The latest Hikaru no Go episode has been translated - I’ll be watching it tonight (New Years 2004 Special)! Woohoo!
Today was my lesson with Tsurukame. A 9 stone handicap (of course… :p), but I definitely think I learned. As long as I keep learning, I’m happy with go. Getting a stronger rating is good, of course (it’s in some ways a measurement of your learning and ability), but the best time is when you have some major breakthroughs. I’m on the verge of one now (I think I may have had it - in terms of the whole-board opening to mid game time frame). My real weakness is again Life and Death.
I love it when I’m put into a tough life and death situation, get half of the answer correct, and can’t see the next 5-8 moves required to solve it. As I mentioned to Mirel today, I can see the answer if it’s within 3 or so moves. A big part of Life and Death also seems to be sente… yes, I know, a lot of the game in general is about sente! Any move that is a guaranteed sente move cannot be bad (usually…) At worst case the move is answered and you have aji left behind. In one Life and Death situation, at least, connecting was sente because White would have to respond or I’d escape. Obviously not all such moves will work, but they must be examined!
Sente is also important in Joseki and the middle game. Joseki ending in sente is one obvious example (and for someone like me who doesn’t know Joseki, very hard to find…) In both cases, the mid-game especially, we must look for ways to improve our shape in sente, gain influence in sente, or expand our moyo in sente. This was/is part of the big breakthrough I think I’m undergoing… not only finding these sente moves, but understanding which are sente and which are not (though they might look it. Beware of people not responding to your angle attacks! Even a peep can be ignored under the right conditions.
People don’t always make the typical responses, but it’s also important to decide which ignored response can be exploited. If they ignored a peep, what will cutting gain you? I think they call this “reading” 