Games Two - Nine

A sudden flurry of activity? Both yes and no. After a week trying to do understand some basic concepts I dived into two games on Friday night and Saturday morning. To be frank they were quite disheartening. The first my game comment (I am tracking my games/results in a spreadsheet) was simply 'massacred'. It felt like I was ripped apart with little ability on my part to do anything. So I dusted myself off after being face slammed on the ground and tried another. Main aim was to try (at least) to hold a third of the board. The corners were okay but then the oppo basically chewed up the center and into the left as well. I lost a lot of stones and resigned this as well.

Now I was certainly a little worried. Ok I am new but my rating is dropping like a rock (1147 to 963) and the games seemed to be getting harder or, perhaps, I was not learning anything.

I therefore decided to change tack. The primary issue is that I have no skills at all but the most dangerous currently lies in tactical skills. I do not recognise safe groups at all so can be taken apart. I will therefore switch to 9*9 so I can concentrate at the tactical level and not worry about the vast expanse of board. When I am happy with this level I can look at moving to a larger board.

Surprisingly perhaps this worked well. My next six games (all 9x9) went as follows.

Game Four - Won by 5.5 points, I cautiously went for two corners whilst my opponent laid claim to around 2/3rds of the board before attacking into my center left and successfully seizing 7 stones. I ignored this and instead tried to increase my control of other sections of the board and it worked!

Game Five- Win because my opponent ran out of time. Oppo took the center immediately and did a good job of dominating but he then tried to invade the bottom left (my best defended section) and timed out. I made a bone headed move just before he timed out so I think if he had not ran out if time then he would have won. I'll take wins when I can though.

Game Six- Loss. I was even more cautious than previously sealing a corner with my first moves. I then had to try and invade myself to counter the opposing board dominance and lost loads. Ended up losing by 10.5 points.

Game Seven - Loss. Ugly game for me. I kept getting trapped and losing obvious stones even on a small board. Another central point attacker.

Game Eight - Win, oppo resigned. This was the most reasonable opening. We both tried to claim half the board but my opponent (in a strange mirror of game seven) kept making moves that allowed me to seize single stones). Was seventeen captures ahead when he resigned.

My rating meanwhile has dived to a much more manageable 884 with 131 deviation. The system is 'almost' convinced that I suck hard at the game. Give it a few more games and it can confirm it..


So a mixed bag. At least with the 9x9 I have more chance to see the tactical mistakes and learn. This is also assisting with the book learning as the examples often make more sense when you have 'seen' that action or lost to it in practice.  I have a (different game) major competition this weekend so will aim look at upping play time and study next week.