I Think I've Got a Student

Though I have been playing go for over fifty years I can't say that I have ever really had a student. I think I might have one now.

I gained this student because of COVID 19. He is a player in the DC area who is relatively new to the game, enjoys face to face play, and was trying to figure out how to join in with the online meetings of the National Go Center using KGS and Discord. The Discord element appeared to be the weak link.

After some discussion via email I convinced him that his best option might be playing on OGS, and I got him started with a 9x9 correspondence game. He was curious why I wanted him to play 9x9. I explained that I wanted him initially to play a short game to get used to the server. I also told him that there is value in 9x9 play. While we played our first couple of games I observed him playing with two other players near his own strength in 19x19 games.

Fast forward a few weeks and we are still playing 9x9. We are on our 9th game, and he keeps coming back for more. He calls me Go Master, which I find both flattering and amusing. 

He has the fighting spirit I used to have when I first started to play. My games against him include a lot of unnecessary carnage because I know he can handle it and eagerly come back for more. He has gained a real appreciation for 9x9. He has learned that there is nowhere to run, and that he must stand and fight. 

It had been my intention all along to review games over the phone, but that has not happened yet. I thought I would try to do a little teaching within the game itself on this one. Read the text in the image above to see. I think that after this game is over we should play that kill in the lower left out even if he takes my word for it.

I've also thought that it might make some sense to review some of his 19x19 games with players his own strength.

He is still trying.

Another Game Reversal Due to End Game Trouble

I was losing this game up until I played move 77 in the upper left. Black made the mistake of answering at e19 (a). Black should have given up the one stone and answered at b18 (b). If so, he would have easily kept his win in the bag.

After I played atari on the two black stones, black connected. Then I connected at b19, black threw in at a17, but it didn't help.

This is what happened.

I actually should be ashamed for playing move 87. Black has to play at d19 (a) before he can atari at a19 due to a shortage of liberties.

Though I did shamefully play at 87,  I did leave the position alone after that until later in the game when it was necessary to take. 

This game is still in process, but black is behind by about 18 points with only a few end game moves left to make. We were actually playing in real time when these exchanges took place.

I used to be the one falling for this kind of sequence in the end game. It feels good to be able to do it to someone else now.

End Game Trouble Secures Win

I am white.

My last move at a7 creates some real end game trouble for black. It will capture at least four stones for me. If black connects at b6 he will lose 7 stones after white plays at c8. The two moves preceding a7 were the simple atari at a3 followed by the connection at a5.

I will admit to not having set this up from the atari at a3, but I bask in the joy of seeing immediately the danger for black and the trouble caused by a7. For this I credit the Trouble Master lectures from the group lessons I am taking with Hwang In-seong. See my most recent post. Perhaps this might be a good Trouble Master problem three moves back.

This game was hard won. I am counting my chickens before they are hatched here because this game is still in progress, but it is feeling pretty certain. I had to fight back from a big loss in the upper right corner after misreading an attack.

I am practicing In-seong's advice to move ahead with something if I think of a move even if I can't read it out. I was told this in my group game last Thursday night. There was a move I had thought of but could not read it out, but it worked.  I saw something in the upper right in this game. This time I was wrong because of a shortage of liberties, but I recovered the game. Before the move at a7 I had recovered to the point where it was probably within a few points. It is still ongoing. After it ends I may post a link to it from OGS. Well that did not take long. I got a resignation very quickly. Here is the game.

Recently I ended another game with a kill that I might not have seen previously. I'll save that for another post. I'm going to be showing off the things I am proud of in my games. After all, this is a vanity blog.