Today I played a handicapped game, and thought it would be nice to share it. Aside from being the first handicapped game we will look at, it will also be the first game in which I lost that is analyzed on this blog. It is against a KGS player called daimazin. He was 13k? at the time of play.
I already mentioned ranks in go. These work mostly as a measure of skill relative to other players. This means that the kyu/dan system can be used to determine a handicap for the weaker player, with the aim of evening out the game. If a handicapped game is started with a properly determined number of stones, it is considered that if the weaker player wins (with the handicap) it is as rightful a victory as any other. (note: imho, this is a clear sign that we are part of a culture in which victory is achieved by doing one's best, rather than scoring a particular amount of points) Usually, one rank is worth one handicap stone. Since I was 11k? at the time of the game, daimazin had two handicap stones. Handicap stones are placed in a predetermined order on the board. For two handicap stones, it is the upper-right and lower-left star (hoshi) point. The handicapped player uses black stones, and white gets to play first, since if black played first, he would be three stones ahead. Usually handicapped games do not include the komi rule. Komi is believed to be worth one handicap, so it normally balances out for white the fact that black plays first.
Enough smalltalk, though. Here's the game.
2012-02-23-Median-daimazin.sgf
Now that I look back, I think that I have made a mistake already at move 7. I should have entered the upper right corner as I planned. Since he is the handicapped player, he can afford to ignore the move I made at the left-side star point and deny me the corner in the upper right. Shouldn't have allowed that.
The play at 19 seems to be the same kind of mistake. In stead of solidifying myself in the upper left, i decided to take initiative elsewhere. If I had been strong enough in the upper left, that would have been good (even preferable), but like this it just turned out wrong.
I feel that move 42 is the decisive one. After that there was nothing I could do to prevent a significant loss. I opted for saving the top group first, but then lost the one on the left, and I felt at that time that the difference in potential was too great to continue, so I resigned. I may have done something small still on the right side, and maybe in the corner there, but with the capture and the rest of the territory, black would have a certain victory.
One big problem I noticed in my play here was that I was playing as if this were a normal game, and if you think about it, it's kind of obvious that normal play shouldn't work in a handicapped game. One has to be more aggressive and attack-oriented. Even abuse the opponent a bit. Here I let him have that privilege, and tried to desperately make as much territory in the process. That is what made me weak throughout, and cost me the game.
That's my impression, anyway. :) Ideas, suggestions?
I already mentioned ranks in go. These work mostly as a measure of skill relative to other players. This means that the kyu/dan system can be used to determine a handicap for the weaker player, with the aim of evening out the game. If a handicapped game is started with a properly determined number of stones, it is considered that if the weaker player wins (with the handicap) it is as rightful a victory as any other. (note: imho, this is a clear sign that we are part of a culture in which victory is achieved by doing one's best, rather than scoring a particular amount of points) Usually, one rank is worth one handicap stone. Since I was 11k? at the time of the game, daimazin had two handicap stones. Handicap stones are placed in a predetermined order on the board. For two handicap stones, it is the upper-right and lower-left star (hoshi) point. The handicapped player uses black stones, and white gets to play first, since if black played first, he would be three stones ahead. Usually handicapped games do not include the komi rule. Komi is believed to be worth one handicap, so it normally balances out for white the fact that black plays first.
Enough smalltalk, though. Here's the game.
2012-02-23-Median-daimazin.sgf
Now that I look back, I think that I have made a mistake already at move 7. I should have entered the upper right corner as I planned. Since he is the handicapped player, he can afford to ignore the move I made at the left-side star point and deny me the corner in the upper right. Shouldn't have allowed that.
The play at 19 seems to be the same kind of mistake. In stead of solidifying myself in the upper left, i decided to take initiative elsewhere. If I had been strong enough in the upper left, that would have been good (even preferable), but like this it just turned out wrong.
I feel that move 42 is the decisive one. After that there was nothing I could do to prevent a significant loss. I opted for saving the top group first, but then lost the one on the left, and I felt at that time that the difference in potential was too great to continue, so I resigned. I may have done something small still on the right side, and maybe in the corner there, but with the capture and the rest of the territory, black would have a certain victory.
One big problem I noticed in my play here was that I was playing as if this were a normal game, and if you think about it, it's kind of obvious that normal play shouldn't work in a handicapped game. One has to be more aggressive and attack-oriented. Even abuse the opponent a bit. Here I let him have that privilege, and tried to desperately make as much territory in the process. That is what made me weak throughout, and cost me the game.
That's my impression, anyway. :) Ideas, suggestions?
There's a Go proverb: "If you have lost four corners resign". While I'm not good enough to comment on its validity (http://senseis.xmp.net/?path=GoProverbs&page=IfYouHaveLostFourCornersResign), I think it applies to this game to some extent. With both 7 and 19 you gave sente to opponent. I'm also not sure about 27 - maybe if you've played C16 instead of D17 you'd have forced him to spend a move or to connecting his C14 and E14 stones to a larger group on the right?
ReplyDeleteYes, looking at the game now, I feel that 7 and 19 were mistakes. Instead of playing sides, I should have used those moves to approach corners. When playing against a handicap, you have to constantly be on the offensive (I feel). And my side moves don't really do that.
DeleteAs for C16 ... mmmmh ... I'm not sure. With the 3-3 stone he can still make life in the upper right. This is a problem because playing C16 makes it harder for me to connect back to G17, and if he comes in, I just remain weak. I don't think it would work (on the other hand, what I did here didn't work either so tralala). We should try it sometime. :) I'd like to see how it plays out.