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.