Opening

Opening.

Weakest part of my game.

No matter how hard I try, how lightly I try, I always seem to fall behind in opening.

Opening is difficult for me, because nothing is even set. Middle game is much easier, because more things are set. Somehow, I keep overexerting myself during the opening, and I have to learn how to hold back, but question is...how to hold back?

One game, I was extremely behind in opening, but somehow...I got ahead just enough to win.

Another game, I was behind 100 points due to losing entire corner up to tengen, but ended up taking rest 3/4 of the board.

So many little things to consider about. For once, I would like to have a decent opening by which I won't feel behind that I have to fight whole game for.

to put succinticly...opening sucks, yet so important.

Even the prinicples, keep it simple is helping, but...need more. But what?

What is Joseki?

Joseki.

So complicated, yet so simple.

From what I can see, it may appear that josekis are just a label for something that gives fairly even results. But it's professional players who invent them during games.

I mean, invent them during games? Sure, they may have studied it offboard, but to apply and find different variations on the board? Difficult! So many different possiblities, so little time to consider all.

From what I can see...Josekis are often determined by:

1. How much territory for each side?
2. How much influence each side exerts?
3. How settled both groups are?

In order to get optimal results for above..

1. Strong reading skills
2. Strong tesuji skills
3. Very aware of what is going on in terms of global planning, global impact while having a good local results.

Looking at above. All of them seem so subjective, yet so objective. Makes me really wonder what kind of tools that professional players are using to be able to find nice josekis. Furthermore, it also makes me wonder if there is really no josekis, but rather, a series of carefully-planned out moves that requires deep reading. No wonder professional players made sure that they could keep it simple, or could make it complicated as possible.

So...it's entirely possible that professionals understand the shape so well that josekis is almost instinctive to them to the point that josekis doesn't exactly exist, but rather, as a common pattern on goban?

So much to think about...So much to consider.

What will happen in this blog?

To further.

I intend to do some analysis of my own games here to give insight of what I am thinking.

I intend to check back on some of old blog posts in future so I can look back and laugh at myself.

I intend to put up some problems that may have appeared in the games which I thought to be particularly interesting.

I intend to challenge myself, and movitate myself to rise.

I intend to post results of tournament, and games that I played, if I remember them. Yes, I can remember games, but it depends on what happens.

There are many things that I intend to do.

What I'm doing here? I am going to write the blog, so I can clarify my thought process, and know what I'm thinking, because I always have trouble putting words what I am thinking, and if I improve my thought processes, then I will be stronger still.

Hello...

So, I decided to go on bandwagon.

Because it seemed fun.

Who am I?

I'm just merely a go player, who searches for a way to continue improving. I am going to look at various games, and find ways to improve myself.

Of course, I will be scathing to myself over few things, and try to find new ways to approach the game.

The game itself is so deep. So complex. So many different possiblities, making me very curious as to what is going on. This curiousity has led me down the rabbit hole, to some place that I never thought I would see. Even ugliest moves can be most beautiful in the game. Even most beautiful moves can be really ugly.

Yeah, that's so zen. But the real point of playing the game is to help me keep my mind open, because if I close my mind, I won't see possiblities. I want to see possiblities.

Without much further ado, time for me to do some problems.