The Direction of Play or Attack and Defense?

[RBerenguel]

Hi hyperpape,

I have Crazy Stone for iPhad, in fact I even wrote a review (here: http://www.whatsoniphone.com/champion-g ... k-playing/ ). Igowin HD has the advantage of auto-adjusting level, thus in the current setting plays slightly faster than Crazy Stone (probably I'm setting CS at too high a level). But from my 9x9 games, Crazy Stone looks tactically stronger than Igowin HD. In other words, both games are very (very) good... I'm just playing Igowin HD for the moment, while enjoying medal mode in Crazy Stone when I want something more fun.

[Codexus]

As a former KGS 6k coming back from a hiatus myself my training program so far for my first weekend has been watching the Hikaru no Go anime again (1/3rd done already) and watching the tournament on eurogotv.

But I plan to read Attack & Defense soon. Also tsumego (go through the graded go problems 2-4 again + some others).

And I keep a KGS+ account and a audio go lessons subscription so I have enough video lectures to last a lifetime.

Now I just need to actually start playing again

[RBerenguel]

we are in the same timezone, maybe we can play

[Codexus]

Sure, I've added you to my buddy list so that I can see if you're on KGS

[RBerenguel]

Added you back

[Joaz Banbeck]

Sure, I've added you to my buddy list so that I can see if you're on KGS

If you play in the Lifein19x19 room on KGS you may get a free review afterward from stronger players.

[Marcus]

Sure, I've added you to my buddy list so that I can see if you're on KGS

If you play in the Lifein19x19 room on KGS you may get a free review afterward from stronger players.

And if you hang out in there, chances are you may find other opponents, too!

[tj86430]

Hi everyone!

After a long hiatus

Hi, and welcome to the forum. I'd like to point out that 2 years is not long. Also, if you were 6k then, you are probably 6k now. (I came back after 25yrs hiatus, and after a couple of games I played at the same level than before. It's like riding a bike)

[RBerenguel]

Good to hear, and kind welcome! Let's see if I find time slots to play a little over KGS (oc in the LifeIn19x19 and the reddit rooms!)

[zazen5]

Whenever you study any aspect of Go, you are programming your subconscious mind, your instinct. There is no other game on this planet which is so valuable in helping a person to learn how to SURVIVE. Not only is Go profitable it is fun! Go training should be mandatory from kindergarten on everywhere. Reading of books and studying of problems is immensely fun. One of the best is the Guan Zi Pu, written in the 1600's. I feel fortunate that these ancient texts are around I try to read whatever I can get my hands on. I want to read and re read until all these concepts are permanently cemented in my mind and so that I can recall them at will. I cant do this yet-ask me in twenty years. Maybe I will be able to do it then, maybe never.

[cyclops]

There is no other game on this planet which is so valuable .....

Luckily Neil Armstrong in 1969 found an even more valuable game on the moon named Lunatics.

[Numsgil]

On the subject of middle game play, Sector Fights is what actually made the middle game make sense to me. I read Attack and Defense but it felt a bit nebulous. Direction of Play was unintelligible to me beyond the first chapter (I haven't tried reading it in a while, though). Sector Fights actually provides a very concrete framework for thinking about the middle game that I still use in actual games a good year and a half after I first went through the "book". I don't know if it made me stronger or not, but it definitely shapes my play more than any of the Japanese go books I've read.

[blade90]

Attack and Defense was a really good book for the basics, it really helped me improve while I was around KGS 15k.
But beyond that the book is mostly useless, don't take me wrong the book is great, but it only tells you the basics of Attack and Defence.
It is also a great idea to re-read it, because it is a very valuable book but to get new ideas you need a new book.

I started reading The Direction of Play around in December, I only read one Chapter every 2 weeks and I have read about 4 Chapters now.
The Direction of Play was a real eye opener to me, sometimes it does not feel like it helps in the game, but it actually does! Many people even 1d's said that the book "The Direction of Play" is hard to understand but I don't see why they think this, it's easy to understand thanks to the many examples and explainations in the book. What is really difficult is finding the Direction of play in your game.

I recommend The Direction of Play to anyone around KGS 5k, it really helped me improve and I'm not even done reading it

Here a bit of statistics from KGS:
December (before reading TDoP): 18 games, 9 wins - 9 losses (50.00%)
January (while reading TDoP): 23 games, 18 wins - 5 losses (78,26%)

Either my game improves because of TDoP or I also could have a lucky month. But I think reading TDoP helps a lot.