off the opponent's retreat.
However, shapes can become too thick. If you use more stones than you need, then you become like the boxer Frank Bruno, who was slowed down by his impressive musculature. Allowing yourself to become over-concentrated is like using your stone to add yet another tower to an already impregnable fortress when your soldiers elsewhere are desperately trying to shelter behind bushes; it's like using all of your remaining iron to cast yet another cannon for your royal castle when the troops elsewhere need metal to make swords. Do you "know what I mean?"
At this point, I took a quick diversion to Yang Yilun's Fundamental Principles of Go. He gives a game in which the amateur follows the ranking system of playing moves in the opening apparently correctly, but ends up with an overconcentrated position. This was a satori moment for me. I have been struggling with the opening for ages and ages, and getting myself bogged down into insanely checklisty ways of playing (I recall writing here a long time ago an infamous post here in which I mentioned the 0th Order of Play - all I can say now is "Good golly, Miss Molly!"). Now I see that you have to think about the game from the point of view of how the stones work together across the whole board.
* Kikashi and Sabaki: These are also touched upon in A&D. Put briefly, forcing moves can - if chosen wisely - create aji to work with, and can inflict korigatachi on the opponent. As A&D explains, you probably do not want to be forced, and so it is often wise to seek ways to resist an attempt at kikashi, and often better still to respond to it with an indirect counter-attack. Sabaki is a combination of kikashi, sacrifices and light moves that help one to set up a fighting position in an unfavourable area. It is like using guerilla tactics: the cost of attempting to exterminate the infiltrator can often be unacceptably high. The guerilla party loses a few low-ranking fighters, while the occupier ends up committing whole battalions and tanks to an area.
Black only adds a couple of points by bloody-mindedly capturing more stones, while White squeezes from the outside. Black ends up with korigatachi.
* Furikawari and Yosu-miru: Go is a trading game. When you see that a previous play has little potential for development, then you can offer it to the opponent in exchange for something more desirable elsewhere. Furikawari (exchange) relates closely to the other concepts: it relates to aji because you can use the aji within one group as leverage to get a better deal for another. In one example that Nagahara provides, White switches direction, but uses the earlier play to get more for her side of the bargain:
The beauty of this exchange is that White, for example, later get another play at X aiming at reawakening 1. 1 is not fully dead, and removing it will cost Black time. During that time, White can build up elsewhere. So, she might play like this when she believes that directly pulling out 1 with a simple joseki would not be satisfying.
After reading this, I realised that going for furikawari could be the way forward for me: I don't have to cling to a weak or unpromising position. I can trade, instead!
Yosu-miru (probe) is a very valuable technique, but one that I have struggled with for many years. I think I'm beginning to see the light now. A probe is a move that sets up aji at little cost - just like a kikashi. The classic mistake, at my level, is to become attached to one's probe moves. Perhaps you know what I mean: you play a probe and then desperately try to make it live. The better way is to use it sacrificially: you can use the threat to make it live as one prong of your miai fork, you can generate ko threats from it later, you can find out what part of the board your opponent desires most.
That's my brief run-down of what I've learned in the last month. Still, the words describe sequences and go strategies - they are not the sequences and go strategies themselves. On account of that, I am beginning to feel that the next big step in my learning programme will be to study real games critically. While the verbal texts in SCOG and A&D were indeed enjoyable, especially in A&D, what I really found valuable was the diagrams. I want to see how pro players use the stratagems; and I am also interested to see the mistakes amateurs make.
The other thing I want to focus more on in the future is practising my reading, but with the aim of consolidating my grip on the fundamentals. I have a number of tsumego books that I brought home from Japan. I used to read them with the emphasis on quantity over quality, but now I wish to interrogate each problem deeply, so as to get the fundamental shapes of life and death into my mind, and to be able to use them combinatorially. What is for sure is that I actually remember what I've been studying afterwards, whereas with the force-feeding approach I ended up wondering exactly what did I learn half an hour ago.
In that connexion, one little thing dawned on me. Up to now, I have tended to think "White, Black, White, Black" when reading. I now think that it's no good. I am now starting to believe that it's better to use the names of the moves: "kosumi, sagari, nobi, hane, warikomi" and so on. Somehow, I find it easier to keep track of the shapes when I do this, while the "W, B, W, B" approach just makes my head swim. I'm sure thinking in English is just fine, too, it's only that the Japanese words feel cleaner in my mind, perhaps because they do not have many other connotations for me. Maybe if I were Japanese, then using English would have the same effect for me.
To finish up my inaugural TAGS post. Here are some things I like:
Hikaru no Go - I love it. I watched it from start to finish recently, and was bowled over by just how very, very well done it is. The voice acting (in the Japanese version!), the detail and realism (I've been to the Nihon Kiin in Tokyo several times, and it looked just like it did in HNG), and the strength of the story. If one cannot be Hikaru, then one has to choose who else to be: a simple-minded go bully like Akota-san? (who nevertheless begins to redeem himself when he learns to treat others kindly), an irredeemable bully like Dake-san? a generous supporter of go like the owner of one of the go salons where Hikaru, Waya and Isumi play? a star-struck fanboy/girl like the chap who gets Honinbo Kuwabara's autograph in Sapporo? a deluded duffer like the pompous town official whom Akira trolls by setting up multiple jigo? a dedicated and strong amateur like the Dutch or American champion? There are so many characters in the story who are just like the ones you meet in real life. I feel a particular sympathy for Isumi, because I have had many struggles with my own emotions over the years; I only wish I could be strong like him!
In fact, I would go so far as to say that one of the main appeals - or compelling factors - of HNG is that there is a little bit of Hikaru, Akira, Isumi, Waya, Honda, Ochi, Dake, Akota, Shuhei, Kawai, Mr Ooijer, Pompous Town Official in us all. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure we've all acted like Akota once or twice, even like Dake sometimes, and also had our moments of growth and triumph over the odds. And, last but not least, who has not felt some of the righteous indignation that Sai so frequently displays?
NHK Cup - great stuff!
Dwyrin's go lectures on Youtube - he is very witty and entertaining, although sometimes I find him a little bit too salty. I very much enjoy his real-board lectures and discussions of contemporary developments in pro go. I only wish that he would play against players of his own level more often. As we used to say at school: "Pick on someone your own size!". For sure, there is an education in seeing how a strong player handles the mistakes of a weaker one, but I would respect Dywrin even more if I could watch him play equally strong opponents, even if that would mean him losing half the time.
Brady's Blunders - A very brave and original idea.
Nick Sibicky's go lectures - Very lucid and entertaining.
Haylee's go channel - I met Haylee in Seoul back in 2008 and remember that she was very sweet and modest. It's wonderful to see her sharing her expertise on Youtube in such a charming way.
Think and Grow Strong
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dfan
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Great post! A lot of it resonated with me too. One thing in particular:
I can see how naming moves can help with that part (and can also reinforce your "visualization", since you sometimes have to imagine future moves to say that move 5, say, is a wedge).
I recently switched from "White, Black, White Black" to "1, 2, 3, 4" and think that it has extended my reading ability a little bit. Since I don't visualize, it's a little hard for me to keep track of stones, and it makes it easier to be able to say "stone 5 is here" rather than "this point is White". Of course, you do have to remember that it's stone 5 from this variation, and not stone 4 from the previous variation...Tami wrote:Up to now, I have tended to think "White, Black, White, Black" when reading. I now think that it's no good. I am now starting to believe that it's better to use the names of the moves: "kosumi, sagari, nobi, hane, warikomi" and so on. Somehow, I find it easier to keep track of the shapes when I do this, while the "W, B, W, B" approach just makes my head swim. I'm sure thinking in English is just fine, too, it's only that the Japanese words feel cleaner in my mind, perhaps because they do not have many other connotations for me. Maybe if I were Japanese, then using English would have the same effect for me.
I can see how naming moves can help with that part (and can also reinforce your "visualization", since you sometimes have to imagine future moves to say that move 5, say, is a wedge).
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Bill Spight
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
(Typo in graph corrected by adding 
.)
This is one of those book lessons, one that I learned in my first year of playing go. At some point I realized that I had never seen it in a pro game.
Usually because Black did not allow the kikashi.
Out of curiosity I checked Waltheri. No hits there, either. Tenuki was an option. Also "a" and "b", "b" being the move your mother warned you against.
.)This is one of those book lessons, one that I learned in my first year of playing go. At some point I realized that I had never seen it in a pro game.
Usually because Black did not allow the kikashi.Out of curiosity I checked Waltheri. No hits there, either. Tenuki was an option. Also "a" and "b", "b" being the move your mother warned you against.
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins
Visualize whirled peas.
Everything with love. Stay safe.
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins
Visualize whirled peas.
Everything with love. Stay safe.
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Elom
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Perhaps in addition to a tradition to make it easier for those replaying the game over radio in it's original form, move names are stated in the NHK cup because that's how pros hear their moves in their mind when they read.dfan wrote:Great post! A lot of it resonated with me too. One thing in particular:
I recently switched from "White, Black, White Black" to "1, 2, 3, 4" and think that it has extended my reading ability a little bit. Since I don't visualize, it's a little hard for me to keep track of stones, and it makes it easier to be able to say "stone 5 is here" rather than "this point is White". Of course, you do have to remember that it's stone 5 from this variation, and not stone 4 from the previous variation...Tami wrote:Up to now, I have tended to think "White, Black, White, Black" when reading. I now think that it's no good. I am now starting to believe that it's better to use the names of the moves: "kosumi, sagari, nobi, hane, warikomi" and so on. Somehow, I find it easier to keep track of the shapes when I do this, while the "W, B, W, B" approach just makes my head swim. I'm sure thinking in English is just fine, too, it's only that the Japanese words feel cleaner in my mind, perhaps because they do not have many other connotations for me. Maybe if I were Japanese, then using English would have the same effect for me.
I can see how naming moves can help with that part (and can also reinforce your "visualization", since you sometimes have to imagine future moves to say that move 5, say, is a wedge).
On Go proverbs:
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.
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dfan
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Is there a standard comprehensive list of the Japanese names for move types anywhere? Sensei's Library has a big list of Japanese terms but they're all mixed up. The closest thing I've seen to what I think I'm looking for is the list of 45 chapter titles in A Survey of the Basic Tesujis (choose "Look inside" and scroll down to the table of contents), although the Japanese term is not given for all of them.
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bayu
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
@dfan
You are probably looking at something like the index of the book 501 tesuji problems. The 45 names are listed on senseis
https://senseis.xmp.net/?FiveHundredAnd ... jiProblems
You are probably looking at something like the index of the book 501 tesuji problems. The 45 names are listed on senseis
https://senseis.xmp.net/?FiveHundredAnd ... jiProblems
If something sank it might be a treasure. And 2kyu advice is not necessarily Dan repertoire..
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dfan
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Thank you! There is a lot of shared content between A Survey of the Basic Tesujis and 501 Tesuji Problems (unadvertised, unfortunately), so I bet it's the same list.
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Tami
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Being lovely, I decided to attempt to satisfy your request: https://www.lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15931dfan wrote:Is there a standard comprehensive list of the Japanese names for move types anywhere? Sensei's Library has a big list of Japanese terms but they're all mixed up. The closest thing I've seen to what I think I'm looking for is the list of 45 chapter titles in A Survey of the Basic Tesujis (choose "Look inside" and scroll down to the table of contents), although the Japanese term is not given for all of them.
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here:
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Tami
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
I'm within "touching distance" of getting back to my old KGS rank of 1k. But because I had a lot of sub-par games while de-rusting in July, I am of course affected by all those games I lost while down at 4k or 5k.
I think it's time for me to switch server. There's so much about KGS that I like, but I would like to see my rank go up, even if only temporarily, when I am doing well. That's encouraging and gives one an opportunity to play even with better players. The thing that I find quite frustrating on KGS is that when one is on the borderline of a promotion, it seems to take forever to rack up enough wins to get over that line; and of course one is more tense than usual, which means that dear old Bonzo gets more involved than he should.*
So what are the alternatives?
OGS - I have an account there and like the look of it. The only issue for me is that it still seems more focussed on correspondence play than live games.
Tygem - I haven't got an account. Is it worth the effort of setting it up? What would be an appropriate starting level for somebody around 1k on KGS?
Fox - is it any good?
IGS - I found the ratings/ranking system easier to understand than KGS, and I generally knew how much I needed to get over the promoting line in any given case. While I was learning the basics, IGS was about the only popular server around, and I used to get such a confidence boost every time I ranked up. What's more, I usually found that once I reached a new rank, I could usually manage to stay there and keep progressing. BUT it all feels so "crunky" compared with modern servers, and I'd love to have the option of playing byo yomi controls rather than Canadian system, and I don't know what to set for my starting rank either.
I want to play on a server that is friendly, has attractive software, has a large playing pool, has a rating system that one can understand and which offers fluidity to move up and down according to form, and that doesn't necessarily bombard me with gambling-related information.
Which server do you think best meets my needs?
* Search for my postings about The Chimp Paradox for more on Mr Bonzo the Limbic Brain
I think it's time for me to switch server. There's so much about KGS that I like, but I would like to see my rank go up, even if only temporarily, when I am doing well. That's encouraging and gives one an opportunity to play even with better players. The thing that I find quite frustrating on KGS is that when one is on the borderline of a promotion, it seems to take forever to rack up enough wins to get over that line; and of course one is more tense than usual, which means that dear old Bonzo gets more involved than he should.*
So what are the alternatives?
OGS - I have an account there and like the look of it. The only issue for me is that it still seems more focussed on correspondence play than live games.
Tygem - I haven't got an account. Is it worth the effort of setting it up? What would be an appropriate starting level for somebody around 1k on KGS?
Fox - is it any good?
IGS - I found the ratings/ranking system easier to understand than KGS, and I generally knew how much I needed to get over the promoting line in any given case. While I was learning the basics, IGS was about the only popular server around, and I used to get such a confidence boost every time I ranked up. What's more, I usually found that once I reached a new rank, I could usually manage to stay there and keep progressing. BUT it all feels so "crunky" compared with modern servers, and I'd love to have the option of playing byo yomi controls rather than Canadian system, and I don't know what to set for my starting rank either.
I want to play on a server that is friendly, has attractive software, has a large playing pool, has a rating system that one can understand and which offers fluidity to move up and down according to form, and that doesn't necessarily bombard me with gambling-related information.
Which server do you think best meets my needs?
* Search for my postings about The Chimp Paradox for more on Mr Bonzo the Limbic Brain
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here:
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explo
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
I would suggest Fox. Setting an account is easy, all you need is to find the right link to download the client. You promote (demote) if you win (lose) too many games over the last 20 you've played since you join that rank. In your profile you can easily track where you stand. Pool player is large. None of the Asian (fox, tygem, IGS, Wbaduk) is really friendly. Y'oure better off playing games there and then review them with friends on KGS/OGS.
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nasdaq
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
Hi,
I would recommend 3dan Tygem for a 1kyu KGS, which is the same ranks i have on those servers.
I presume Fox is about equivalent to Tygem ranks from what I've heard. Or start at 2dan to be conservative.
There is a GoPanda2 client for IGS which is quite nice, no one plays byo-yomi though. I do find I have more thinking time though with 1/10min Canadian, and get some serious games. 1kyu KGS = 1kyu/1dan IGS
Definitely give Tygem and Fox a try, it might take a few games to get used to the change in style of play
I've had some of my most fun games there.
I keep thinking that hopping servers is like a gambler switching between betting shops. Not sure why the analogy has stuck in my mind. Mybe I'm trying to tell myself something....
I would recommend 3dan Tygem for a 1kyu KGS, which is the same ranks i have on those servers.
I presume Fox is about equivalent to Tygem ranks from what I've heard. Or start at 2dan to be conservative.
There is a GoPanda2 client for IGS which is quite nice, no one plays byo-yomi though. I do find I have more thinking time though with 1/10min Canadian, and get some serious games. 1kyu KGS = 1kyu/1dan IGS
Definitely give Tygem and Fox a try, it might take a few games to get used to the change in style of play
I've had some of my most fun games there.I keep thinking that hopping servers is like a gambler switching between betting shops. Not sure why the analogy has stuck in my mind. Mybe I'm trying to tell myself something....
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Tami
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
There is a crucial difference: you're not risking anything. Go may be addictive, but it is ultimately self-limiting, and in the meantime your marriage hasn't broken down, you've not lost your job, and you haven't stolen from your kids to support your habit.nasdaq wrote:
I keep thinking that hopping servers is like a gambler switching between betting shops. Not sure why the analogy has stuck in my mind. Mybe I'm trying to tell myself something....
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here:
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Tami
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Re: Think and Grow Strong
I downloaded Tygem - but still can't bring myself to take a break from KGS! Meanwhile my graph inches upwards, weighed down by the games I played and lost horribly when I first returned after my three-year hiatus.
I've been looking back through my library of go books. I have many collections of tsumego of various types, and they're good fodder for practising with. As I now remember some of these tsumego books from when I bought them some 8 or 9 years ago, it is interesting to go through them again with a different approach. My emphasis is now on quality rather than quantity (deliberate practise indeed!), and I find that with my approach of mentally naming the moves when reading step-by-step that I can go a couple of plies further than before. I expect this kind of practise to translate eventually into the ability to read deeper in a flash. To continue the monkey model (okay, I do know that the Chimp is actually a great ape, but I like the word monkey better!), it seems to me that deliberate practise is what the Human does, while the computer is where the results are stored, to be used or abused by Human or Mr Bonzo as the situation goes.
Other things that I have been doing include looking at old games by Shusaku and Shuwa. I find Shuwa's style particularly attractive. Some of his manoeuvres are amazing. I feel that I'm coming to understand the meaning of sabaki, aji and miai better. Of course, these games make it look so easy: but at least they give some demonstration of how to put these concepts into effect.
Somehow, connected with this are some of the ideas Go Seigen presents in his A Way of Play for the 21st Century. I'm giving it the real board treatment, although I have read it before just as text and have commented on Sensei's Library about liking it. What is particularly resonating with me are some of the probe sequences he shows: it is astonishing to see just how much use he could extract from a single move - for instance, using it to set up a miai connection while invading nearby, or perhaps using it to expose weaknesses in the opponent's shape. Shuwa seems to do the same thing: he will play a move, abandon it temporarily, and then find ingenious ways to use it later.
Another thing Go Seigen's book illustrates for me is how to think about tenuki. In the third part of Chapter One, he shows an example in which White makes successive tenuki in order to develop rapidly over the entire board. The thing that struck home is that when Black followed up in those regions, White replied in a light way, aiming for sabaki. It is so easier for us amateurs to try and have our cake and eat it, to play tenuki and then expect full equality in the those areas when play returns to them.
Returning to Shuwa, again. Something else I noticed was how he deftly switches directions frequently. It reinforced the chapter on furikawari in Strategic Concepts of Go. If you don't have a good direct move - you can play somewhere else (tenuki) or you can play locally, but from a different direction. Then, your earlier move can function like a probe, supplying both information and aji.
And, if there is a "master principle", some over-arching generality that one can adhere to for comfort, then I would imagine that it is the directive to "think about the whole board". That's what I get from so many specific games and diagrams that I see - it's the endeavour to make the stones work together harmoniously; not just in forced sequences (as in tesuji), but over the entire position, so that what may be a concession in one way might be just right for the global picture.
Inspired by reading 361points.com, I have changed my attitude towards faster time limits. The big attraction is that a moderately quick time limit means that you can play more go, and try out more ideas, and - important for me - that having a game of go doesn't have to consume the entire evening. I'm coming to think a little bit of gentle time pressure can be constructive - knowing that you have to decide quickly means that you have to focus and get to the point. Often, in contrast, a slow game can result in pondering rather than real thinking and in such inefficiencies as second-guessing yourself, or worse still, trying to play "the one and only correct move".
I find that in quicker games (I like 5 minutes with 5 lots of 20 seconds byo yomi), I can be more relaxed and more willing to try different approaches. This is very important: I'm sure one reason for older adults not improving is frequently that conservatism tends to set in. You simply have to step outside your comfort zone if you want to get anywhere with anything in life. Also, I have the impression that a lot of variety close together is probably better than variety spread over a long time. It's easier to compare experiences if they're closer together.
There is, of course, a danger. Bonzo likes to play fast games, too. When fatigue sets in, the inner Chimp can take over before you know it. Still, so long as I maintain a reasonable attitude, I find it enjoyable and constructive.
Returning to the concept of "gentle time pressure". As you all know, I'm a musician. I do a lot of slow, thoughtful practise as a matter of course. But I equally value other kinds of practise, such as endeavouring to play a piece without stopping at tempo, and, natually, actually performing it in public. Such experience helps to make the transition from "Human" mode to "Computer" mode. Learned techniques become automatically executed skills in the crucible of performance. My theory, then, is that quick practise games can be that, if played in the right way.
As a post-script, I have played many thousands of 5-minute chess games online and in-person. I'm about 1900 Elo (my ECF is currently 168, but has been higher). I am certain that playing all that blitz has helped a lot. You read something in a book, and when it crops up a few times in blitz, you begin to get the hang of it, and then you're no longer in agony trying to remember what you read when that situation arises in a slow game.
I've been looking back through my library of go books. I have many collections of tsumego of various types, and they're good fodder for practising with. As I now remember some of these tsumego books from when I bought them some 8 or 9 years ago, it is interesting to go through them again with a different approach. My emphasis is now on quality rather than quantity (deliberate practise indeed!), and I find that with my approach of mentally naming the moves when reading step-by-step that I can go a couple of plies further than before. I expect this kind of practise to translate eventually into the ability to read deeper in a flash. To continue the monkey model (okay, I do know that the Chimp is actually a great ape, but I like the word monkey better!), it seems to me that deliberate practise is what the Human does, while the computer is where the results are stored, to be used or abused by Human or Mr Bonzo as the situation goes.
Other things that I have been doing include looking at old games by Shusaku and Shuwa. I find Shuwa's style particularly attractive. Some of his manoeuvres are amazing. I feel that I'm coming to understand the meaning of sabaki, aji and miai better. Of course, these games make it look so easy: but at least they give some demonstration of how to put these concepts into effect.
Somehow, connected with this are some of the ideas Go Seigen presents in his A Way of Play for the 21st Century. I'm giving it the real board treatment, although I have read it before just as text and have commented on Sensei's Library about liking it. What is particularly resonating with me are some of the probe sequences he shows: it is astonishing to see just how much use he could extract from a single move - for instance, using it to set up a miai connection while invading nearby, or perhaps using it to expose weaknesses in the opponent's shape. Shuwa seems to do the same thing: he will play a move, abandon it temporarily, and then find ingenious ways to use it later.
Another thing Go Seigen's book illustrates for me is how to think about tenuki. In the third part of Chapter One, he shows an example in which White makes successive tenuki in order to develop rapidly over the entire board. The thing that struck home is that when Black followed up in those regions, White replied in a light way, aiming for sabaki. It is so easier for us amateurs to try and have our cake and eat it, to play tenuki and then expect full equality in the those areas when play returns to them.
Returning to Shuwa, again. Something else I noticed was how he deftly switches directions frequently. It reinforced the chapter on furikawari in Strategic Concepts of Go. If you don't have a good direct move - you can play somewhere else (tenuki) or you can play locally, but from a different direction. Then, your earlier move can function like a probe, supplying both information and aji.
And, if there is a "master principle", some over-arching generality that one can adhere to for comfort, then I would imagine that it is the directive to "think about the whole board". That's what I get from so many specific games and diagrams that I see - it's the endeavour to make the stones work together harmoniously; not just in forced sequences (as in tesuji), but over the entire position, so that what may be a concession in one way might be just right for the global picture.
Inspired by reading 361points.com, I have changed my attitude towards faster time limits. The big attraction is that a moderately quick time limit means that you can play more go, and try out more ideas, and - important for me - that having a game of go doesn't have to consume the entire evening. I'm coming to think a little bit of gentle time pressure can be constructive - knowing that you have to decide quickly means that you have to focus and get to the point. Often, in contrast, a slow game can result in pondering rather than real thinking and in such inefficiencies as second-guessing yourself, or worse still, trying to play "the one and only correct move".
I find that in quicker games (I like 5 minutes with 5 lots of 20 seconds byo yomi), I can be more relaxed and more willing to try different approaches. This is very important: I'm sure one reason for older adults not improving is frequently that conservatism tends to set in. You simply have to step outside your comfort zone if you want to get anywhere with anything in life. Also, I have the impression that a lot of variety close together is probably better than variety spread over a long time. It's easier to compare experiences if they're closer together.
There is, of course, a danger. Bonzo likes to play fast games, too. When fatigue sets in, the inner Chimp can take over before you know it. Still, so long as I maintain a reasonable attitude, I find it enjoyable and constructive.
Returning to the concept of "gentle time pressure". As you all know, I'm a musician. I do a lot of slow, thoughtful practise as a matter of course. But I equally value other kinds of practise, such as endeavouring to play a piece without stopping at tempo, and, natually, actually performing it in public. Such experience helps to make the transition from "Human" mode to "Computer" mode. Learned techniques become automatically executed skills in the crucible of performance. My theory, then, is that quick practise games can be that, if played in the right way.
As a post-script, I have played many thousands of 5-minute chess games online and in-person. I'm about 1900 Elo (my ECF is currently 168, but has been higher). I am certain that playing all that blitz has helped a lot. You read something in a book, and when it crops up a few times in blitz, you begin to get the hang of it, and then you're no longer in agony trying to remember what you read when that situation arises in a slow game.
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here:
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Tami
- Lives in gote
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:05 pm
- GD Posts: 0
- IGS: Reisei 1d
- Online playing schedule: When I can
- Location: Carlisle, England
- Has thanked: 196 times
- Been thanked: 342 times
Re: Think and Grow Strong
It can be tough to get the balance right. I have been looking for the ideal time control for a quick game, so that I can play as much go as possible. For a while, I experimented with 5 minutes and 5 lots of 20 seconds byo-yomi, but I found myself becoming emotional or, if not emotional, then not fully engaged (mindless playing).
So, I've switched to 5 and 5 lots of 30 seconds. It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but it does feel a little easier to focus properly.
Since I have not been playing very well, and have been prone to tilt, I decided to think from a slightly different angle. For a start, I've always felt that the opening was just the largest of my many weak areas, so I have decided to go through some games evaluating the openings through the lens of Yang Yilun's maxims as expounded in The Fundamental Principles of Go and also with reference to Mizokami's 30 Second Positional Judgement (30 Byou De Wakaru Kyokumen Handan), which John F. mentioned in a post entitled "A slew of books to consider". (Disclaimer: I don't own a copy: I just gleaned as much as I could from the free sample amazon.jp provides.) When playing, I think it's necessary to take a certain kind of leap of faith: to resist one's impulses, and to play the reasonable move. As for knowing what a reasonable move is, well, this is where perhaps my exercise could come in helpful: you look at a pro game, then when a move seems to go against one set of guidelines, you look for the reasons for it (for example, it may be tactical, or it may be that a special-case principle comes into place). Naturally, being a weak amateur, there's a good chance of getting it completely wrong, but at least it gets you thinking, and it's better (in my opinion), than just reading verbal advice. It is, in essence, a form of deliberate practise.
The virtue of this method is that you get a) verbal pointers and b) concrete examples that show you what such-and-such principle actually looks like in a real, well-played game.
Lamentably, I appear to possess a very special talent for choosing the worst possible move whenever confronted with a new joseki. It happened yet again in the game I have just played. But this is where the above-mentioned exercise actually came to the rescue. With tears in my eyes (I really was feeling despondent), I stuck to my plan to play in as principled a fashion thereafter as I could. And, against all my expectations, I actually managed to win the game.
This could be a foundation for some further growth: try to see what the situation is, and remember whatever proverbs, principles and real examples that I can that could be relevant, and then have the faith to play from that basis.
I have the faith, too, that I can become stronger. It's a matter of putting in the required effort. Certainly, this particular plateau has lasted for much longer than I would have liked, but it's worth trying to overcome it. When I started to play go, I decided that I would learn as much as I possibly could in order to excel at it. Go is one of the things that I believe to be worth the pain of acquiring real ability in.
And, in other news, I have produced the first draft of my other summer project. It was to have been a polychoral Magnificat, but ended up as a Jubilate Deo instead. Having done this, I can move into what I find the most enjoyable phase of composing music: the editing and refining stage. I find that my creativity is always very high when I know for certain that I have a new piece to offer, come what may. And this can be relevant to playing go, too. One of my favourite scenes in Hikaru no Go is in Episode 5,* in which Hikaru explains to Kaga that he just enjoys playing, because the placing of stones on the board make him feel like a creator god, devising his own universe. It is the same when you compose music: you gradually build up a new edifice with each note (stone) and pattern (joseki). Now, I just compose the music that I want to write. I think the same attitude might be good for playing go: just create the best position that you can with what you know, and don't let victory or defeat affect you unduly (in the same way, while I do get a great deal of satisfaction for hearing my music performed well and hearing that other people like it, I don't worry unduly if a piece is rejected).
And, yes, sometimes I don't exactly enjoy playing. If I'm frustrated with a mistake or with my lack of knowledge or my inability to comprehend a situation, then my inner Chimp really does screech. It's just that little-by-little, and with setbacks, I (Tamsin) am learning to maintain control.
* The music that accompanies this scene is wonderful. It is highly reminiscent of the Adagietta from Mahler's Fifth. The soundtrack is just one of the many superbly done elements in HnG.
So, I've switched to 5 and 5 lots of 30 seconds. It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but it does feel a little easier to focus properly.
Since I have not been playing very well, and have been prone to tilt, I decided to think from a slightly different angle. For a start, I've always felt that the opening was just the largest of my many weak areas, so I have decided to go through some games evaluating the openings through the lens of Yang Yilun's maxims as expounded in The Fundamental Principles of Go and also with reference to Mizokami's 30 Second Positional Judgement (30 Byou De Wakaru Kyokumen Handan), which John F. mentioned in a post entitled "A slew of books to consider". (Disclaimer: I don't own a copy: I just gleaned as much as I could from the free sample amazon.jp provides.) When playing, I think it's necessary to take a certain kind of leap of faith: to resist one's impulses, and to play the reasonable move. As for knowing what a reasonable move is, well, this is where perhaps my exercise could come in helpful: you look at a pro game, then when a move seems to go against one set of guidelines, you look for the reasons for it (for example, it may be tactical, or it may be that a special-case principle comes into place). Naturally, being a weak amateur, there's a good chance of getting it completely wrong, but at least it gets you thinking, and it's better (in my opinion), than just reading verbal advice. It is, in essence, a form of deliberate practise.
The virtue of this method is that you get a) verbal pointers and b) concrete examples that show you what such-and-such principle actually looks like in a real, well-played game.
Lamentably, I appear to possess a very special talent for choosing the worst possible move whenever confronted with a new joseki. It happened yet again in the game I have just played. But this is where the above-mentioned exercise actually came to the rescue. With tears in my eyes (I really was feeling despondent), I stuck to my plan to play in as principled a fashion thereafter as I could. And, against all my expectations, I actually managed to win the game.
This could be a foundation for some further growth: try to see what the situation is, and remember whatever proverbs, principles and real examples that I can that could be relevant, and then have the faith to play from that basis.
I have the faith, too, that I can become stronger. It's a matter of putting in the required effort. Certainly, this particular plateau has lasted for much longer than I would have liked, but it's worth trying to overcome it. When I started to play go, I decided that I would learn as much as I possibly could in order to excel at it. Go is one of the things that I believe to be worth the pain of acquiring real ability in.
And, in other news, I have produced the first draft of my other summer project. It was to have been a polychoral Magnificat, but ended up as a Jubilate Deo instead. Having done this, I can move into what I find the most enjoyable phase of composing music: the editing and refining stage. I find that my creativity is always very high when I know for certain that I have a new piece to offer, come what may. And this can be relevant to playing go, too. One of my favourite scenes in Hikaru no Go is in Episode 5,* in which Hikaru explains to Kaga that he just enjoys playing, because the placing of stones on the board make him feel like a creator god, devising his own universe. It is the same when you compose music: you gradually build up a new edifice with each note (stone) and pattern (joseki). Now, I just compose the music that I want to write. I think the same attitude might be good for playing go: just create the best position that you can with what you know, and don't let victory or defeat affect you unduly (in the same way, while I do get a great deal of satisfaction for hearing my music performed well and hearing that other people like it, I don't worry unduly if a piece is rejected).
And, yes, sometimes I don't exactly enjoy playing. If I'm frustrated with a mistake or with my lack of knowledge or my inability to comprehend a situation, then my inner Chimp really does screech. It's just that little-by-little, and with setbacks, I (Tamsin) am learning to maintain control.
* The music that accompanies this scene is wonderful. It is highly reminiscent of the Adagietta from Mahler's Fifth. The soundtrack is just one of the many superbly done elements in HnG.
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here:
-
Tami
- Lives in gote
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:05 pm
- GD Posts: 0
- IGS: Reisei 1d
- Online playing schedule: When I can
- Location: Carlisle, England
- Has thanked: 196 times
- Been thanked: 342 times
Re: Think and Grow Strong
I've decided to concentrate on IGS and the other Asian servers from now on. Ironically, it was being promoted suddenly by KGS that prompted me to make the switch. Basically, I have never liked the way ranks are determined by KGS, and I have found it a real discouragement over the years. It rewards periods of improvement too slowly, and punishes tilt too heavily, and is just too jolly hard to understand. I don't even believe it fulfils its own purpose, which was to provide close games and achieve stability. My opponents tend to vary in strength considerably, and close games are no more frequent than 20+ wallopings. If I am doing well, I want to be rewarded. I don't want to be held back by how I was three months ago or by how my opponents are doing! Am I misguided to believe that rewards for making progress or achieving new insights are extremely helpful in making that progress more permanent? I also want the freedom to be able to try a new strategy with the knowledge that any failure and demotion won't take months, potentially, for me to correct. In short, I do care about my rank, as I use it to measure my progress in something that I would eventually like to be good at, and I don't feel it is unreasonable to wish for a ranking system that I can a) understand and b) gives me more short-term feedback. It irritated me to be promoted overnight last week when they adjusted the anchors - because it took away the pleasure of achieving that promotion for myself (which I was very close to anyway).
Besides, it seems to me that Tygem, Fox and even ancient IGS are where the action is these days.
As for go itself, my main thing recently was reading Yilun Yang's The Fundamental Principles of Go, which I have also reviewed here.
Also, I am revisiting an old idea of mine, viz., the Compass. I proposed on Sensei's Library the idea of using the cardinal points of the compass as a mental image for directing your own approach to go (or any other subject). The idea is that it is simple enough to hold and refer to from one's working memory, and can be used to give shape to one's thinking. In particular, my idea now is to use the Compass as a way of addressing specific issues that one discovers, either through reading, tuition or self-review.
Here is my current model:
N - Teamwork to Build (looking for big moves by seeing how the stones work together or against each other to create or deny growth potential)
W - Honte (as defined by Hane Naoki, "honte" means moves that are both necessary and have follow-up aim(s)
E - Be reasonable in fights (I found in my reviews that I tend to be greedy, allowing myself to be ripped off in certain scenarios)
S - Ko is the secret weapon of the player who holds a thick position (something that I found by reviewing some of Takagawa's games recently)
The main thing to bear in mind is that one's Compass is a personally constructed thing. It consists in those ideas that you are assimilating at this moment in time, and can be referred to flexibly when needed. It is not a checklist or "paper computer", but just an idea for navigating the ocean of concrete variations and situations that arise in every game.
Besides, it seems to me that Tygem, Fox and even ancient IGS are where the action is these days.
As for go itself, my main thing recently was reading Yilun Yang's The Fundamental Principles of Go, which I have also reviewed here.
Also, I am revisiting an old idea of mine, viz., the Compass. I proposed on Sensei's Library the idea of using the cardinal points of the compass as a mental image for directing your own approach to go (or any other subject). The idea is that it is simple enough to hold and refer to from one's working memory, and can be used to give shape to one's thinking. In particular, my idea now is to use the Compass as a way of addressing specific issues that one discovers, either through reading, tuition or self-review.
Here is my current model:
N - Teamwork to Build (looking for big moves by seeing how the stones work together or against each other to create or deny growth potential)
W - Honte (as defined by Hane Naoki, "honte" means moves that are both necessary and have follow-up aim(s)
E - Be reasonable in fights (I found in my reviews that I tend to be greedy, allowing myself to be ripped off in certain scenarios)
S - Ko is the secret weapon of the player who holds a thick position (something that I found by reviewing some of Takagawa's games recently)
The main thing to bear in mind is that one's Compass is a personally constructed thing. It consists in those ideas that you are assimilating at this moment in time, and can be referred to flexibly when needed. It is not a checklist or "paper computer", but just an idea for navigating the ocean of concrete variations and situations that arise in every game.
Learn the "tea-stealing" tesuji! Cho Chikun demonstrates here: