Trying to become pro

[Leyleth]

Finally got Attack and Defense (the book). Should help me a lot since I always seem to have trouble in the middle game. Hopefully I'll be better after reading it.

Seems like Speedchase will be the rotten egg

[Wasiqi]

Best of luck on your journey to become pro. I too would like to play you.

[Leyleth]

I started reading Attack and Defense. I can feel my approach about the go changing. However, I've now fallen into this transition phase. I'm usually able to completely destroy my opponents at the beginning of the game, gathering insane territories very easily. I take the lead and then one of my groups die and I lose... Yay...

I guess I'm too aggressive. Let's keep on studying and see what happens with that. Let's hope that the "defense" part of the game will help me out.

[stalkor]

a sphere of influence or a framework is not the same as territory! though this isnt explained in attack and defense, it is very vital that you see this difference.

consider san-ren-sei opening. this is not territory but a small framework, lots of holes to invade. you can use it to make actual territory or make it big enough that the opponent needs to invade and you profit from that.

[Leyleth]

5k KGS!!! (Thank god) I don't see much of a difference from 6 to 5k... So far, 4 wins and no loss as 5th kyu. Let's see how long I can keep this perfect record.

[Phelan]

I told you you would get there earlier than me.

[Marcus]

Congrats!

At this point, I'm sure you could probably go toe to toe with me, and I hesitate to say I'd come out on top.

If you see me on KGS, let's play!

[Leyleth]

Played against a 1k today. Lost by 10.5 points... What a shame!

[Leyleth]

Since speedchase was mocking me due to my poor tsumego ability, I buyed 1001 Life-and-Death Problems by Richard Bozoulich. Interesting book. I just begun and I got a success rate of 93,75% (after 64 problems). The other book I got is Tesuji by James Davies. This adds up to my "collection" of Attack and Defense (James Davies), getting strong at the endgame (Richard Bozoulich) and A dictionary of modern fuseki korean style (don't remember the author)

School has begun (again) and I'm already starting to feel more tired. However, my will of winning came back when I lost my league game yesterday. The 4d who reviewed admitted he would have resigned after the 40 first moves. Of course, I was on the losing side. I help on and fought throughout the game, slowly catching back. In the end, I counted the territories and noticed I was ahead by 0.5-1.5 points! I started playing defensively, seeing my lead getting bigger. Finally, we both pass and I notice I miscalculated the territories and I lost by 6.5 points... This defeat gave me the kick in the butt I needed to start improving at full speed.

After reading a little about tesujis and life and death, I played some 5 kyus and I completely annihilated them. The three games I played were won by at least 100 points. I'm getting much stronger and it feels refreshing to see my level going up. I don't know if I was plateauing until now, but I'm definitively taking steps forward.

After life & death, let's focus on tesujis. I don't have a decent enough reading to get through the little problems in the tesuji book, therefore, L&D are comming first, to cure what is probably my biggest weakness.

Hope I'll be back again with good news in the next entry

P.S: If you know some good books, please let me know! I'm looking especially for fuseki/L&D books.

[RBerenguel]

For life and death books, Yi Ch'ang-Ho's Selected Tsumego books are excellent. You can find them in the mohsart.se store (if they are available currently). I'm also drilling through Graded go problems for beginners. Don't get the title wrong, book 3 is pretty acceptable for my level (maybe you'll find it too easy, I don't know). If you are a rock hard for tesujis... Get Segoe & Seigen's tesuji books. They're awesome.

[p2501]

Otake Hideos "Opening Theory Made Easy" is the best and probably only book you need below 1 dan. It is very easy to read, but don't simply consider it below your level.

[Leyleth]

Finally got a teacher! TheWise 6d has accepted me as a student. Hopefully, it will allow me to win in this race to 2d. Lessons start Saturday. However, I've realized something without any exterior help... Playing go after you slept 5h per night since 3 days and after you had a day full of boring classes isn't a very good idea...

[RobertJasiek]

Otake Hideos "Opening Theory Made Easy" is the best and probably only book you need below 1 dan.

Although I have heard of ca. 1% players reaching high dan without having read any book, 1 book as a kyu player is few. Have you become 1d by reading only that book?! My experience as a kyu was: the more (especially good) books I read the faster I improve.

[p2501]

Otake Hideos "Opening Theory Made Easy" is the best and probably only book you need below 1 dan.

Although I have heard of ca. 1% players reaching high dan without having read any book, 1 book as a kyu player is few. Have you become 1d by reading only that book?! My experience as a kyu was: the more (especially good) books I read the faster I improve.

I meant it is the only book on the opening that one probably needs below 1 dan. And I said probably because I am myself not yet 1 dan. Maybe a second book about aims and common patterns of popular fuseki maybe good too, but there are other means to learn those.

[RobertJasiek]

My guess on opening books needed to 1d: Rin Kaiho Fuseki Dictionary read twice, some further fuseki dictionary style source, Opening Theory Made Easy or other books conveying similar contents. Opening Theory Made Easy appeared when I was already dan player and could not learn anything new from it, I learned from other books and later noticed that Opening Theory Made Easy provides similar theory suitable for kyus. Only one good opening book could suffice for becoming opening-topic 1k though.