Today has been quite an interesting day. In all the games I played today, there seemed to be one consistent theme: When the opponent gives me an opportunity to attack, I am in attack mode the rest of the game.

This is rather reminiscent of my DDK (double digit kyu) days when I would engage in these local battles that just bled onto the rest of the board. The main difference now though is that I am actually aware of the effects my moves have on my other groups and how the progression will affect my territory. Unfortunately, my attacks always fell short by a bit and I’d end up losing by a rather wide margin.

That being said, there were a number of times where I realized I was probably ahead and should’ve played more solid moves and let my opponent live. The rational course of action would be to just win the game without any hiccups, but it seems the green eyed go monster has been haunting me all day. Hopefully for my next set of games, I will be able to maintain a calmer demeanor in my go.

Finally, before I close out tonight’s post, I wanted to give a shout out to Frederic! It was great to meet you and be able to play with you today! Looking forward to playing you more often in the future!

That is the question.

I’ve been fortunate enough to make some incredible friends since my return to go, and I was quite surprised to find that many were curious about when I would finally play a ranked game again.

To start, I’m shocked that I didn’t try to play a ranked game the moment the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve. Yet, more than three days later, I’m sitting here with three free games under my belt and not a ranked game in sight. So the question is, what am I waiting for?

In all honesty, I think part of me is torn between returning to ranked games and continuing my study method for an additional month. On one hand, I’m really curious how much growth I’ve undergone since my ranked game sabbatical in December. On the other hand, I’m thinking that it might be more exciting to continue as I have and see where I am in another month! xD After all, I need to get as strong as I can possibly get before the North American Go Convention!!!

And the other thing that I have to remember is that I am getting thrashed on Tygem and WBaduk at 6k or below, so in actuality, I might not have grown as much as I am hoping I did. So for now, looks I’m going to continue sticking to league games and continuing my training!

Weekly Go Wednesday, Issue #11

Counting (i.e., estimating territory at any point in the game). Although this is a skill that many would say is critical to improving the consistency of your games, this is probably the skill that is most avoided by go players all around. For those who are not aware of the benefits of counting, it boils down to one simple principle: It provides guidance as to how aggressively/defensively you should be playing.

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Happy 2013!!!!

For my first post of 2013, I’m happy to inform you all that I will now be on Tygem as well as KGS! My username is still bengozen, so be sure to request a game if you ever see me on! (If you’re wondering what my thoughts are on the server, be on the lookout for the review in the near future!)

When I asked frozensoul what his thoughts were about me getting on Tygem, he told me that I should set my rank at 18k and then fight my way up. I really liked the idea, except I realized that I had already registered my account as 8-9k (a few months ago) and it seems I cannot change it anymore. So even though I am missing out on the DDK fighting, it’ll still be nice to see if I can climb up to my KGS rank this way.

Thus far, the opponents I have played on have a completely different style from what I’m used to on KGS. Lots and lots of fighting….

Case and point: see my first game record for 2013 below!

Well everyone, looks like this will be my final post for 2012. As I look back at 2012 and all the craziness that has come with it, I am definitely glad that go is once again an important part of my life. It’s been a fun year with me getting back into go and then bringing the go blog back full force.

In terms of how my progress, here’s my rank graph for 2012.

Note: I did not play a single ranked game in December though. So the graph seems a little weird… haha.

In terms of my big accomplishment, it would have to be that I made it into mid-SDK range. I must admit though, it seems like just yesterday when I was playing as a 10k. Not sure I feel much stronger though. =D

For next year, my goal is to reach a solid dan status on KGS. Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Don’t know till I try. =D

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Overall Rating: 10 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

• Title: First Kyu
• Author: Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong
• Publisher: Good Move Press
• Publication Date: July 1999
• Page Length: 194 pages

Synopsis

• A compelling story that is a fast read, but keeps you on the edge of your seat.
• A fantastic insight into the world of go in Korea.
• Even if we subtract the aspect of go from the book, it is still a great story that I think many will appreciate.
• Highly recommended for anyone with the slightest interest in go/baduk/weiqi.

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Rating: 4 /5 Ponnuki

Synopsis:

• A fantastic resource for game reviews when you don’t have time for real-time reviews.
• It’s FREE!!!!
• The reviews are not instantaneous, but what you’d expect from a volunteer based service?

Detailed Review:

GoTeachingLadder is a fantastic resource for players want to have their games reviewed.

As it is a completely volunteer based service, one cannot expect the same level of reviews that you might receive from strong players online; but this does not diminish the value of this website.

The process for submitting a game for review is very simple:

1. Click the link for submitting a game.
2. Fill out the form.
3. Verify that the information is correct.
4. Submit your request.
5. Enjoy your game review when you receive it!

One of the things about GTL that makes it so effective is the fact that they allow you to ask specific questions about your game so that you can be sure those aspects are given the attention you desire. If it weren’t for this aspect, the value of the reviews would be diminished greatly.

The only downside to this resource is the fact that the wait time can be up to a couple weeks at a time depending on your reviewer. While you should expect nothing less from a volunteer based site, this can diminish the value of the game reviews since you may not quite remember the lessons as vividly as shortly after the game.

For more information and common questions, visit their FAQ page here!

So lately, I’ve been playing pool with my family, and I have to say that I realized how accustomed I’ve become to the manner of play in go. For those who aren’t familiar with pool, a player can theoretically play the entire game from start to finish without ever letting the opponent have a single turn. Can you imagine how I felt as a go player?! It’s as if I passed every time an opponent put down a stone. AHHHHHHH!!!!!

With that random anecdote, I’m still happy to report that my ranked game sabbatical has continued to be sustain. Although in all honesty, with the league games diminishing in availability, I am starting to feel the urge to start playing ranked games again. I’ve even resorted to playing two games of blitz go yesterday (which was a complete and utter mistake might I add). Playing league games consistently has certainly weakened my ability to play blitz go properly, but I think that’s a plus more than a negative.

On that note, the month is nearly over! I’m not sure whether or not I want to continue abstaining from ranked games or not, so I guess I’ll see when the time comes.

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

• Title: Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Volume 4
• Author: Kano Yoshinori
• Translator: Richard Bozulich
• Publisher:Kiseido
• Publication Date: April 1990
• Page Length: 197 pages
• Number of Problems: 390

Synopsis

• This is where the go problems begin to get more complicated and advanced.
• Continues the general format from the previous volumes, but has a higher expectation of its readers.
• Appropriate for 10 kyu and stronger.
• Recommended for serious players and above.

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Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

• Title: Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Volume 3
• Author: Kano Yoshinori
• Translator: Richard Bozulich
• Publisher: Kiseido Publishing Company
• Publication Date: March 1987
• Page Length: 199 pages
• Number of Problems: 421

Synopsis

• This is where the go problems begin to get more complicated and advanced.
• Continues the general format from the previous volumes, but has a higher expectation of its readers.
• Appropriate for 10 kyu and stronger.
• Recommended for serious players and above.

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