I am new to the game of Go and to be honest have been enjoying it immensely. However, I feel like I have hit a plateau in my skill development. I am seeking advice from more experienced players on how I can improve my game.
Currently; I am struggling with understanding when to prioritize territory versus influence, as well as how to effectively manage the balance between the two. I often find myself in situations where I have either overcommitted to one aspect or neglected the other, leading to suboptimal outcomes.
I am also looking for tips on how to improve my reading skills. I often miss critical moves or fail to anticipate my opponentās strategies, resulting in missed opportunities or losing positions.
Also; I am curious about recommended study materials or practice routines that have helped others progress in their Go skills. I am willing to dedicate time to study and practice, but I want to ensure that my efforts are focused on the right areas.
Books or videos about middle game seems fitting like āattack and defenseā
You may train yourself to estimate the balance of territories (counting sure points only) vs the balance of power (who will have an advantage in the future)
Without seeing a game of yours (your game history is empty) or having any indication of your level, Iād say that overcommitting on some things while neglecting other things may be a cause.
Perhaps there is lack or inaccuracy of judgement, comparing how good is the territory you get compared to the influence you give in exchange, and vice versa.
Perhaps you play too much āpuppy styleā (following your opponent around the board) and rarely try to take the initiative.
If you are really new to go and not a super talented genius you are worrying about this far too early I would say. Iām a 5k and still struggle with this. Not like stuggling to get some subtle details right. Struggling as in āwhat is influence actually good for?ā
A handful of recommendations, assuming youāre around 20 kyu:
Diligently solve basic life and death puzzles (tsumego). The ability to read out sequences to capture stones or make living groups is foundational at this level. Itās also great reading practice.
Study examples of good shape and bad shape for your stones. Learn to avoid bad shape that leaves weaknesses. Senseiās Library has many pages on this topic. Tesuji books like Get Strong at Go vol. 3 and Elementary Go vol. 3 would also be helpful.
Practice some basic corner enclosure sequences and joseki (corner patterns). Understanding common corner patterns is important and will help develop a sense of territory and influence.
Become familiar with basic terms and principles. If a move has a name (hane, extend, clamp, to name a few), try to understand its purpose and how itās used.
Have fun and enjoy the process! In my experience, newer players rarely plateau so long as they keep an open mind and aim for ācorrectā ways of playing (the foreign terms are honte and haengma). Beyond that, just play. Thereās a popular saying about being tempered in a hundred battles.
Oh yes, on this abstract level I get it. I think I tried that in about 50 games so far and maybe succeeded once or twice. Not saying the concept isnāt useful, just that I am too stupid.
I donāt know if itās synonymous, but instead of thinking about influence I think about āstrong groups facing the centerā. By strong I mean āa group on which the opponent canāt put pressureā. Making such a group in early midgame generally gives you a good position. For instance in this recent game
you were Black, and you let your opponent make this ponnuki in sente. Thatās a very strong group facing the center. The AI evaluated this position W+13.
Hmm, yes, I do aim for such situations. But itās more āif I have this, the opponent canāt do much in the centerā rather than āif I have this I can do something in the centerā. So maybe I just need to change my expectation and be happy with this one aspect.
Yes, influence is useful to prevent the opponent from having a strong attack. For instance when you reduce or invade, you can run towards your friends.
Yes, to everything which was said ā also, influence/strong groups gives you more flexibility and possibilities.
Having a strong shape and group which is alive (or nearly alive/difficult to attack or kill) gives you more options globally and nearby, as there are less forcing moves from the opponent you have against your position (therefore less stones they can get in sente, etc. nearby).
And it can make your groups more difficult to attack globally, if you have influence or strong, living groups/shapes on the board (even somewhat far away, especially a large amount of it or a long wall)
Itās usually harder/less efficient to use influence to build directly in the centre, unless you have an existing framework or extra stones in place already (easier to do so along a side than in the centre ā there it can allow you to build more territory/potential, onto the 4th or 5th lines or higher.
For example, in the game jlt posted, White can now develop a lot by pushing up at the key point at Q6 (building the right side area in harmony with the nice ponnuki shape)
That area would have many more defects if the ponnuki werenāt there and a living black stone at P14 (the intersection where the ponnuki captured a stone), for example.
Another example is, if you had got the knightās move at P7 in sente at some point, this would be building your influence/thickness, and at a key global point/area for both sides.
After that, you can see some potential to develop something in the centre towards the bottom right, in harmony with your existing framework/stones on the bottom.
For example; an extra move near J7 or K7, would create a bigger framework at some point.
(although it might not be most efficient to do so depending on the positions in the game ā Black can also use it to attack White or be at an advantage in any fighting which happens in the nearby areas of the board (centre-right quadrant or so ā even fighting around the Q10 area could be helped by that ) )
It also reduces Whiteās ability to build there, or play key moves to build onto the 4th/5th lines or higher, like Q6 himself.
In general, the less aji/forcing moves against your position the opponent has, and the stronger your shapes/groups, the more possibilities you have to play a wider range of different variations (for example, invade more aggressively, tenuki, etc.) elsewhere on the board.
(even if itās not very close by, as your outward-facing strong groups/influence exert some strength/effect across the whole board)
So it can give you more global options.
Apart from that, moves like pressing a group down flat onto the 3rd line can also be a good exchange locally, because the 3rd line doesnāt make much territory, whereas the influence gives you thickness and more potential in the centre and global choices.
Playing on the 4th line in general tends to give one more options and potential towards the whole board, whereas playing on the 3rd line (or 2nd) is better for solid territory or closing it.
So itās often good to vary oneās position and have some high/low stones (4th line/3rd line), to create a more efficient position.
But itās also often something where influence, or a shape like a ponnuki, will give you the ability to profit in several different ways elsewhere on the board, so the āpointsā or value of it arenāt necessarily directly apparent only in what you can construct locally.
For example, recently my opponent and I were reviewing a game in which they chose a variation which let me get a tortoiseshell in the centre-right (in exchange for connecting under on the right side on the 2nd line and saving that group).
This didnāt necessarily let me construct a lot in the local area, but I was able to cut here, which makes the position very difficult for White globally, and is probably worth a lot more than the 15-20 points of difference saving the stones made on the right.
You can also see how the influence/thickness on both the left, and even on the bottom, can help now if White has two weak, split groups to run with.
(and gives Black potential to build by playing some sente moves whilst attacking)
And it gives the O6 group somewhere very alive to run very easily if it ever comes under attack
(so itās possible for Black to ignore M5 fairly easily as well)
So with influence/strong outside-facing groups, it can also help to be aware of how it will let you play differently elsewhere on the board, not necessarily only directly profiting through building, including allowing you to tenuki (free extra moves) thanks to the strength of it, or to invade or attack.
(though it can be easier to construct frameworks with existing influence/strong groups, or to build by playing global building moves in sente when attacking an opponent group)
It may be useful also, to try to see future possibilities of what you can do with it existing on other parts of the board, when driving possible attacks/running battles, or future direction of play globally.
