Need help moving beyond 17K! Anyone willing to help?

Played for only 3 months. Lost over 100 games to 11K computer. Watched many videos but stuck at 17 to 18K. I follow opening and mid game protocols but can’t seem to get shape or maintain sente. Any help out there? Good student here.
Blessings,
VJsan

My advice:

  1. Forget all your games against the computer. Start playing against other humans.
  2. http://senseis.xmp.net/?LoseYourFirst50GamesAsQuicklyAsPossible (computer games don’t count)
  3. Get teaching games and reviews.

Good luck :smile:

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Ok thanks. I think I have learned some bad habits playing the machine. Too safe and not enough modern expansion.

We could compare notes. I am hanging out between 15k and 16k
My suggestions:
Play regularly. There is something that you sort of absorb as you play. Better reading skills.
When there is no one to play, pick some players that are better than you and look over their last 5 or six games.
Play them through from beginning to end. Try to see what worked out for them and what didn’t.
The particular sequence is less important than the overall strategy.
How long before they invaded the mojo? When did they make the defensive move?
How did they keep the pressure on?
If you see a particularly interesting sequence replay it a couple of times. Try to make it your own.

Go online to the Sensei Library and browse. Pick a tesuji or a joseki to review. Try to make it part of your play.
Good luck

Paul

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Paul, thanks much. I did some of this and am at 14K now BUT I have run into a wall with reading skills. I’ve realized that I have a block in visualization, No matter what I try I cannot “see” beyond about two moves. I literally cannot hold the sequencing in my mind. Very disappointing and I am at a loss here. I need some expert advice about it.

VJsan

You are doing amazing for 3 months of play. It takes awhile to digest what you learn.

My suggestion for improving your reading skills is first to learn the basic life and death patterns. The bent four, the rabbity six, so so forth. Sensei Library is one place to find these. There aren’t so many. Very basic, and useful.
Then start working life and death problems or play go on a 9x9 board for awhile. The focus of the problem or the small board help you to anticipate the next play. You really can do this in certain situations for 3 or 4 or even 5 moves ahead, because many of the moves are forced. There are really only 1 or 2 realistic possibilities for this fight. or that fight.

When you can’t read out a hand to hand fight, consider playing elsewhere. Unless you can read it out its better just to make a move for a big point.

Someone recently told me when thinking about the next move: if you have a weak group strengthen it. If your opponent has a weak group cut it off from its supporters. If you cant do A or B then play a big point. No reading skills needed.

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Paul,

Great advice thanks! I’ll get my board out and work stone life and death situations. really appreciate it!

VJsan

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You can challenge me to games or PM me to discuss I am 17k too (i think 18 right now, lost some games), I am looking too, to pass this barrier… BTW i have been studying go since 2013 but I’ve play seriously for about 2 months too (serious games).

And yes Let the computer alone. Play humans even if you loose. have your game reviewed, learn where you mistake, play again. You will continue to mistake a couple of time but you will rise

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