Life In 19x19

I keep losing to the 8k players since becoming 9k. I lost by 8.5 points here --- a very close game. I think I must've made some crucial mistakes. I'd appreciate a review:

Nothing wrong with asking for reviews, but do you read them?

Your main weakness seems to be of tactical nature (you did not try to exploit your opponent's weak shape but unreasonable played inside his groups to form some sort of nakade). Have you solved the Graded Go Problems For Beginner series yet?

daal wrote:Nothing wrong with asking for reviews, but do you read them?

What makes you ask such a preposterous question?

SoDesuNe wrote: Have you solved the Graded Go Problems For Beginner series yet?

No, I mainly study the Wilcox material.

thequietcenter wrote:

SoDesuNe wrote: Have you solved the Graded Go Problems For Beginner series yet?

No, I mainly study the Wilcox material.

Have you ever done a book that was just problems to solve?

thequietcenter wrote:

daal wrote:Nothing wrong with asking for reviews, but do you read them?

What makes you ask such a preposterous question?

I was waiting for a response to a review I gave you for another game, and then I noticed that you don't seem to respond to anybody. No "interesting," no "ah ha," no "thanks;" just an "I'd appreciate another review." People spend time trying to figure out what you did wrong, yet you don't even acknowledge their work. I was feeling miffed - that's what prompted my preposterous question.

jts wrote:

thequietcenter wrote:

SoDesuNe wrote: Have you solved the Graded Go Problems For Beginner series yet?

No, I mainly study the Wilcox material.

Have you ever done a book that was just problems to solve?

I own Graded Go Problems For Beginners and I did some of them and found them excellent. I've never stuck with a problem book. I own Bruce Wilcox's software and go back through it regularly. His software is simply amazing. It really gives me wonderful insight into the game.

In fact, I became very confused about 2 years ago because I was receiving public help and getting conflicting information from numerous advanced sources on the same topic. I was going to OTB Go Club, in KGS Teaching Ladder, Beginner's room etc as well as reading books. So I decided to take on a professional Go teacher and shut my ears to outside info.

So, I mainly will be focusing on the Wilcox material again and again and again.

I can assure you, doing Tsumegos to become a stronger Go player in universal truth and I don't know anyone who would deny that. Of course there are many ways to become stronger but if you don't practice to read (Life-and-Death and Tesuji) there will be no progress.

Havind said that, I don't know what the Wilcox material is nor what it offers but be sure you practice Life-and-Death and Tesuji problems if you want to get stronger.

As for the conflicting information: People learn in different ways and they enjoy different things. So all you'll hear is mostly personal experience. The one thing you can do: Try it and see if it fits you. If you don't enjoy it, there is no point in forcing.
For instance if you don't like to do Tsumegos in a book or online, you need to make sure that you will at least read in your games to get some practice. Tsumegos are just a shortcut to speed up the process, because you can experience and practice a lot of situations, which don't come up in every one of your games.



post scriptum:

thequietcenter wrote:So I decided to take on a professional Go teacher and shut my ears to outside info.

But you do know, that you're asking for exactly that kind of info now, do you?

daal wrote:

thequietcenter wrote:

daal wrote:Nothing wrong with asking for reviews, but do you read them?

What makes you ask such a preposterous question?

I was waiting for a response to a review I gave you for another game, and then I noticed that you don't seem to respond to anybody. No "interesting," no "ah ha," no "thanks;" just an "I'd appreciate another review." People spend time trying to figure out what you did wrong, yet you don't even acknowledge their work. I was feeling miffed - that's what prompted my preposterous question.

My apologies, but I read all reviews and a lot of the questions posed to me seem rhetorical and I do ponder them. I did initially click the "like" button a few times.

Yes and I dont like being ignored either. It's happening to me at work. I keep emailing this girl for a reimbursement check I"m due and she doesnt even respond to them.

But I'm going to reduce my posts here significantly because I need to have a single paradigm and I'm convinced that Bruce Wilcox offers the best single resource for kyus. Of course, KGS Teaching Ladder is a significant help as well and there's no question about whether the student is listening, because it's realtime.

Here is a bit on the current world's #1 Lee Sai-Dol. He lived on an island with his father who was a fisherman. Every morning, the father would leave Sai-Dol a Tsumego problem to solve. He says it was solving these problems got him where he is today.

Whatever you do, no matter how long it takes, don't look at the answer. Problem solved with looking at the answer will never become yours as you will forget in matter of days, weeks or months.

Both Many Faces of Go 12 and SmartGo have excellent problem selection with increasing level of difficulty that you can use well past dan level.


The reason you get multiple answers are due to respective playing style. Mainly, territorial, universal, and fighting. The important thing is trying to figure out the merits of each direction any apply to your style.



What was your plan with B10 and A9?

thequietcenter wrote:... I need to have a single paradigm and I'm convinced that Bruce Wilcox offers the best single resource for kyus.

To each their own, but that doesn't mean you should just skip doing problem books. Studying Wilcox's material and doing GGPfB (or a book of straight up life-and-death) are complementary. No matter which "paradigm" you use to study go, the problems have the same solution.

thequietcenter wrote:So, I mainly will be focusing on the Wilcox material again and again and again.

What will you do when the pro and the Wilcox material disagree?

red_z06 wrote:Both Many Faces of Go 12 and SmartGo have excellent problem selection with increasing level of difficulty that you can use well past dan level.



What was your plan with B10 and A9?

Thanks. I own SmartGo so I will have to try them. I was trying to form a nakade within his group? Anyway I failed as you can see.

I'm fairly convinced that your overreliance on Wilcox's material is actually hindering your progress, but I don't think you will listen. If you are willing to give it a thought, I will explain more.