Playing one game a day and review it seems to pay off. I may just have played the best game in my life.

OK it was a handicap game but soon I increased the 20+ advantage to 40 and kept it there or better.

In particular I feel like I did a good job of applying ijime.

Games 11-20, biggest mistakes

1) playing slow moves (7)
small connections 5
staying low i/o cutting (joseki)
live small in gote

2) missed opportunities (4)
omit sente shape
not exploiting aji 3

3) bad fighting, cutting, killing (6)
leave the fight for no reason
missing the fight
wrong cut
cut small scale
kill i/o connecting, allowing bullying
unnecessary invasion

4) technique/shape (9)
allowing hane at the head of 2
cutting in bad shape 2
missing vital point in whole position 3
bad shape 2

5) reading (5)
wrong choice in crosscut
bad reading
L&D mistake
failure to kill
no need to sacrifice


So slow moves and bad shape remain the big issues

How's it going on OGS? I think reaching 2D there might be harder than KGS.

Exploring OGS, I fooled around with a 1 kyu computer account there for a few games - and I think its a bit stronger than 1k KGS (at least in even games).

I think the level is at leat 2 grades apart. As a KGS 2d I'm not yet at the rank limit of my current capability, as a OGS 1k I'm often struggling. An OGS 3k is still a tough opponent, who'll take advantage of my errors. A KGS 3k is easy meat for me.

This is why a stable KGS 3d and OGS 1d are kind of equivalent objectives, the former possibly being even easier.

Yes, KGS ranks are weaker than OGS ranks, especially in the kyu range. This was discussed here: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?p=262667#p262667

45 days into 2021 and 45 games played, I reached 3d. That's one. Now I have to confirm.

I can of course continue on the same rhythm, including daily reading training, but I'd like to do something extra:
- play a particular opening consistently
- review 3d games and get confidence I can beat them
- stabilize and play good endgame
- practice reducing moyos
- ...

The result of consistently playing and reviewing games really shows:
http://www.gokgs.com/graphPage.jsp?user=Artevelde

60+ games into 2021 and stalling, at least my level on OGS has dropped again. I have the impression OGS ranks are deflating again.

Persistent review with AI seems to have me play in general a better opening (often leading in the opening).
In a few games I managed to leave big one eyed groups unprotected and not over-defend (with a slonection for example) and win the capturing race from the opponent's attempt to kill it. But in general I lose my games due to wrong choices in that regard, leaving weak groups unprotected. So that's an effect of "learning" I guess.

I keep struggling with invasions and reductions, finding it hard to create resilient shapes that withstand subsequent attack.

Covered 170 Hitachi problems which is not much but at least I do them on an almost daily basis

Studied invasion patterns with Baduk Doctor. His lessons on middle game patterns are probably giving me the right information to find more stability in my middle game but they beg repetition.

I also lost one half stone on OGS (was weak 2k, now strong 3k). May be statistical noise though.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$ Mistake 1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O . O . O . X X . X O O O O . |
$$ | . . O O X O O X O . O X X O O X O . O |
$$ | . . O X X X X X . O O O X X O X O O X |
$$ | . . . . . . . O . O O X X . X X X X X |
$$ | . . O O X . . . O X O O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . X X X X 1 X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O X . . . . . . O . X . X X X . |
$$ | . . . O X . . . . X X O . . . X O O . |
$$ | . . O X X . . . X O O . . X X O O . . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . X X O O . O O . . . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . X O O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X . . . . . X X O . . . . O . . |
$$ | . O O X . . . . . X O . . . . X O . . |
$$ | X O X O . . . . . X . O . O O O . O . |
$$ | . X X X X . . . . X O O X . X X O . O |
$$ | . . . . . . X X X O . O X . X . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . X O O O O . . . . X X O . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

in response to is a mistake, losing 10 points. Why?

Not sure I get it in the right order.

More of these in https://senseis.xmp.net/?DieterVerhofst ... OfMistakes

They contain 3 mistakes each of my last 3 games (will add more) which either lost big in terms of winning percentage or points, usually both. It's instructive to see that these big swings still occur in the middle game or early endgame, occasionally late in the endgame and then due to bad reading, losing a group or having to sacrifice a tail. Opening mistakes occur too but typically range in the 1-2 points department. Mistakes in choosing the bigger boundary play rarely matter either.

This means improving technique (move selection in combat) and reading will still make the big difference for me and I assume most players at my level (1-2 dan).

I thought I'd post a game where I was happy with myself

I noticed that it was not actually a killing move, but still a very good one.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X . |
$$ O O O O X X . 2 1 6 |
$$ . . . X O . O 3 4 . |
$$ . . X O O . 8 X 5 . |
$$ . . O . . . 9 7 0 . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X . |
$$ O O O O X X . X . X |
$$ . . . X O . O O X . |
$$ . . X O O 1 . 4 O 2 |
$$ . . O . . . O O X . |
$$ . . . . . . X 3 . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

If white resists it is less good for white.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X . |
$$ O O O O X X . X . X |
$$ . . . X O 3 O O X 8 |
$$ . . X O O 2 X X 9 1 |
$$ . . O . . 4 O O X 6 |
$$ . . . . . 7 X 5 . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . 0 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +-------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X 8 |
$$ O O O O X X . 2 1 5 |
$$ . . . X O . O 3 4 6 |
$$ . . X O O . 0 X 7 . |
$$ . . O . . . . 9 . . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

How about this?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +-------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X 8 |
$$ O O O O X X . 2 1 5 |
$$ . . . X O 7 O 3 4 6 |
$$ . . X O O . 6 X . . |
$$ . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

I guess this is the answer

Maybe there was a problem with your second diagram? I think you intent this, which looks right to me.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +-------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X 8 |
$$ O O O O X X . 2 1 5 |
$$ . . . X O 7 O 3 4 . |
$$ . . X O O . 6 X . . |
$$ . . O . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ , . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

and if white tries harder, for example.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +-------------------+
$$ . . . . O . O . . . |
$$ . . X O O O X X O . |
$$ X X . X O X O O O . |
$$ O X . X O X X X X X |
$$ O O O O X X . X O O |
$$ . . . X O O O O X 2 |
$$ . . X O O . X X 1 . |
$$ . . O . . . 6 5 3 0 |
$$ . . . . . . X 7 4 . |
$$ , . . . . . . 8 9 . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |[/go]

(last diagrams posted were indeed correct - I made a mistake)

Taking another course now, I've checked my last 25 games on OGS. I won 16 and lost 9. The remarkable finding is that I was leading in the opening on 23/25 occasions. In 5/25 I took that lead straight into victory. In the other 11 victories there was a swing in the lead once or twice (exceptionally more) and I took it back, or those 2 times I trailed in the opening I swung it into my favor. In the 9 losses, 5 times my opponent took my lead away from the middle game in 1 swing and 3 times in 2 swings.

If we take this as a representative sample, I can say I'm almost always better in the opening (23/25), allow the lead to be taken away in the middle game more often than not (20/23), but half of those times (9/20) I lose the game the other half I take it back.

This means I should not invest so much in my opening and can count on fighting spirit later in the game, but should pay more attention to the early middle game.

Another interpretation is that I play the opening more or less like AI does, fairly territorial with emphasis on the corners, but fail to mimic the way AI handles the influence my opponents usually get. That corresponds to an impression I have always had, which is I'm not good at dealing with opponent moyos, when they form. I could now take two approaches: improve that, or switch back to more balanced or even influence taking openings and avoid the burden of dealing with moyos.

While I'm still completing my collection of mistakes at https://senseis.xmp.net/?DieterVerhofst ... OfMistakes

Next the plan is to play 10 games without making any https://senseis.xmp.net/?Slonection

I've created a new SL track on my mistakes for the year 2022. The first 20+ such mistakes show the following

Most substantial errors are failure in recognizing the value of a move, compared to a move elsewhere.
A recurring subcategory is missing an opportunity to seal in a big group in sente, meaning that group will either have to live small or perish if the opponent doesn't answer locally. On the other hand, sealing in a group in gote, instead of a big move elsewhere, is a mistake I made too: the opponent can take the big point without major punishment.
So that is my major goal for the next games, to see and correctly assess such opportunities. Other examples in the category of positional judgment:
- preferring central influence over a big corner
- overstating the threat of a cut, as both groups were safe or could resist - the counterpart of a slow connection
- a single minded influence move, aiming at developing a moyo without pressuring an opponent group
- recognizing a killing pattern, but overestimating the value of the kill versus the value of being forced into that kill from the outside
- allowing the opponent to force an already healthy group into low development
- playing a (big) corner reinforcement (enclosure), rather than an expanding the shape and health of an important group of stones, which could be turned into rubbish if neglected
- playing a lukewarm defensive move, while it was possible and easy to decide the game with another kill
- trying to kill with insufficient backup, allowing an escape into a complex fight, rather than surrounding and threaten to kill next

The second category of mistakes is when the value of local play is understood but poorly executed. Two subcategories: not seeing or knowing a tesuji and poor to no reading.

A third category of mistakes is more related to awareness. Technically speaking it's also "making a wrong choice" but here it's more not even being aware of the options.

Thanks for composing the problems, I am enjoying them .

Some mistakes could be also labelled as "shape", for example, problem 21. There I would play the correct move immediately because it is important from the local shape point of view.

As "Sensei's Library Recent changes addicts" will have noticed, I'm refactoring the 2021 Mistakes page into a path of subpages with problem and solution. While doing that editing work, I revisited the (missing) solutions, some of which already eluded me but most of which have stuck. In 2022 I'm continuing the exercise. It continues to follow distinct patterns.

1. While the corners-sides-center paradigm that has been strengthened by AI insights, remains valid, that is not where the difference is made at my level. All major swings happen in the middle game, or in the end game due to a blunder/oversight

2. A couple of patterns are about cutting & connecting
- don't make slow connections, instead defend in a more active, threatening or points making way, or even play elsewhere altogether; a kind of anti-honte
- likewise don't make lukewarm threats to cut the opponent, to which the reply would be a slow connection
- don't create heavy groups of cutting stones, while the groups you cut are relatively safe or strong
- many mistakes are not about whether to cut or connect or not, but HOW, so bad technique or reading

3. surrounding and the related concept of "bullying"
- surrounding the opponent IN SENTE, is the best kind of move you can make, trumping big moves in the corner
- surrounding the opponent IN GOTE, on the other hand, allows the opponent to take a big point elsewhere and your follow-ups will not be killer moves but taking some points while threatening to kill
- while not quite "surrounding in sente", there's often big value in bullying/harassing the opponent, forcing them to make a capture or escape less efficient

4. in 2021 I have been following a KataGo inspired territorial strategy often leading to big frameworks for the opponent. I often made bad choices in invading, when & where; here I could no longer live up to the advantage KataGo was assigning to my position; AI have an intuition for invasions which is way over my head and which is hard to learn from them

5. reading and awareness
- more generally, there are sequences that I could just not come up with; this is the usual criticism with AI but only a minor portion of the mistakes made
- at the other side of the spectrum, there are sheer blunders or bad moves made under time pressure
- related to that, some of the mistakes are due to a certain sequence affecting the states of groups in the vicinity, while I'm not aware of it

Since 2022 I have been playing a more influence oriented opening, with 5-4 points and pincers. The point loss of that choice hardly ever goes beyond 1,5. In the middle game, where the bigger swings occur, that influence works mostly to my advantage. I would say an influence game is easier to play, provided there is middle game fighting. If the opponent leaves all that influence alone and keeps taking points on the sides, a central moyo strategy may result from it and that becomes a gambit for both.

I'm also under the impression my mistakes are shifting from technique/reading towards strategy: i.e. from how to play towards where to play. I'm still misjudging urgent for non-urgent and vice versa, playing the big move too soon or too late.