A Baduk Blog

Day 11

Attempting to make my own trick joseki called the throwing star (the flying knife already exists). Studied pincer josekis with Ed. Took a lesson from him, too. Realized a blind-spot in my reading. If it will take two stones or less to get surrounded, keep jumping out.

Post-lesson notes from Ed:

Key points: Timing of Aji: -Create list of potential points of aji and work through how your opponent would 2. respond in an ideal way for them. -In general, reducing eyespace precedes playing points of strong aji

Joseki: -Joseki are not fixed, they are an assortment of tools to be used to affect the whole board state in a way that you want.

(adendum: I think picking the josekis at the beginning is like deciding on a map to fight in, like in a fighting game, after you pick your characters, you pick a level. You’re building it from the corners, as you fight. The map appears in front of you, the fog of war lifts.)

Whole-Board mentality -Pinch self every few moves to remember to assess the whole-board -Local loss is acceptable for global gain -Read several local options to pick the best for the whole-board situation

Day 12

Sometimes I have to make a mistake so many times in a row I get tired of it and refocus. It's good to be playing enough that I have a chance to get tired of my bad habits.

I desire to play timed games as much as I can from now on. It helps me focus.

Day 13

Streamed tonight for 4 hours. I'm three followers away from 100 on Twtich which is exciting and makes me feel encouraged. I want to offer go lessons someday. I am playing go that makes better sense, but still slipping up sometimes in later midgame when the board gets cluttered.

Day 14

The difference in effect between 3rd and 4th line stones is more significant than it seems.

Day 15, August First

1. Turn 2. Split, 3. Play inside. That order. For killing groups of stones.

Large scale, I can see all the important moves but a lot of them I don't get to on time before my opponent gets there. My order of events is off. My priorities unsorted.

Metaphor

Day 16

Metabolism.

If you get surrounded by your opponent, you will eventually become the negative space inside your opponent's group. You can become a dead shape on purpose. Once swallowed, become a poison. Your opponent will try to make you a vitamin. Resist. Become death.

Connect solidly so your opponent doesn't exploit your weaknesses. If they're good, they will. If you ask for too much, move too fast, become too thin, you will get cut up and that means you have to know how to deal with that. Easier to just connect solidly.

Are you 600% sure you're going to be able to kill that group? If not, don't make the game depend on that one situation. In general. Try to avoid having the entire game depend completely on whether you're right or wrong about one thing. Spread your investments out

Part 4

If you can train yourself to read faster, that counts for a lot. If you can read 3 variations (accurately) in the time your opponent can read 2, over the course of a game you'll see so many more possibilities than them. How much more likely, you finding path to victory

Day 17

Preparing a lecture on life, death, metabolism, and strange corner-physics

Day 18

We played a lot of blitz in the evening. I don't like playing that fast. I learned some one-space-high-pincer josekis.

Check your connections. Watch the clock. Focus your aim. Don't think, though. Edhellen says. Flow.

Day 19

Was mostly volunteer work. Graphic design and OBS/overlay stuff for the pro qualifiers.

But a big thing is, I decided on a temporary goal for my Go playing- Get all my games into end game. I will win or lose there instead of middle game. This feels important.