The Go Community

As you might have realized from this blog, I have a fond interest in Go. I'd like to get in touch with everything that might help me improve as a player. Therefore I request from you to share with me all different URL links to Go community sites, related videos or pictures and even all kinds of match records. Even link your own sgf-files if you please. I want everything Go to motivate my game, my passion and my blog.

Some eye candy to fill out the entry

Thanks.

SGF viewer and a good game

Finally I've embedded a SGF viewer to the blog (thanks to the comment Koji made to my previous entry). I decided to inaugurate this digital wonder by showing a game I played in ranked 19x19 against gogo76 [20k]. I enjoyed this game, not only because I won but because it's rare I find a game against someone of about equal kyu. I'm not ready to take on those tough guys and gals in ranked games yet. I still need lots of practice. I want to give credits to Gludion for the SGF viewer.

I might pick up stones manually tomorrow if I play my first real life game of Go with pel [3k], but more of that after it actually happens. I'm also currently reading Richard Bouzlich's The Second Book of Go as well as James Davies' Life and Death. I'll soon make an entry about my reflections about the literature.

It's on! Ranked 19x19

I've played much Go tonight and I've gone from 21 kyu to 16 kyu and then back to 21 kyu. But the rating aside, I've grown much as a player. I used to feel very intimidated by the 19x19 board size because I'm so new to the game and so many players I've encountered have had frightening skills (though I have mostly played people with higher rating than myself). There are two games tonight that I'm especially fond over. One because I met a person with about as little experience with the game as I have and the other because what begun as a very awkward game ended up with an even game where I managed to claim a lot of territory (though still loosing with 8.5 moku).

I won't show full match records of these two games since 19x19 games are too long to record with pictures and, as much as I'd like to, I haven't found any ways to add a SGF viewer on a Blogspot page. I'm sure there is a way. Enlighten me, somebody! I will show the complete boards of both games though and let you see if you can figure out how the games have played. It might be difficult because of my (mostly skew) play.

Ekorren [17k] (W) vs. snakeeater [26k] (B)

Ekorren [17k] (W) vs. Kratos [17k] (B)

Questioning my sexual orientation

I played a 19x19 game tonight. It was my first rated game of that board size, and I can't say it ended happily. About 3/4 into the game, my opponent wanted to undo after he made a false move which caused me to capture a big chunk of his stones. I felt that such mistakes aren't reason enough to undo a move, so I declined. There are no do-overs in a real battle, but that's not my reason. I declined because I don't believe a mistake in a rated game justifies a do-over when the mistake is caused by a lack of thinking before playing (or not seeing before it's too late). However, this declination of the do-over led to a heated monologue from his part in which he multiple times questioned my sexual orientation and claimed that it had an affect of my honesty playing the game.

Sure, I can allow someone to undo their moves from time to time. but this person's behaviour convinced me to be reluctant to doing so even in the future. This game gave me a bitter taste and suddenly I don't feel very happy about my improvement to 17 kyu. I hope my next game will be against a friendly and honest player.

Finally a won battle!

I haven't gotten much Go practice the last two days because of work and anti-social computer games. I did however find some time for a game on KGS tonight (correction: I didn't actually find some time, but I stole some valuable time from what could have been a good night's sleep). I have missed Go the last couple of days but I found a worthy opponent at my skill level which would join for an even game of 13x13 (I'm 21k and my opponent was 18k). This was the first time I won in an even fight against another player in 13x13 (and to tell you the truth: it was my first time playing 13x13)! Sure, it might not have been an epic battle, but I won nontheless. And we all know that wins equals growth. Hopefully I'll get some good 19x19 games together soon.

What I learned from previous games was to secure the corners. I also tried to retaliate as often as I could. If I did any bad moves, I'd appreciate if someone would write a comment to this article and tell me how I could have played differently. All tips are helpful.

I think my worst mistake during the part on the second picture is to fall for the rookie mistake in the upper left corner. I thought I could secure some territory in the corner but got surrounded and captured by White. The next picture will show the rest of that battle. Is there a way for Black to escape such conditions if you go back a few moves and replay it differently?

I believe I've done well securing the bottom right corner as well as taken control of the center. A more skilled opponent could probably beat my defenses there though. If you know how, please write a comment.

The third picture shows the complete game where I win with 11.5 points. I believe White still had chances to gain territory by assaulting my stones in the bottom right corner. I'm sure you can find ways for White to win the game. If you do, please respond in a comment.

To further review the game: I made plenty of mistakes in the endgame. I got captured in the upper left corner as well as in the center (can you find ways for Black to survive in the center?). I thought those mistakes would make me lose the game, but my opponent wanted to end the game after I played in F10. I accepted and won the game. I still can't read points though. I think it's time for me to learn.

Hopefully I'll get a 19x19 game done soon. I'll also recieve the books I've ordered either today or tomorrow. Many of you are familiar with Go literature, but I might write a piece about them anyway after I've read and learned from them.