GO

[Norman Pratt]

John. Thanks for the skirmish on one corner of the board - which I can foresee being repeated elsewhere - and for your amazing commentary on the game of 'Go'. I am just hoping I don't have to disembowel myself in order to resign. Best wishes, Norman.

[John Dolva]

YW, Norman, wish youd stick it out though. You can win so beautifully, and as I dont say GO (or go as in got), if you say GO again the the game is done.

But as I said, you certainly can turn it around by yourself and have me saying GO (to save face) in about three moves. Or allow others to see in a way that the coin drops where it mat not have.

Your move. If it's go again, could you explain why as well, please?

[Norman Pratt]

My computer 'Go' has very brief documentation which includes the comment that Go is more complex than Chess. What's more the computer's stones consistently surrounded my stones at the precise moment I had - or thought I had - surrounded them! Simultaneously most of the other points on the board were pronounced captured territory by the computer. Hence a pause for reflection while I try to work out what's going on! Anyway, thank you for your encouragement to continue. I will take inspiration from that splendid quotation from The Goons 'Surround the castle, Eccles!' and will come up with my next move shortly.

[John Dolva]

Great, thank you Norman. Take all the time you need. A little hint : usually my best move is your best move when you feel in Gote. Get Sente.

[John Dolva]

some more hints that may be helpful : (apart from forcing play), step back and look at the whole board, and maybe even squinting so only the patterns appear, walk around it. Think outside the box. Think of the future events. Think whole board wise, or globally rather than locally.

________________

add: up to date configuration.

there are anumber of possible plays in the corner, all of them with some outcome. Some less damaging than others.

Then there is the whole reast of the board where, with the experience gained, the handicap can be a great advantage.

Edited June 4, 2009 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

Norman, I think it's fair to assume by now you are saying GO again, (you can always contradict me at any time should any move occur to you), so I'll say GO again, and as an intro game wont insult you by claiming victory. You put up a good fight and I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you.

_______

next???

edit:typos

Edited July 31, 2009 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

[John Dolva]

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[Norman Pratt]

John, I wouldn't dare to challenge you on an even board, as presented last August. I think I might possibly at least be able to get a reasonable number of points if I can only get my head round the scoring - as I pointed out last June. Since retiring, my free time keeps disappearing, but I am now determined to find the hour or two (and a darkened room) required. at which point I would like to resume the game.

One of the most enjoyable games of chess I've played was with a chess board placed on a lift, sent up and down between the Basement and the Ground Floor at the Odeon Haymarket, London, whilst doing the late night ushering shift. I am quite enjoying the thought of playing the longest game of 'Go' in History, and I hope you don't mind the odd 6 months gap between moves.

Edited March 23, 2010 by Norman Pratt

[John Dolva]

That was a good game Norman.

The idea with the handicap points as being blacks first move is to ''equalise'', but until the penny drops on a few issues I know it's hard. We're so used to spaces being bounded by lines that the idea that it is the intersections that are the ''points'' plus minus pieces taken, and it's the formations of the pieces in relation to each other that gives them ''strength'', even if only as an implied connection.

It'd be great to have another game and, yes, to have it stretched out over time is good, real fun.

One trick I use sometimes is to squint at the board so I don't see individual pieces as such but more the shapes. (Read up and get a good grasp on ''eyes'' as being significant for ''life'' for a shape.) When you want to have a game just say so and I'll put thirteen handicap points as your first move on the board.

________

that was actually a kind of ''zip'' to indicate that last night I'd said enough, and those hesitating to post because my embarrasingly numerous posts might have been inhibiting.

[John Dolva]

The standard board is elongated so that when viewing it from an angle as when playing, the rectangles look more or less square and the black and white pieces are oddly sized in relation to each other and the board creating a fluid vista.

Edited September 17, 2010 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

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Edited September 17, 2010 by John Dolva

[John Dolva]

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Edited September 17, 2010 by John Dolva

[Norman Pratt]

Hi John. Having got through the first 20 pages of 'Teach Yourself Go', I at last managed to hold the computer to a slightly less humiliating score. Morever, by using the 'Go Back' function on my 'Go' software, I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. Please be prepared for my next move on our previous game. Meanwhile I hope someone else takes up your latest challenge. Norman.

[John Dolva]

OK, I hope you're not using the chinese profs program. Go for it.