Beginner having a hard time

Go is a beautiful game that I would like to take up. I have spent time watching videos and reading books on topics like joseki, life and death, ladders, and so on. When trying to play on a 13x13 board against the “Little Go” app on the lowest difficulty “Fuego (weak)” the same thing happens every game: I make good openings and tactical counters, they attack, I work on addressing the attack with efficient moves and good shapes, and suddenly they more or less control the entire board.

There is something that is not being communicated in a way that I can understand around these issues. I think that, for being a beginner, I have a reasonable sense of different josekis, sensible spacing when moving, and protecting my position. But this does not in any way translate into merely being competitive over the course of a full game against the weakest available computer. And since there is no feedback from the computer I have no sense of what the problem is. I vaguely assume it is inefficient moves despite my best efforts to be efficient, but have no clue where to begin to improve and identify the problem.

Thanks in advance for any pointers you can offer.

I’m happy to offer a (correspondence) teaching game. If you want, just send me a challenge.

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Thanks! I created it as a private game called Learning Game. I thought it would let me invite you after I made it but am not seeing that feature.

I’ll send you a challenge.

If you post a game record, it’s easier for the stronger folks here to take a look and diagnose the issue. :slight_smile:

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The teaching game should be great for you.

Here’s also another beginner’s (me :slight_smile: ) tale of “what worked”.

GaJ

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What? From your writing style I would’ve sworn you’re in your 20-30s. Also, we have to play a teaching game sometime. For you I’d even make an exception and play correspondence. <3

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As ever the master of “wait… what… is that humour or an insult?” :wink: :smiley:

I’d be honoured to have a teaching game - I’m currently asymptotic DDK, so I need to do somefink!

(Probably actually I need to just play more and do more tsumego, but if there’s something I can be taught, that’d be awesome).

GaJ

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As somebody that I used to know used to say, “it is what it is”. Just a cigar. :slight_smile:

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