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velobici
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Velobici plays on KGS (mostly) and IGS (sometimes), when work and children allow him the time. Although, he learned the rules many years ago (back in the days of Unix V5, not SystemV), he has not progressed as well as one might expect. His greatest Go worry these days is staying ahead of his son, whom he taught to play about six months ago (late fall 2001). Unfortunately, he made the error of contacting Mr Yang Yi-lun 7 dan regarding lessons for his son. The probability of continuing to play even games between Velobici and his son does not look good. (2002-08-27)
The situation is getting grimmer for Velobici. His son is improving at the rate of one rank a month, going from 13k to 8k in five months. How long will this continue? I have promised him his own goban and stones when he reaches 1k-1D. (2002-10-03)
Uh Oh, he is now at the midway point between 1k and 1D on KGS. Better order the board, stones and bowls now. (2003-06-01)
He is solidly a 1D on KGS now. Placed his reward, the bowls and stones, on top of his Goban in the living room. Now you might think that at least one of the four kids would notice this change immediately. Took them almost an hour to notice. (2003-08-31).
Reading is everything. It is the basis for all play. The best strategic play, not backed up by good reading will be ripped apart once the other person figures out that one cant read well. So, I am currently working though 1001 Life and Death Problems and will move that to other life and death books, occasionally looking at other material. For too long I have been to weak at reading. That will change, NOW. Interestingly, there is a rare out of print life and death book for professionals by Segoe Kensaku that Kobayashi Koichi has worked through 20 times (as of Go World 37, Autumn 1984). Even still he finds some of the problems difficult after having solved them 19 times previously. Incentive to study life and death daily, read deeper, gain strength.
In the same issue of Go World, it mentions that Kobayashi Koichi worked through all of Shusaku's games 10 times as of the same date. That's 400+ games every 18 months, close to one a day. Surely, after that much study, the methods and patterns of Shusaku's play must become familiar enough that one could try to imagine how Shusaku would play in a given position. (Shades of Hikaru no Go and Fujiwara no Sai ?) I have heard that Mark T Hall, of GoGoD gained two stones in strength by entering all of Go Seigen's games into SGF files. (2003-06-01)
Quasi-Blog
(20031115) My style of play has changed to be territorial and strength based, building several easily defended positions that tend to be low. This requires a lot of patience, as it seems that I am behind in territory throughout the game. I don't know if I win in the endgame or am too generous in counting the other player's territory. My recent concentration on tsume-go is contributing to this style of play, I suspect. One nice result is that I make fewer moves that I regret having played.
(20031110) Been a long time since I added to this. Have continued doing problems from 1001 Life and Death Problems, starting from the beginning once again in quasi-force feeding mode, but diligently enough to be called force feeding. Nonetheless, it does help.
Played at go club last night, a game I should have won very handily, yet for two reading three reading errors I won by komi. Black was a KGS 5k. Perhaps he just find me a difficult opponent as my rating on KGS is currently 9k.
(20031001) Finally finished 1001 Life and Death Problems. As a result my play has developed some sharpness. I can read much better than before. Now its time to go back through it book several more times while moving on to study something else, perhaps Making Good Shape. I have got to stop this pattern of playing, not playing for a little while, playing, stopping, playing. I keep bouncing up and down over a couple of ranks as I do this. Its down right silly!
(20030924) Still working on 1001 Life and Death Problems, now at problem 970. I think that I am procrasting finishing the book because doing the problems have been so good to me. For example, Sunday night at the Baltimore Go Club I played a game with White against a player that has been giving me trouble lately. The game was a very good one, tense, and demanding the whole way through. Managed to do at least two things right: 1. played patiently, creating thickness and groups that could live easily via miai without overdeveloping the groups, 2. read well, I was able to kill an invasion that should have succeeded(?) as well as restrict the potential of a group by playing on both sides of it successfully. The group lived till an error late in the game resulted in it dying. Reading is Everything.
(20030912) Nearly completed 1001 Life and Death Problems. The last two hundred problems, five-move problems -- Black to kill, are going slowly. Nonetheless the working is rewarding, I am becoming more deadly on the go board. Unfortunately, as this happens, my strategic play is weakening. Just too much blood lust from doing all these problems. Now I need to balance better my local reading with the global, whole board situation. Most importantly, my reading is improving, as we know reading is everything ;) Nonetheless, I am still bouncing around between 11k and 9k on KGS. Must play more often.
(20030824) Played a game last night at the Baltimore Go Club which felt as if I had played the game before, at least for the first 20 moves. Misread one tactical situation, failing to kill (perhaps they were not killable) a group of 6 stones. But I played in a solid, controlled manner, always feeling as if the game favored me. Forced a resignation within 100 moves by surrounding and cutting off a group of 12 stones without eyes. Felt as if I had the direction of play well in hand. This is against a 9k AGA. Perhaps I am starting to improve?
(20030731) Endgame...understanding which moves are endgame and which are not.
(20030724) Avoiding serious errors. Finally played a game in which I did not make any serious errors. Hopefully, this is the start of something new. At my current level, games are often decided by the last serious error.
Developable areas. I need to understand better when a side is developable.
Squeezing. Squeezing a group from the outside yields significant benefit. The group becomes smaller and may be subject to attack. Ones outside position is greatly strenghtened. Trying to attack/kill before squeezing may result in the group breaking out or one's outside being needless thin.
(20030714) Connection...watching each group or string of stones and making sure that it will connect to a live group recently has become a constant consideration in my play. This is particularly true as the remaining liberties begin to fill. It not actually a worry, but rather a present consideration.
(20030713) At 11k KGS, the board is starting to come together. I find myself considering much more often how play in one area will affect possible play in other areas of the board. Perhaps, the simplest example being looking for/at ladders that can arise during play in one corner and how the rest of the board will affect those ladders.
(20030710) Finally coming to understand the harm ones does by touching weak stones.
(20030601) Double Ko. You can live via a double ko. At KGS 11k this is new to me. Never realized it until now.
Notes ?
- Loose pincer is good for defense (komoku - keima kakari - 3 space high pincer)
- When you have a corner enclosure on one side of the board, approach the other player's stones closely in the adjacent corner, provided that they are not strong. If your opponent invades behind you, he will end up with two weak groups.
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2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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