Road to my 100 first go loss: I ask for some commentary

[Fllecha]

Short & blunt: no need to restrict your first 100 games to be 100% with bots.
You're free to play humans as well. Mix it up.

This is the idea (not sure if it's correct obv )

In this game you need to think a lot in the beginning and you have to evaluate some variation and have the time to try to understand why it's correct and why it's incorrect and for example which are big or small moves. If you play humans (of course with the clock) you have to focus on time also. So you aren't free to spend say 8 min on a move because later you may be in hurry to save a weak group and miss the point because of zeitnot. In chess is the same btw: before playing online one imo has to practice a lot with CALIBRATED LEVEL bot (since even the worst chess bot plasy at grand master level or little under it, you have to set a proper level and try to find tactical chaches and won easy game, just to practice) just to clean out the very beginner phase. In chess say 95% of online games are under 5 minutes each so basically it's almost all instinct, no time to think.

I actually played some go games online against humans, and in some won position (which rarely appeared) I lost on time and this tilted me at not-human level, so I quit online for the moment

Second: It's relatively hard to find an even game quickly (not impossible obv) and I personally hate the handicap system (expecially when I have the handicap stones) even if it is perfectly logic. That's obv my limit of course but if I am 19k I prefer play a 19 kyu and not a 10 kyu with 9 stone handicap. It's complicated this point, since I say that hadicap stone is perfectly fair but I hope you understand the analogy with chess: it's unacceptable give a knight or a rook handicap to a beginner even if it creates an even game. I love pure games.
Obv when I will play online I'll surely accept the handicap stones.. but not now.

Third: Self esteem. When I open and play in a random chess site or a random backgammon site I am in the top 25%-30%, more or less. It's hard for me enter in a random go site and being in the "top" 80%-90% I want to enter at least in the lower 50% at least, and play acceptable games, without big blunders, mainly to not waste opponent's time in a one-way game. Go is at least 4-5 times longer than chess

Also, your first 100 games need not be all 19x19, either.
Smaller boards -- say, 9x9 and 13x13 -- are also OK.

Done.
Every time I publish a 19x19 game I have played at least 4 games against Igowin just to warm up and train life and death and fighting. Now I gonna play my 19x19 See you in a few hours

[Fllecha]

Hi guys. It's only because of your support that I played another passable game and won with white. I passed some bad moments but finally I had a compensation for my last two bad games.

The great win is that this time I attacked a weak group from weak to strong and I managed to kill it: it's good when you see that you apply what you learned few games before.

Of course the road is still long long long.

GAME 15

[EdLee]

Hi Fllecha, see how others also worry too much about the opening: Posts 24, 25 .

[Charles Matthews]

...long, long ...

Of course. But I think go is actually a great game to study.

The bot is not superhuman.

Small criticisms, where your perception lapsed. At , C16 is quite nice. And you can play 136 at A14, which is even nicer.

[tekesta]

Wow guys some very good thread and a lot to chew on!! Sincerely more than what I expected, and I think that is thanks to Poster like EdLee and Mattews and the others here that Beginner like me never loses enthusiasm.

I looked at the thread posted by EdLee in the spoiler and I found another mine of teaching resourses. Nice stuff, it takes time to read it, but it's worth it.

Between the good advices written here, now I have a better understanding on what does "100 loss" means, so I have to keep going because what is happening to me is what happened at the vast majority of go players.

That's why I said 100 games is a minimum. At first, for every won game there will be 7 or 10, at most, lost games. Of course this ratio will shrink as you improve. At your best you should win anywhere between 50-70% of your games. Fifty percent is closer to the reality for most Go players, whether amateur or professional. Only a really talented player, such as Lee Chang-ho, Lee Sedol, or even Iyama Yuta has a won games percentage of over 50% over a long period of time, and this is when playing against opponents of a high caliber.

So that was my question: how to avoid bad starting fuseki? You guys kindly answered basically saying that only experience and reviews can make the difference, and I understand that because go is way much harder/complex than chess. I remember the sentence "Go is a fluid game". Chess is surely more tactical and thus easier to play in many spots.

Your fuseki is OK, but you have to know how to use those strategic placements to their fullest advantage. This means learning middle game basics. Removing available space needed for your opponent's group to develop a base while establishing a secure base for your own groups is an important middle game consideration. Attack and defence is a central concept in the middle game. It basically boils down to reducing the space available for your opponent's groups while enlarging your own, or threatening to kill one of your opponent's groups so that he/she will have to abandon development of his/her whole-board strategy, return to it and fix up weaknesses, or face a big loss that will be hard to make up for as the game progresses. One VERY important proverb in Go is, "Urgent points before big points."

I have more confidence on my possibility now: the plan is to reach 100 bot game and then move on KGS or Pandanet and start playing humans.

If you prefer it can be a mixture of bots and human opponents. In fact, I would suggest playing a few games against human opponents before reaching the 100-game mark. Humans and bots play differently and experiencing games against human opponents in anticipation of playing mostly against them is good practice, IMO.

I think you will find stronger opponents on Pandanet or a Korean server such as Oro or Tygem. I have heard about and even experienced bad things on KGS, despite the popularity of this server. (I have a KGS account under "chincharra". I will have to see if it is still active.) For one, it's difficult to get a game if your rank number has a question mark (?) next to it and some players there will often leave a game unfinished whenever defeat is imminent. As well, there are the "sandbaggers", which are players that are much stronger than their rank indicates and will give you a nasty surprise if you get fooled by the number. (Sandbagging can be considered a free lesson in high-level Go, though ) There are respectful players on KGS as well and these outnumber the "prick" ones, but they do not always appear immediately and you might go through a few "prick" players before finding one willing to play an honest game with you. KGS has its good points - such as professional lectures and teaching rooms - and so it might suit your preference, but if you are looking for serious games and an abundance of well-behaved players, there are better servers.

If you do not mind turn-based games, here is a good server: http://wuzheng.me This server is based in China, so many of the players on this server are stronger than the average Go player in a Western country.

I made a personal file of all this thread and at the end of 100th game I'll stick here for all beginner that want to start.
Tonight another game for sure.

Thank you so much, I have no word to say more than that, but belive me I want to embrace all for your support.

I will give my input on it.

[oren]

I actually played some go games online against humans, and in some won position (which rarely appeared) I lost on time and this tilted me at not-human level, so I quit online for the moment

The advantages of playing humans is they'll make similar blunders that you do. Getting used to time is something you must have to do in chess as well.

[tekesta]

Well, I did not see much wrong with your game. Charles Matthews was right, though. at C16 expands eye space, which is how one makes territory in that situation. This move at C16 makes miai of D16 and B15. Miai means that one or the other is a good choice. If black plays on D16, you can take B15 and expand your eye space. If Black plays on B15, you can play at D16 and threaten either to capture the Black stone on E16 or push through at D15 and reduce Black's territory. White 136 at A14 would give you an extra point of territory. Black plays at A13, you connect at A15, and Black has to connect at B13. Otherwise, you cut at this point for double atari and you can even threaten to make use of the White stone at E13 to further reduce Black's territory. At this point in the game Black's group in the top left has weaknesses that were eventually exploited. White 148 at H13 was needed to save the 6 White stones. Otherwise Black plays here and the best you can do is play at H12 to connect. Connecting at G13 would've just meant the capture of 7 White stones. White 152 at J9 was another necessary move. White 154 at F19 is good, but this move should be at G19 to take a point from Black; at this point you are far ahead in territory, so retaining sente is not necessary.

Killing the Black group at the top right was a big gain. Congrats

[Fllecha]

Hi all,

Very tough game today, I lost by 8 and probably I missed something in the endgame... much obliged if you tell my what were my errors. I killed another group and that was a lot of fun, but again I lost control of his big up-left moyo: fortunately this time there were some reducing tricks and I managed to reduce, but again I made an error like the one I made in the two infamous games. It's clear that's a lesson that I haven't yet internalized: ALWAYS LOOKS AT HIS MOYO BEFORE THEY APPEARS

I missed some 3-3 invasion somewhere, can you please tell my when it was the right moment to do that?

Just to tell you, I was waiting for a friend and I played some 19x19 games against Igowin. A month ago I was almost never able to stay around 10k and now I destroyed it winning 5 games in a row with 30-70 points of difference reaching 4 kyu. It means nothing obv, and I perfectly know that rank give by Igowin is completely overrated, but winning that way gave me some feelings that my go improved. Little satisfactions, pleas understand that moment .

GAME 16

[EdLee]

Hi Fllecha,

- , then tenuki: R9 remains a weakness.
The net result here is you've made Black stronger, and yourself weaker. Bad for you.

This is not small, and you got poisoned by some bad teaching/advice/proverbs about 'pushing from behind'.
'Pushing from behind' -- as a local shape, is like atari -- it's neutral.
There's nothing inherently good or bad about it.
If you push from behind and the result is bad for you, DON'T do it.
If you push from behind and the result is OK or good for you, it's OK !

[Charles Matthews]

It's clear that's a lesson that I haven't yet internalized: ALWAYS LOOKS AT HIS MOYO BEFORE THEY APPEARS

Right!

Just to tell you, I was waiting for a friend and I played some 19x19 games against Igowin. A month ago I was almost never able to stay around 10k and now I destroyed it winning 5 games in a row with 30-70 points of difference reaching 4 kyu. It means nothing obv, and I perfectly know that rank give by Igowin is completely overrated, but winning that way gave me some feelings that my go improved.

Yes, you are improving.

GAME 16

I missed some 3-3 invasion somewhere, can you please tell my when it was the right moment to do that?

The corners went 50-50: two each. But Black's were larger.

At you get an option to play D17. This is what I would often do, as White in a nine-stone game. really is big. Your other chances come in the top right, after . There are some interesting ideas around the clamp at R18.

General comments. The opening wasn't great for you.

Play this at E4 (possibly F4) because of the stone to right. You become too low here.

isn't too good. I would play M6 first to see what Black will do. But if you play it, O10 next is really compulsory, from the point of view of shape.

Ha-ha, handicap go. I would be thinking about N13 or D17 here.

is passive: this is where your problems really start. You must push up at F4.

By sacrificing on the top side, Black has managed to do well on the rest of the board.

is reasonable. My instinct would be to play at H8.

is pretty big. There is a reading problem in the corner: does R18 do anything? (Shouldn't work.) So the endgame is Q19 and Black should answer R18; then R19. This is your sente, and you missed it in the game.

So when are you going to attack Black in the lower right?

J8?

[Fllecha]

Play this at E4 (possibly F4) because of the stone to right. You become too low here.

I noticed in the post-mortem analisys, I tend to prefere secure implants but the drawback is that it loses influence

Ha-ha, handicap go. I would be thinking about N13 or D17 here.

I am still afraid to attach stones, but I know that often I'm simply afraid of ghosts... In the next game I try to look at that possibility, because I have to improve my fighting skill...

see you in a few hours

[Fllecha]

Hi all,
first I want to thank you for the recent rewievs, my "study book" is growing more and more...

What is more difficult: winning a won game or lose a won game? It turns out that for me is simpler the latter.
I started with a good opening and in few moves I had a trillion potential point. Due to some passive play maybe and a worrisome endgame I managed to lose by 4 points, letting me wonder about where I lost all that trillion points. I made some analysis on that.. At least now I am better at killing groups.

Only very very very big regret was at move 47 where I missed a needed protection move that cause my position to move back and lose points. No need to worry about: it's another lesson learned.

GAME 17

[EdLee]

Hi Fllecha,

Game 17.

- This exchange by itself is unclear (like - );
it depends on your follow-up plans...

... bad. After the exchange - , all you have done locally
is make stronger, and yourself weaker: P17 and R17 remain your weak spots.

After the exchange - , you jump to -- this is good:
locally, you've made heavy, thanks to your pincer at R10.

The sequence - - is completely different:
you've made stronger, but W is free to make a perfect extension to
H16 or H17.

...which he does.

Instead of your , consider P18: next you have miai of two good follow-ups:
Q12 direction pincer and J17 direction pincer.

- After this exchange, you need to add 1 more move here to fix your shape: D8. If your plan is NOT fix your shape with D8, to tenuki on ,
then it's better to tenuki directly on , without this exchange.

More info/details.
When you play the 3-space jump , you leave a weakness at C8.
C12 is the same weak spot.
I don't know if you're aware of this, but that's the vital point of this shape.
And this is OK, as long as you can handle it.

If you tenuki on -- without the exchange with --
and W attacks at C8, it's OK:
because you can then treat lightly --
just jump to 3-3 (C3) and take the corner.

However, after your exchange - , you've destroyed your own C3 option!
Now, if you don't fix your C8 weakness and tenuki as you did ,
this time if W attacks at C8, it's much more severe:
you no longer have the option to treat - lightly --
your two stones here have now become heavy.

Therefore: if - , then your plan is at D8 -- fix your shape.
If you don't like this result, then tenuki instead directly on .

( But, this is not a big mistake at these levels.
The more serious, much more urgent mistakes are elsewhere.
This is mostly for entertainment; for future reference only.
Still, good to know. )

Your comments here "the game is completely won for Black": pure fantasy on your part. Sorry.
Up to here, both sides have made mistakes, but no huge blunders at these levels.
Both sides have weaknesses. At these levels, the game is completely up for grabs. Anything can still happen.

This invites W M3, hitting the vital point of this shape: the elephant's eye .
This could work, depending on your plans and reading.

W is worried about that group and gives up M3.

You played a bunch of small & slow moves after this.

Bad. Bad basics. Block-hane B18 the only local move.

155 Your note here "zero point move" is wrong: this is 1-point gote.

159: Pass.

[Charles Matthews]

GAME 17

Some selected mistakes.

is bad, as Ed Lee noted. In fact your opponent didn't exploit it fully. Anyway, this kind of thinking is common enough to have its own name: "clumsy double contact". After the two diagonal attachments, Black still has weaknesses at P17 and R17.

So where should this be played? I think a pro is simply not worried about the slide to O18 here. As long as Black can control the corner with Q17, there will be a viable group here.

The orthodox answer is probably N15: it can be followed up with L16, or on the right side. Immediately at O14 can't be bad. A pincer at J16 makes sense too. At O17 is a bit too steady, but isn't as bad as P17.

I agree that this is the wrong feeling here, and D8 is better.

Here I would want to play P10 first, which White should answer; and then invade at L4. Black is a little thin now in the lower right.

You need to answer on the left, really: big.

The rest of the game illustrates the saying "the centre isn't as big as you think".

[Fllecha]

Hi EdLee, thanks for that. Restudying the game I notice the value of the pincer (it doesn't allow easy extension) and now I see the difference between the two spots.

... bad. After the exchange - , all you have done locally
is make stronger, and yourself weaker: P17 and R17 remain your weak spots.

To me it seemed that my upper right corner was completely safe and alive (even if it was not already defined). In the weak points that you indicate, is there a risk of severe invading move or is only a long term weakness?

The sequence - - is completely different:
you've made stronger, but W is free to make a perfect extension to
H16 or H17.

...which he does.

Yes, now I see the difference

Your comments here "the game is completely won for Black": pure fantasy on your part. Sorry.
Up to here, both sides have made mistakes, but no huge blunders at these levels.
Both sides have weaknesses. At these levels, the game is completely up for grabs. Anything can still happen.

I didn't write very well what I meant. That sentence may be rephrased this way "With correct play from both side black has a winning position".

This invites W M3, hitting the vital point of this shape: the elephant's eye .
This could work, depending on your plans and reading.

I immediately saw that move and the shape I was creating, but I went in deep (for my level obv) calculation and I found a refutation of that move, so I decided to separate my opponent with that move. What is unclear to me is the "small moves in the follow up". I hurried up to kill the group and in the meantime I conquered some space: where is the problem?

Bad. Bad basics. Block-hane B18 the only local move.

When I was playing it I considered the proverb "Don't make empty triangles, look if you can find something better". But eventually I wanted to make solid connections in the false belief that my game was won either way. Now I see that was better.