Life In 19x19

Hello, my name is Shane! I have been playing go for 3 weeks now and I am hooked. I really love this game as it caters to my critical thought. I was taught chess at 5 by my father's family and that has been a lifelong passion now for 26 years. However go has very simple rules, but the use of strategy and reading adds a deep layer of complexity. I currently am using the Learn to Play Go series to learn the game and halfway through volume 2. I use my board and stones to play out the examples, so I can see them in action. I have downloaded a few tsumego apps from the play store and it has helped in real game life and death situations.

I am ranked 22 Kyu on KGS and not progressing quickly from this point. My biggest challenge is following strategy, reading; getting outplayed in early game and misreading my opponent continually throughout the game. And aiming to create good shape. So many things to balance in this game! My 6 year old daughter Lily really enjoys playing the game with me, which is really awesome to bond with her. Any suggestions on how to improve my gameplay are greatly appreciated! Thank you and good luck with your games.

Welcome!

The Learn to Play Go series is good. Volume II was my first go book, and it helped a lot with understanding the basics of the game. Another really good series of books is the Graded Go Problems for Beginners. Tsumego are important, but some of the collections online are of less than stellar quality. The eBook versions are available at gobooks.com.

Aside from books, keep playing games. Try to review your games after you're done to see where you made a mistake. AI can help you find the errors these days, but it's really important that you look for yourself as well. Even when you know a move is a mistake, try to answer the questions, "Why is it a mistake? And why did I play it at the time?" Producing these reasons will help you make sense of the game and make better moves in the future.

Have fun playing with your daughter! I have two girls, ages 9 and (almost) 5, and they like playing with me on a 9x9 board sometimes. It's always a source of joy to share a hobby with my children.

Hi Shane,

Happy 2022 .
Enjoy Go with your family.