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Level indicators
   

Progress means making fewer mistakes. Some typical mistakes disappear at a certain level. A player of lower rank might get it right, of course, but a player of higher rank never gets it wrong.

For example, I noticed that IGS 6k* (3k* at present) quite often make the following error.

[Diagram]
White loses

At some point of the game White decides to save WC. But W1 is a mistake. White cannot play hanetsugi a now: Black has hane b that leaves White with a ridiculous shape.

At IGS 5k* (2k*) level this error did not occur anymore.


[Diagram]
Correct

W1 is the correct way to save WC.

Charles Or at a: White at a means that Black at b is less of a forcing move. But it claims one point less.

Andre Engels I think the difference is considerably less than a point, since after white has played the hane and connection at c, d will be black's sente, taking away that point again. I personally always play a, never W1.

Charles Me too. I could find just one pro example of precisely this position. It seems that Yu Ch'ang-hyeok disagrees with us.



An IGS 1k* indicator that I noticed:

[Diagram]
Black 2 does not happen at IGS 1k* level

The correct reply is sagari at a. The difference is very small, but giving the opponnent a chance for a point without strong reason is bad.

Knowing these moves does not make anyone a 1k* or 2k* player. Progress to this level includes many such small points but if anyone misses the correct answer here, he or she is weaker for certain.

Please, bring and post here some other level indicators.


The idea of a level indicator for me applies in games against an unranked player on the net. How strong would this guy/girl be ?

In the opening you don't see much of an indicator. 2d or 9k, we all imitate pro play in the opening. But suddenly you see something like this:

[Diagram]
White loses

Aha ! The cursed angle play. Now I definitely know my opponent is of the kind that remembers certain shapes, regardless of the opponent's stones. He can't be stronger than 6k. I'll win this one ...

--Dieter

This might deserve a mention at common mistakes in fuseki. --Charles

And it is dangerous, some players have what I call an "Internet style" : a lack of theoretical knowledge, but many games played and some fighting strength, mainly in fast games. How irritating to lose against someone who plays such angle plays!

--phenomene



[Diagram]
Corner

There is no black stone around a. Then B2 and B6 are bad moves, but some beginners feel the need to protect the corner this way. (See clumsy double contact.)

No idea exactly what kind of level indicator is this, but I don't think this is seen in the single digit kyus.

--unkx80



BobMcGuigan: I wonder how well a person's over-the-board strength can be characterized by presence or absence of characteristic moves. Phenomene has mentioned internet players who make theoretically bad moves but win a lot of games because they are good fighters and can handle fast games well. I used to play a lot with a Korean man whose office was down the hall from mine. He had a 3-gup ranking (which he had earned 50 years ago) but had never studied seriously or had formal lessons. He made a lot of bad moves but he was a ferocious fighter and won a lot of games despite the bad moves. I had to respect his brute force strength but I often wondered how much stronger he would be if he knew more about good style.


BlueWyvern: There's one I try not to do, but still do sometimes so I'm not sure what level it disappears at. I've noticed a lot players at my level tend to to play forcing moves that are better left unplayed, either for tactical reasons, or just to save a ko threat. Here is an example....

[Diagram]
Don't do this....

Black wants to play B4: just play it, don't make the B2 W3 exchange. (See One-Two-Three.)


[Diagram]
Comments

unkx80: Or consider B2 to get ahead, usually better than a.


[Diagram]
Comments

Alternatively, tenuki and leave the possibility of B2, which aims at the placement at a.

Charles See also related analysis at aji keshi.



kokiri This last example is something that I have been presented with a few times and really only come completely to terms with recently as a British 4kyu or so. Another lesson that I think marks a similar sort of standard is:

[Diagram]
Black's Gote

Here Black fixes White's shape and is Gote, whereas


[Diagram]

In the 2nd diagram, Black's 5 leaves white to decide, play at a and give up Sente, or leave the potential ladder at b.



This is a copy of the living page "Level indicators" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.