Today I tested out the advice from yesterday, spending extra time thinking about my first 50 moves. The main thing this accomplished was to show me how little I really know about openings. Many times I was left with very little ideas as to where I should play. I know where I could play but I have no idea of which constitutes a better choice or what the outcomes might be.
Take this diagram from one of my games today, for instance:
Should white play A? Or maybe B? C? D? E?F? Is the approach at B too close? Too high? These are the questions that I can never seem to answer by myself. Here is a diagram from later in the game when I reached another dilemma:
I've messed up greatly in letting black construct a large moyo in the top side and middle of the board with M11, P11, and P14. Now I am stuck with the question of how to invade? My mind doesn't even know where to begin. I played the game to the end, even when things looked bleak. I ended up making a lucky capture at a weak spot in one of black's walls and managed to at least close the lead a little but, giving black a victory of 7.5 moku.
I submitted the sgf file to The Go Teaching Ladder, a free to use service that allows you to submit sgf files which will then be reviewed by higher level players and returned to you. That should be back in about a week.
Study, Study, Study
Any good art takes time and dedication. That is why I have decided to take a further step in my advancement as a Go player. I spent the last few hours scoping out potential sources for Go lessons/lectures, and while the choice at the moment for me is fairly obvious, I have compiled a few here to share with you.
First up, the most affordable of the three, is Guo Juan's Go School. Guo Juan is ranked 5p (professional). For 1 euro (about $1.50) you are able to listen to one lecture of your choice (by Guo Juan herself or some other various players) as many times as you want for one month. This is affordable with the exception being that in order to experience a larger handful of lectures, the price can add up. This option I might consider as an extra supplement.
Secondly comes Cristian Pop's Internet Go School. Cristian Pop is ranked 7d. For 30 euro, or roughly $40, you can buy a single 2 hour lesson with Cristian himself. For 35 euro, or about $50, you can attend one month of group lessons (one per week), with similarly ranked group members, and homework. Downsides to this include high price and having to cater to a specific schedule.
Lastly, and my personal choice of the three, is KGS Plus. KGS Plus is a service for the Kiseido Go Server in which, for $15 per three months, you can attend weekly lectures and participate in monthly tournaments. The lectures are presented in voice and in text (through the KGS client software) by numerous highly ranked players and professionals. This is the best choice for me, as not only can you download the lectures after the actual lecture date, leaving you free to enjoy them on your own time, (Although you lack the ability to participate) but it is also the most bang for your buck.
Certainly these are not the only options available to you, and I will probably share more in a later post. Tomorrow I will purchase 3 months of KGS, and possibly 1 or 2 lectures from Guo Juan's Go School. Perhaps something on the opening, as that seems to be my current area of focus right now.
Until then,
-BuddytheRat
