Revisiting Sector Lines

One of the very first purchases I ever made in terms of Go learning materials was Bruce Wilcox's Sector Lines and Contact Fights. I remember going through these two products and thinking it was all so easy.

So why couldn't I seem to integrate the material.

Well, I hadn't looked at them since I hit 15kyu over a year ago, and I pulled out sector lines last night and began to reread through it. I went through just the Elementary material, and it was amazing. There were concepts in there that I had completely failed to see or to understand the first time through. And this was just the elementary material. There are still the novice, adept, and advanced sections, or whatever the heck he calls them.

There was a recent thread on godiscussions to which I was pointed by chiyodad in a roundabout way. And though I did not chime in there, it was what motivated me to revisit this material. And I find that his style of teaching through his dojo software is very clear and understandable.

Recommended.

A tesuji? No, really?

I was very proud of seeing this tesuji tonight. Granted, I think it may have depended on my opponent's unthinking response to a typical yose move, but still...

I'm playing Black. The tesuji is in the upper right hand corner, where that white group looks suspiciously ... something...

B K19, W L 19, B N18

I've been losing a lot otherwise, but I hear that's the key to greatness.

At long last

It's been a long series of losses.

In the past, this is the type of activity that would have caused me to keep playing just one more game, shooting for that win that I knew lay just over the horizon (but which invariably - in fact - didn't).

However, thanks to NannyOgg's last post, and her repeated tutelage, I have been able to simply continue to play, seeking only the best (bad) move I can make, without care of winning or losing.

And in a very calm game last night, I beat a 7K by 40+ points.

Do you know how I did it?

He was greedy and went for just that little extra bit too much that overextends one.

How do I know this?

I did the same thing in my last 12 games. And lost.

Funny Go Videos?

Okay, this may not exactly be your speed, but I found these Go Lessons 1, 2, and 3 to be amusing.

Especially Lesson 1.

Seriously. That is the strongest shape around.

Back in the thick of it...

Well, I guess I really am back now.

I went to the meeting of the phoenix go club tonight, and it was such great fun. I played the president - who is a 1kyu - at 9 stones, and I actually won: 36 to 35.5. Was he trying for a draw like a pro? Was his mind not totally on the game?

Who knows. But it was superfun (tm) and I can't wait to go back on Saturday.

Then, I logged into KGS, and said hi to an old friend, and then was given a teaching game by a 6k who soundly trounced me. However, despite the rust, I can see some interesting moves sometimes, and I look forward to playing more.

The big lessons I take away from my games today are twofold:

Ina handicap game, simply strengthen your weak stones, and your opponent's weaknesses will become apparent.

My reading is rusty as all get-out!

In both games, I was able to focus, and create some furious battles, which invariably ended like a stuck balloon when I suddenly would forget things like, "two stones surrounded by an enemy's stones will be captured", or, "you need two eyes to live - TWO I tell you".

I love this game!

Back?

NannyOgg wrote me today to say that chiyodad had mentioned me on his blog.

Wow.

Anyway, I haven't touched a stone in over a year-and-a-half.

But I played my first game this week past, and actually won. Goes to show you that I'm just as good as I ever was. (Which is not very, given my previous 15k rank).

However, I simply forgot how much I loved this game.

I've been playing magic a lot, which I used to play all the time. But while it is a great game, it lacks the majesty of Go.

See ya.