On October 23 2014 10:07 Hesmyrr wrote: I once tried to learn Go after reading this thread but abandoned it due to lack of thread activity - hope it can stay more active this time.
On October 23 2014 10:07 Hesmyrr wrote: I once tried to learn Go after reading this thread but abandoned it due to lack of thread activity - hope it can stay more active this time.
On October 23 2014 04:56 Garnet wrote: http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/ Probably the most "active" Go forum. Join them if you want!.
I love that site. Malkovich games are entertaining to read though most of the time their explanation flies right through my brain.
The players write hidden comments about their plans, so you can see what they're thinking. Observers write hidden comments also -- strong players offer their own opinions on the situation. Weaker players can ask questions about what is going on etc.
On October 23 2014 17:04 gTank wrote: Hi guys, would you rather suggest using gokgs or online-go to start playing. I am an absolute beginner to this but always wanted to ply.
Both have their merit. I prefer Online Go right now but KGS is a bit more robust if I recall.
On October 23 2014 10:07 Hesmyrr wrote: I once tried to learn Go after reading this thread but abandoned it due to lack of thread activity - hope it can stay more active this time.
On October 23 2014 04:56 Garnet wrote: http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/ Probably the most "active" Go forum. Join them if you want!.
I love that site. Malkovich games are entertaining to read though most of the time their explanation flies right through my brain.
I'll see if I can keep this thread alive with the amount of questions and mistakes I make ^^ the veterans are usually on KGS or just circling this thread, waiting for some new pup to come in!
Hi, i just started playing. I've been through the tutorial in op, and gave done some exercises, but I'm don't really understand the malkovich game yet. Is it advisable to just keep playing exercises for a while until i feel familiar with the basics? Or are there other ways of learning to understand tactical/strategic play?
At goproblems.com I'm hovering around 24 kyu after some exercises, so i'm pretty bad.
On October 23 2014 19:24 Yorbon wrote: Hi, i just started playing. I've been through the tutorial in op, and gave done some exercises, but I'm don't really understand the malkovich game yet. Is it advisable to just keep playing exercises for a while until i feel familiar with the basics? Or are there other ways of learning to understand tactical/strategic play?
At goproblems.com I'm hovering around 24 kyu after some exercises, so i'm pretty bad.
Skimmed the last two pages so I'm sorry if it was already posted.
But there was a cool talk that was uploaded from the US Go Congress talking about Go and its place in the modern world. Some cool comparisons are made with StarCraft and League.
On October 23 2014 20:08 gTank wrote: Won my first game against the bots, can someone explain me why he lost all the stones in the right? https://online-go.com/game/1009968
Hey, I started Go about a year ago, sitting currently at 13k-15k (probably more 15k, I haven't played much in the last 2 month, but motivation is coming back currently) Since I'm currently trying my best NOT to write my thesis, if you have any questions/games you want to discuss/anything, just ask :D
I don't like 9x9 personally but the big board can be overwhelming. For a beginner 9x9 is probably better until they have a grasp of the core ideas. Then I'd move up to 19x19 which is more interesting and more fun.
My main issue and KillerDucky said this, is that I don't know how to be aggressive and follow-through on that aggression (they'll usually block it and then I have no idea what to do after).
9x9 games need not necessarily be aggressive. There are games in which both players just take a side and it comes down to the endgame.
It depends on the way the game starts. If black plays in the middle first a typical way to be aggressive for white is to build a position on one side first then take a 33-point on the other side trying to get ahead in territory. Sometimes you can cut their position which typically leads to an all-or-nothing fight.
If both sides start with a 33-point each there is no real way to get agressive. Both sides have settled positions already. It comes down to the better endgame.
If you have a KGS account we can discuss this during a game. It's easier to explain if you have a example.
https://online-go.com/game/1010365 -- everytime I play aggressive, I lose. I take the outer-limits and try to be cross and I always lose more than I have the chance of winning.
When it feels like I have the start of a good surrounding, I shoot myself in the foot and lose any advantage I have. It's beyond frustrating because I don't know how to take any solid wall I have and push with it.
Every game, I go: "Okay, let me try and take advantage of my strong wall" and then I try and he just traps the one stone I tried to cross with and lose.
I think starting out with a lot of 9x9 games is the way to go. 9x9 really concentrates on fighting and getting a feeling for the basics of shapes. I think these are the most important aspects a complete beginner can learn. Tsumegos are another great way of training this. As soon as playing 9x9 evolves into stale barrier-building (which somehow inevitably happens with new players at some point) it is important to move on, and maybe come back later. ( I currently enjoy 9x9 really much again, but I play it more in the style where I drop my first 2-3 moves pretty random on the board and try to make the best out of the situation) Playing 13x13 starts concentrating on the strategical sense which is not used much in 9x9, where and when to take fights, etc. The problem is this builds on the basics taught in 9x9. So moving on to quickly leads to playing moves for the wrong reason. Still I don't think 13x13 has that many benefits and 19x19 is better. 19x19 is the most beautiful game and I think you should aim to play 19x19 as soon as you can comprehend what is going on on the big board. The other consideration might be practical: A 19x19 game just takes that much longer than a 9x9 and I think it is important to play as many games as possible.
Edit: If you want to play aggressive you need to start out with more aggressive moves. Your first 3 moves are really passive and small. Try playing 4-4, 3-4 or even more middle-ish moves. In the game you linked I actually thought he was the one playing the more aggresive-boardcontrol game and you played the passive moves to get territory. Edit2: Also there exist no strong walls in 9x9. The space is just soo small to take any advantage of walls.
On October 23 2014 23:03 giecha wrote: I think starting out with a lot of 9x9 games is the way to go. 9x9 really concentrates on fighting and getting a feeling for the basics of shapes. I think these are the most important aspects a complete beginner can learn. Tsumegos are another great way of training this. As soon as playing 9x9 evolves into stale barrier-building (which somehow inevitably happens with new players at some point) it is important to move on, and maybe come back later. ( I currently enjoy 9x9 really much again, but I play it more in the style where I drop my first 2-3 moves pretty random on the board and try to make the best out of the situation) Playing 13x13 starts concentrating on the strategical sense which is not used much in 9x9, where and when to take fights, etc. The problem is this builds on the basics taught in 9x9. So moving on to quickly leads to playing moves for the wrong reason. Still I don't think 13x13 has that many benefits and 19x19 is better. 19x19 is the most beautiful game and I think you should aim to play 19x19 as soon as you can comprehend what is going on on the big board. The other consideration might be practical: A 19x19 game just takes that much longer than a 9x9 and I think it is important to play as many games as possible.
Edit: If you want to play aggressive you need to start out with more aggressive moves. Your first 3 moves are really passive and small. Try playing 4-4, 3-4 or even more middle-ish moves. In the game you linked I actually thought he was the one playing the more aggresive-boardcontrol game and you played the passive moves to get territory. Edit2: Also there exist no strong walls in 9x9. The space is just soo small to take any advantage of walls.
I want to play passive and defensive, but the problem is that they always take advantage of it to eventually get more territory (usually the center to their side) so I lose in the end.
I will play a passive game and show you what happens.