Common Ground

This blog is a blog about Go. This is a game I have come to admire. It is not the first game I have studied and tried to master. It may be the most difficult. I was recently thinking about the links between these games:

Go
Chess
Football
Basketball
Poker

These are games I spent time thinking about and reading about on some level during my lifetime. It strikes me that with the exception of poker these are all complete information games. All the players positions and tactics are declared and unveiled in plain view. All these games as well place an emphasis on aggression. I am not a particularly aggressive guy in real life. I also feel like I am better at reading people which could suggest better ability at incomplete information games. Why am I attracted to these games? Is it a form of roleplay?

I've hit a losing skid at Go. I'm trying but I think I got rusty over the break! I'll need to read, play, and improve.

Home Again

Home again, at least for now. I played and got destroyed by a 14k in a two stone handicap game. He negotiated it down from the five I was due. Oh well, learning experience right?

I got zero Go related products for Christmas. I need a couple of more books which I think I will use my Christmas money to buy. I did get several good presents though so I can't complain.

Wow

I just played a game of Go. I won't say the opponent's name because I'm about to say some terrible stuff. The guy had me. He just had me. He pressed me in a corner and took it. He forced territory I thought into seki. When we got to a point where I thought we should pass and end it he would have won by 7.5 points. Instead he got greedy. He tried to capture the stones in seki. He tried to take another secure corner and then another. I went from capturing three stones to capturing 17 plus a few more that were dead. When he finally passed I won by half a stone. He then started to play again and made another move. I answered he passed. We counted. The score was the same. He started it back up again. He moved, I countered. He passed, I passed. I was again up by half a stone. Finally he quit.

OK, here's the lessons for the day:

When you play Go, don't get greedy. Aggression is one thing. Aggression is good. Trying to capture a group of stones in seki is just plain stupid. And greedy. Had he not done this and the rest of the game had gone the same way, he would have won.

Lesson two. Have some courtesy. Don't ask for undos in rated games. Also, when you pass and your opponent passes, don't start it back up because you're losing. Perhaps there is an argument to firm up a section of boundary but really you should do that prior to passing. In Go, etiquette matters.

Game Files

It's been a while since I posted any game files of my games. Here are some for you perusal. Again, all comments are welcome. Notice that I am up to 19 kyu! Much better than the 26 or 27 kyu I was when I started this blog!

Alcibaides v. phaggi, even game, loss, Black + 49.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?bmhyjgygy2m

Move 13 – Great move for him, I have secured that corner, rather than mechanically form the wall like too many players (myself included) or jump to another section, he forms a base for his attacking stones and claims more territory in the middle

Move 18 – I think this is a mistake on my part, any thoughts? I tried to attack his stone by hemming it in from the center; instead I should have played F6 and removed his base

Move 39 – this is clearly not going well, with this stone he threatens to claim the entire right hand side of the board, I saw that at the time and failed to stop it

Move 42, in retrospect, I should have played this elsewhere, possibly further up toward the middle; I allowed him to shore up this side of the board

Move 72, I don’t know why I obsessed over connecting these stones or what I thought I could connect them to, notice how after a while he coolly claims the bottom part of the board while I’m just messing around there

Move 92 – finally I start to claim a section of the board, at this point it is entirely too late, at best I will claim 1/6 of the board in the top left corner, he is in control of the top right quarter and most of the bottom left corner, I should have resigned…

Move 110 – I fall back on my old trick of trying to snake my way through territory to reduce his space, he does a great job of retreating and minimizing my breathing room

I lose. it felt more decisive to me that it was. This is a boring game of go in that there were few battles. Very few stones were captured. It was a good territory game. This guy was just more methodical and honestly a little out of my league right now.

Alcibaides v. gohya even game, win White + 52.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?dtmxextvrt9

Contrast this guy’s opening strategy to the last game reviewed, instead of staking out territory, this guy wants to fight. I successfully claim each corner to start the game

Move 48 – textbook example on my part of how to lose a joseki battle; instead of playing the hane (which honestly did me no good) I should have connected the groups at C3 or B2, both would have kept him from making move 49, oops notice how no matter where I play I will lose one group or the other, perhaps I could have driven down the B line to form a living group with four spaces in the eyes

Move 57 – they’re dead Jim

Move 74 – I feel fairly confident despite my debacle, the trouble is all his thickness built up towards the middle of the board, he only has a small amount of true territory but he has tremendous influence, I go to work on it

Move 93 – this starts an interesting capture race, the pieces in question are my white triangle on the O and P lines and his four wall pieces on the N and O lines, this would break his control

Move 109 – I did not play this series perfectly but with this move, the race was over, I had also been allowed to build a wall breaking his center influence up, also I was allowed to claim the center right section of board

Move 167 – Instead of going there to escape, he should have formed an eye at K9, it would have given him some more time to run

Move 170 – I was harshly criticized by my reviewer for making so many of these shapes, in this case I’ll make an exception

Move 202 – I shouldn’t have captured, those stones were dead, I should have pushed for more territory in the unclaimed top 2/3 of the board, this starts a new chapter in the game as we both rush for it, notice that his influence turned into some territory in the bottom corner but the rest collapsed, influence is all potential, you have to capitalize

In the end, I claimed a few spots and snaked away some of his potential territory. I felt satisfied by the win but I really need to work on my fighting skills, at several points he could have crushed my invasions but just didn’t finish the job.

Go Teaching Ladder

I have linked a website on the right hand side of the screen called the Go Teaching Ladder. At this site, you can upload .sgf files of old go games you played and receive comments from stronger players. I send a copy of the game I played with Eldarin a few weeks back. I commented on the game myself. I believe I have improved since I played this game. While I reviewed his comments, it didn't seem like I was watching myself play. My fighting style was my own but I think I have a better knack for fuseki now.

This website is so cool. If you are learning to play go, I highly recommend having your own games reviewed or scroll through other reviewed games. It's all free!

Here is my file of the game reviewed.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2elixmi1eoo

Merry Christmas!

First Match

I played my first game of go since vacation. It felt right. I was winning handily against a 23 kyu players in a three stone handicap game. I wasn't playing perfectly but he wasn't taking advantage of my mistakes. I was exploiting all of his.

Right when things were about to turn ugly he escaped...

There's always next time...

More Silence

I am about to go on sabbatical. I'm going on vacation. I doubt I will be playing much go if the weather cooperates. I will be better about posting after the holidays.

Book Review Learn to Play Go Volume III

Today I will review Learn to Play Go Volume III: The Dragon Style by Janice Kim and Jeong Soo-hyun. The book is the third in the Learn to Play Go series. I previously reviewed the first two books. I will review the last two books in the series when I get them. I smell Christmas gifts...

While the first two books dealt with ways to place Go stones, this book relates to the thought process needed to play Go. The approach of the book is summed up in a quotation on page 4. "In go, as in any martial art, your mental state is one of the most important factors in winning or losing." This quotation raises interesting implications. It assumes that the game of Go is a mental martial art. It is a discipline and they did establish temples with orders dedicated to the study of the game but the game as a martial art? I suppose it is as much so as other zen arts such as flower arranging and calligraphy. Interesting approach.

The book is divided into two sections and eight chapters. The first two chapters have several subsections.

Part I: The Dragon Style
Chapter 1 Seven Dangers (Fear, Agitation, Greed, Thoughtlessness, Irrationality, Anger, and Envy)
Chapter 2 Eight Secrets (Choose Profit Over Glory, Rush to Plant Your Flag, Drive Towards Your Thickness, Stay Connected, Watch Your Vital Signs, Minimize Effort Maximize Profit, Style Counts, Hold That Line)

Part II Real Games

Chapter 3 Opening
Chapter 4 Middle Game
Chapter 5 Endgame
Chapter 6 A Nine-Stone Handicap Game
Chapter 7 A Three-Stone Handicap Game
Chapter 8 Even and Handicap Go

The first part of the book was extremely useful for my game. Honestly the second part was a bit beyond me. I wish instead of thoughtfully analyzed high kyu and dan Go games she analyzed less advanced players. Perhaps two players in the 15-20 kyu range who make mistakes common to readers of this volume. All in all this was useful but not as necessary as the prior to volumes reviewed.

Silence

I know I've been silent as of late but occasionally even those obsessed with Go get extended houseguests...

Book Review Part Two

Today I will review Learn to Play Go Volume II: The Way of the Moving Horse by Janice Kim (3 dan) and Jeong Soo-hyun (9 dan). This is the second book in her Learn to Play Go series. This game picks up where the last leaves off. It begins to teach you to think about Go strategically. The book takes its title from the Korean word haengma. Haengma refers to "[t]he way stones 'run' or 'move' ... A group of stones is called ma or 'horse' in Korean, so haengma is something like the Way of the Moving Horse."

The book is divided into two parts and fourteen chapters.

Part I Principles

Chapter 1 Process of Go
Chapter 2 The Knack of the Opening
Chapter 3 Enclosures and Approaches
Chapter 4 Answering the Approach
Chapter 5 Bases and Extensions
Chapter 6 The Way of the Moving Horse
Chapter 7 Invasion and Reduction

Part II Skills

Chapter 8 How to Attack
Chapter 9 How to Defend
Chapter 10 The Art of the Capturing Race
Chapter 11 Ko Fighting and Ko Threats
Chapter 12 Life and Death
Chapter 13 The Art of Contact Fighting
Chapter 14 Ending the Game

Part I deals with traditional relationships between stones. It compares the relative advantages and disadvantages of connecting and attacking stones using different spatial relationships of placement. Part two uses your knowledge of these moves and the technique from the first book of the series to teach you to win tactics and maintain control of and overall strategy. These two books must be read in conjunction with one another to achieve a fuller knowledge of the game.

This book also comes with an interesting and useful list of Internet sources for Go players. I have linked the more useful ones on this website. I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to learn to play Go.

Book Review - Learn to Play Go Janice Kim Jeong Soo-hyun

I am going to review the finest introductory book to the game of Go you can find. The book is Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game. It is written by Janice Kim (3 dan) and Jeong Soo-hyun (9 dan). The language of the book is easier to understand than other introductions to the game I have read. The book is organized as follows:

Part I: Fundamentals

Chapter 1 What is Go?
Chapter 2 Capturing
Chapter 3 Connecting and Cutting
Chapter 4 Where You Can't Play
Chapter 5 Life and Death
Chapter 6 Ko
Chapter 7 Territory
Chapter 8 A Real Game

Part II: Fundamentals

Chapter 9 Capturing Techniques
Chapter 10 Connecting Techniques
Chapter 11 Life and Death Techniques
Chapter 12 Capturing Races
Chapter 13 Ko Fighting
Chapter 14 Ending and Counting

The first part is mostly vocabulary and rules. It explains what the game is and how a winner is decided. The second part focuses more on the basic skills you need to win. There are also interesting notes inset in the material on great go players and the historic significance of the game.

When you finish this book you will not be prepared to play on a 19x19 board against a good opponent. This book is more tactical than strategic in nature. After I read this book I found that I was winning battles and capture races but losing the overall war. I would allow my opponent to build influence and claim territory while I was busy capturing and connecting. Without this book and these techniques you can't advance on to broader strategic goals. The next two books in the series fill this gap. I will review them on a later date.

Swing and a Miss

I tried to create a file of a game in a movie format. I was able to make a good .avi of the game but I failed in converting that to a .mov with music. For the record I was going to use "Right Place, Wrong Time" by Doctor John on the album All by Hisself.

It is the match between Honinbo Dochi and Yara Santonushi. It was played on December 1, 1711 in Okinawa. It was an international Go match between the head of the house of Honinbo and a Ryukyuan noble who was very young and very talented. You can read about the match here.

For the record Dochi won without counting. I have been having trouble with Go KGS. Yesterday I was in a great game and I lost my Internet connection entirely. The problem is not in the site but with my poor router and Internet.

Screen Recorder

I found out how to create game files of any game I want. Apparently I need to find a thing called a screen recorder. You hit record, then play the .sgf fil of the game of go on your player. You can record it create a movie file which is a little easier to digest. I think I'm going to try this...

I Corinthians 10:31

My minister as part of the sermon today mentioned I Corinthians 10:31. This verse says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This verse was a favorite of my elementary school principle when I was young. It also falls in with the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Q: "What is the chief end (purpose) of man?"

A: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever."

How do we glorify God in our hobbies? If we are to eat and drink to His glory, surely I am to play Go to His glory. I don't believe this means I should never lose. I think perhaps this might mean:

1) I always play my best as he gives me the ability and experience to play.
2) I don't cheat my opponent.
3) I always treat my opponent with love.
4) I don't keep this passion to myself but seek out the company of others to share the enjoyment of Go and witness through living for Him.

I know that this is an unusual line of questioning for this blog but these are things I've pondered.

Thoughts on Go

I played Go against my wife tonight. She is familiar with the rules and has played a few games. She hasn't read nearly as much about the game or spent as much time obsessing over the subject as I have. She pushed me hard. I won by eight or nine moku not including my komi for playing white. For someone who really hasn't studied the game she plays very well. She is one of the smartest people I know so it isn't a surprise that she is an intuitive player.

I play the game because it relaxes me. It allows me to clear my mind of all extraneous thought and for a while escape onto the board. There it is only me and my opponent. We take a blank board and create shapes and duel until the borders form and one has claimed more space. The number of correct moves is virtually infinite. It is more art than science.

My wife has the opposite response. The vastness of the board stresses her out. We came to Go from a poker background. In poker, you can check, raise, call, or fold. There are only four moves. Usually only one or two is correct. Occasionally more than one could be correct. In no limit, there may be mathematical calculations to figure out how much to raise or if the pot odds are sufficient to call. Facing a board where there could be a dozen moves that would help claim position or firm a boundary, my wife gets stressed.

I suppose the game of Go isn't for everyone. At least she reads the blog...

Go Lessons?

Without more Yukari Sensei lessons I run low on good visual sources of lessons. I promise I will get more creative. Here are two "lessons" from youtube. Obviously these aren't serious but its something to look at...



And lesson 2

Another Win

Darkynou Even Game, Win, White + 11.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?3cz11dh1ztl

This was an interesting game. He was ranked 20 kyu which is one rank ahead of me. He asked to play as black. For those who don’t know, in Go, the stronger player usually plays as white and goes second. In compensation, he is given 6.5 (6 ½) komi points. Komi used to be 5 ½ but they changed it because black’s win ratio had gone over 51%. Who keeps track of these things? Anyway, I played white despite being rated the weaker player.

Move 5 He opened with a very aggressive fuseki. He immediately attacked my position rather than develop more space.

Move 34 I should have continued hane, had I pressed at O1 it would have removed a square of territory. As it is, he really won the opening salvo of this game. He took firm control over the bottom corners. I took the middle third of the bottom and had some influence over the left center. I begin an attack on his territory in the top.

Move 41 I’ve been bounced by you before Tigger. I feel I get too aggressive with this joseki. If he hadn’t let up he would have captured me here and solidified the corner.

Move 58 I catch him in a ladder but notice the ladder breaker WAAAAAY down there at F3. I’m glad I noticed it early.

Move 70 A capture at P 11 might have ended it right there but I opted for territory. Probably a mistake.

Move 100 The battle for that corner ends. I think I have the best of it but I allowed him too much territory in the center right of the board. Had I captured at 70 he would have no hope there.

Move 114, the beginning of two interesting races, I connect to make life on the first but leave him with too much influence over the unclaimed portion of the board.

Move 138, The second race begins. I take his influence and claim most of the left side of the board as my territory. It was all over but the dame at this point.

Move 168 Putting him in Atari at E 16 is really double Atari, when he chooses to extend to save the one stone I kill three and extend territory.

Move 190 insured life in the jeep formation in the center. Had he played there, he could have killed my group.

Last Lessons from Yukari Umezawa Yoshihara

Here are the last set of lessons from Yukari Sensei (吉原 由香里). Apparently they cancelled the show after a year and a half. I think we can assume this had nothing to do with the writer's strike. It was useful. Maybe I'll have to find other resources to fill the void...

In this episode, Mai and Yukki play a real game of Go while Yukari kibitzes in the corner. Kibitz is the accepted term in Go circles for people who comment on the game. Strange it isn't something Japanese.

On a Streak!

I've won 12 of the last 15 rated games I've played. That's a helluva streak considering that theoretically all the games are played with even ability either through even ability or handicap. I also haven't insisted on getting my full handicap due if my opponent haggles to lower the moku.

I really feel like I am getting stronger.

Also, there are some games of go on youtube. Some are posted by players like me who are improving and some are posted by go fans who put up historic matches. Here is one example.

Honinbo Shusaku v. Inoue Shunseki



Just another resource.

Way To Study Go Free

I have posted several of my own .sgf files. Officially it is to get as many comments on them as possible but given how little traffic has found me it is more so I can review my own games. You can actually find .sgf files of old go games from people who know what they are doing easily enough!

You can review old games from Honinbo Shusaku, Honinbo Dochi (in a game that is from 1711 almost 300 years ago!), or modern go meijin like Cho Chikun or Cho U (Zhāng Xù, 張栩, 张栩).

Finding these files is easy. I found this trick on 361 Points. All you have to do is Google search filetype:sgf. If you want to find a certain player like Shusaku, search Shusaku filetype:sgf. In no time you'll have lots of study material from true Go masters not this 22 kyu neophyte!

Go Lesson 6

There are a few interesting points on this installment of Go Go Igo with Yukari Sensei. There is an explanation of why some think Go was originally a fortune telling device. That is an interesting cultural note.

There is also one maddening "buy my DVD" moment where she doesn't give the answer to one problem. I think the answer to the problem she posed is to play in the Tigers Mouth right next to the stone at the top of his formation. If white takes it it is impossible to form two eyes and the formation dies. Any other thoughts?

Game with Synapsis

Synapsis, 6 stone handicap, win Black + 39.5 moku (stones or points)

http://www.mediafire.com/?72sfuy1e2zl

This was a match against a 17 kyu. He was definitely the stronger player but I’m not sure if he was six stones stronger. In the end, it was just too much to overcome. My first stone sealed the deciding territory.

Move 20, How could I let this group live? How would you have approached these stones? On move 28 I felt that I had to move there or let him form two eyes, should I have just let him and focused on hemming in his territory to minimize it?

Move 48, oops I do this sometimes I just make beginner moves that make my groups too easy to take

Move 78, is it possible to take these stones in the corner? I feel as though it should be but I failed… A move to P19 would have allowed him to connect, should I not try so hard to capture but focus instead on territory?

Move 104, it was obvious at this point that he was a better capture player than I was, I considered resigning looking at the group of dead stones in his strong territory, fortunately he gave me a chance at 115

Move 122, well I’ll let Gene Wilder tell you how I felt…



Move 141, I was afraid this would kill my group, I have replayed this sequence, had he made 143 at T13 he could have sealed off my escape but I could have killed and formed two eyes in the group he attacked, still an interesting attack that almost worked

Move 147, he is tenacious

Move 175, again I give up a living shape in the corner, I need to work on joseki, any book suggestions or websites? I have to stop losing these corner battles if I am to improve

He was aggressive and stronger than I was. I didn’t breathe until it was all over. If he reads this I hope he doesn’t take the clip as a sign of gloating. How often do you get to make a Mel Brooks reference in with an .sgf file and a go game review? This was the first noteworthy match I’ve had in a while. I think I can improve by reviewing my mistakes here.

Go Fiction

I am reading a book titled The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa. It is an interesting book about two people in Manchuria during the Japanese invasion in the 1930's. One is a Chinese school girl about 16. The other is a Japanese soldier who is older but a young man. The two have not met. I am about sixty pages in. He considers himself a traditional Japanese soldier guided by the Hagakure. She is interested in another young man.

Go takes a secondary role in the book so far but apparently is the mechanism by which these two meet. So far, she plays go whenever she is confused by life. She is very good.

Maybe that's how I got here too. Life has been a little confusing lately. Without giving too many details, tragedy struck our family. Sometimes it seems too much. When you sit down at a go board, you have the chance to clear your mind. There is nothing but empty space. There are 361 possible opening moves. There are 360 possible counters to each of those 361 openings. The possible combinations are almost incalcuable. It isn't a game like chess is a game. Playing go is a creative act. It helps clear my mind when I need it. It is one of the few things that can.

I'll let you know what I think of the book later. It is written well and is promising!

Go Lesson 5

Here is the fifth installment of Go Go Igo lessons from Yukari Sensei. I still haven't had many noteworthy games on KGS recently. Of course last night we had internet issues so I only played one or two games yesterday. More to come later.

Go Lesson Four

Here is the fourth installment of Go Go Igo. These are a good introduction to the game. I didn't play any interesting games yesterday online that I remember so I don't know if there will be any .sgf files today. I did win a game at the go club in the mall. It meant something to me because the guy I beat spotted me four stones on a 9x9 a couple of months ago. He is still a stronger player overall but knowing I can beat him even on a 19x19 makes me think I am improving.

Game Files

Shioheeru Even game, Loss White + 9.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?9yt2l5mdzcm

Move 19, I start a series of putting her in atari, by doing this, I allowed him to extend, are these moves vulgar?

Move 78, I should have just let those stones go after that

Move 118 How in the world did I let her build up that kind of structure pointing out towards the middle?

Move 237 at this point I know I’m in trouble and try to destroy the big territory in the middle

Very close but I lose. Apparently on KGS you have to seal off everything tight to get credit for territory. Really I had a few more points in the top left corner they just didn’t give me credit for. I still would lose but it would be within the komi.

Go Go Igo - Yukari Sensei (Part 3)

Here is the third part of the Go Go Igo lessons. They are produced by Yukari (Umezawa) Yoshihara. The youtuber who grabbed these took them from the Cartoon Network Toonami website. They post these along with Hikaru No Go episodes. This guy has done us the favor of editing out the theme for the lessons which take almost as long as the lesson itself and has high pitched children voices.

I am going to a local Go club today. I'll let you know how it goes!

Latest Games

Eldarin 5 stone handicap Win, Black + 5.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?0rexh5zmszw

Move 23, he cuts and eventually captures three stones, could this have been different? Should I have shored up this defensive position sooner?

Move 46, Oops! At least it turns out ok…

Move 68, I am kind of proud of this one, his shape is dead in the water

Move 72, Should I have captured all those or just let them exist as dead? It seemed like a large group to hold captive

Move 126, Should have playd Q11, by not connecting I doomed a huge column

Move 268, I think it’s all over, score estimator had me winning by about 30, he disagreed

Move 281, he invades what I think it a safe spot, after his last illfated invasion I was overly confident, it ends in seki (dual life)

This was close, the score estimator takes him +7.5, had I not had the large capture, this could have gone the other way… I’m sending this off to the go teaching ladder. I'll share their comments when I get them.

Fran Rod 2 stone handicap, Win, Black + 11.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?8sucu1nh9zc

This game is the opposite of the match with Eldarin, there were few battles, this was a pure territory game

Move 20, I make this move, I think I should have taken sente (initiative move that forces a response) elsewhere rather than play this

Move 64, I am afraid of his thickness pointing out towards the middle, I am also realizing that this guy isn’t a brawler, it seems like I should claim territory and build walls, I start trying a variation on an outer space style (shoutout to Takemiya Masaki) and try to hem him in and not let him get any stronger in the middle

Move 134, the walls are almost complete

Move 153, too late he makes an invasion, he does succeed in carving out a small slice, could I have prevented giving this up?

I promise I’m not just posting wins. I’m on a bit of a hot streak!

Yukari Sensei Go Go Igo Lesson 2

Courtesty of Youtube, here are the second set of Go Go Igo lessons from Yukari Sensei. Yes I know it is designed for a younger crowd but learning go is learning go.

Nuance and Elegance

In reviewing my game files I can see that my game lacks elegance. I am getting better than I was before I started playing on the kisdeo go server (kgs go server as it is redundantly and popularly known). I am starting to move in ways that deny a base trusting that when the fighting does start my opponent cannot live as opposed to trollishly attaching to his stones hoping to out-duel him. When I read comments on professional games I still can't see why they allow some situations to develop. I realize that higher ranked players than myself don't capture as many stones as I do. This is an elegant game and I rely on brute strength. Any suggestions on books to read?

Games

Three games. All comments are welcome.

Kap5 5 stone handicap, Win + 5.5

http://www.mediafire.com/?8xzmmimdcmb

Pumukl Even, Loss – Resigned

http://www.mediafire.com/?eqyub9xt9zh

Starting with move 71, how could I have attacked this group in the middle better? Did I just get too greedy?

Amazona – My internet gave out but this was an interesting game, if I see amazona again, I’d like to finish it; do you think I was losing?

http://www.mediafire.com/?4rnmzjmnltm

Move 27 did I get greedy with this move?

Move 104 She starts a ladder ignoring the ladder breaker at J9

Move 126 I realize how much thickness she has facing out in the middle of the board, I’ve been doing this, winning capture battles but giving up too much thickness out towards the middle of the board, any suggestions?

The score estimator estimates that Amazona was winning, do you think she was? I felt I was in control of the game.

Video

I will post later with some games from yesterday. I lost internet connection in a few games. I might post one of those which I thought was interesting. I also had one escaper. I was beating a 15 kyu in a three stone handicap game. He played hane in a corner trying to make an eye. He realized as soon as I played to block that the entire corner was lost and he fled the board. I was mad because at that small of a handicap this could have been a signature win.

In the meanwhile, here is a video introducing you to the game of go.



This video is a children's show called Go Go Igo. The teacher is Yukari Sensei aka Umezawa Yukari. She is a consultant on the cartoon version of Hikaru No Go. She is a 5 dan professional and a good teacher.

Here is a comedic look at a technique called the ladder breaker.

Games

Here are some recent sgf files from my go games on KGS. Again, be kind, I am new but all comments are welcome. I recent read the first three books of the Learn to Play Go series and I think I am improving but have a long way to go.

Tumblekax 11/28 Four Stone Handicap, Win + 48.5

Moves 58-64

Should I have tried to cap the territory like that or focused on the edges in other parts of the board?

Move 87-100

Could I have more effectively blocked the intrusion?

Move 164

Is it a good idea to build thickness off of an alive shape? The wall is anchored to the two eyed fixture. Is this as good of an idea as it seems like or should I play elsewhere.

Takeru Four Stone Handicap, Win +94.5

Move 33

He starts to run, I try to stop him but he keeps squirting through the line, could I have pursued better or should I not even worry about trying to stop someone who has no intention of forming thickness or an eye?

Move 171

I get the feeling I shouldn’t have let him live in the corner but somehow he eked out a living. How could I have killed the group?

Emmiska Three stone handicap, Loss - Black Resigned

Move 31

Would I have been better served going for the piece at L 18? I couldn’t run a ladder capture. By playing the way I did, I allowed white to escape. This entire exchange up to move 42 turned the game.

Move 47

Should I have stopped fighting for the large group right here and admitted it was dead?

Move 79

Ouch, I should have resigned right there but didn’t because I felt I could contest the other side and had some thickness built on the wall.

Move 127

And done.

I resigned. I felt outclassed to be honest. The score estimator still had me up by 69but I felt like he was beating me up and down. Should I have fought some more?

And so it begins...

Welcome

I am El Guapo. I am a law student living in the South. I have become fascinated with the Chinese game of Go. It is a board game in which opponents set stones on a 19x19 board in an effort to capture stones and territory. I have been neglecting studies to play on KGS. You can find me under the name Alcibaides. I am not very good yet. I intend to post progress reports, sgf files and other items to mark progress and discuss go. I will also post links to go resources on the web. Occasionally parts of life might seep in. Any comments are welcome.