Application of Dwyrin's "Back to Basics", Pitfalls and Lessons!

[@samweiss3248]

I'm glad you made this video. I, too, tried to play some games with just basics, and it hasn't consistently worked out for me. Clearly, it's easier for dan level players to have successful games with just basics. With that being said, I think just playing basics is a very useful exercise, and it has made me realize I need to shape up my basics. So, my goal for right now is to play lots of "just basics" games and see if I can get better at it.

[@InSente]

+Samuel Weiss Agreed! It's a great learning tool to figure out what parts of the game you need to work on. I'm probably gonna keep practicing this exercise too

[@Martin_Gregory]

Totally fascinating review. Right at the beginning, Dwyrins comments show precisely the difference between what he does and what happened to you and me: he knows when there is danger and when there isn't. I totally would have been playing to bolster the left group when he says "I'm OK with you playing away because I don't view this as a threat" ... that right there is what seems to be the difference between experienced and learners. For me at least, there is a big threat on the bottom left at that point ... because I don't _know_ how to save it! Somehow the experienced player can see that he can make a base at B7, but I have no insight into how that would go. Maybe we need a "make a base" lesson....

[@Martin_Gregory]

Thanks heaps for doing it ... being willing to play and be scrutinised in public is a big deal, and we all learn so much from it!

[@Martin_Gregory]

I'm up to 20:00 ... this is exactly what happens to me every time I try Dwyrin's back to basics. I think there is a real high level of skill and experience that he doesn't perhaps even acknowledge when he choses _which_ basic move to make each time.

[@Yadeehoo]

Josh makes it look like it's easy for him, but it's actually not when you try to apply it. Amazing video

[@robertmsonnenschein1630]

Re "Not Fighting", and Mistake #4 - Attacking to Kill from your 5 Mistakes Video The meaning of Wei Qi (Chinese name for Go) is "Surrounding game." Especially when not fighting, surrounding is a key goal. Surround your opponent's stones. Don't let yours be surrounded. Attack for power/influence, not to kill. " a passage in 'Xin Lun' on Weiqi theory ... 'A topnotch player takes control of the whole board and wins without a fight; a so-so player cuts and attacks making it difficult to tell the outcome; a low level player defends the corner and sides and tries to make life passively.' " - from the Yutopian website www.yutopian.com/go/misc/gohistory.html

[@djchilxxn]

damn dude at the end was harsh haha .Thanks for sharing

[@endarior]

Great video. I tried the basics style too and found my opponents preferred to fight. It is good for making you focus on staying connected and direction of play though. However it really punishes missing a big move.

[@derekstanyer]

I think the point of playing with basics isn't necessarily give yourself a better chance of winning, it is basically just to work on basics and direciton of play. Odds are that first time you try this method, it won't go so well because you will still make mistakes with your direction of play (just like you make mistakes with reading... etc). But the more you practice it then the more you will learn and get better at your direction of play. IE knowing what you should tenuki, and what you shouldn't. It is like going into a game thinking I am going to start a fight right off the bad because I want to work on my fighting. It may go well, it may not, but you are still working on your fighting!

[@jasperdegrood]

This is a nice collaboration! Thanks

[@Martin_Gregory]

And again at the end of the review ... "this one stone that has no bearing". That seems so advanced to conclude that, when that one stone is the base of the table you made on purpose. Being able to see that you could make a base over on the left appears to be key to that conclusion, but I for one obviously have a lot more experience to gain before I can play like this, because I can't see how to make that base ... or more crucially, how it is "obvious" that there's a base waiting at B7. It looks to me just totally surrounded.

[@Martin_Gregory]

When he was criticising saving the stone at 43:00 ... I was thinking "but whoa dude, that was my table he's just taken". I wonder if that was what was on your mind when you were defending that position - not only saving the stone, but saving the shape? It's so what I would have done :)

[@TUFF93ryley]

I love these videos and now I wish dwyrin would make a response to your videos.

[@mcdiskett2003]

didnt you watch to the end when dwyrin sykyped in and reviewed the game?

[@rcookie5128]

16:13 You didn't need to fear the enemy cutting you, as you could have easily killed the group by placing K7 as you planned. But yeah, that would be against the "no fighting" principle. But a little exception can't hurt, can it? :)

[@knotwilg3596]

I would say the main lesson to draw here is that a stone can have served its purpose even if it's taken away. Another way of saying this is: the efficiency of a shape doesn't depend on all stones in that shape to live, but in the purpose of the shape being reached regardless of the individual stones. InSente defended a stone, presumably because he wanted to save the table shape of which it was a corner stone. But the table shape is not a holy thing to preserve at all cost: it's a way to stay connected and/or make an eye. In this case, connection is the purpose. So if you can stay connected, even when that particular tabe shape ceases to exist, the shape was still efficient: you play elsewhere, Black takes that one stone, but you can respond and stay connected. Obviously it's easier for a stronger player to play basic moves, because they have a deeper understanding of what makes them basic. That doesn't mean the message is false though. Great video!

[@Martin_Gregory]

At 52:10 why did he play L16 and say "I think we're still OK"? I thought black was going to do H or J17, increasing the pressure: that group has only 2 liberties, so the threat of atari on K16 does not seem to need to be defended by L16?

[@Martin_Gregory]

interesting ... at 26:00 it seems like masterful strategy saved the day ... not sure if that's basics :)

[@plague2003]

Thinking about 'The struggle of getting ahead' G3 and shortly after that Q6 would have been better for white.

[@Martin_Gregory]

I thought N8 was exactly following the basic rules ... "make shape". This whole "detect whether you're behind enemy lines" thing ... that's the first time it's been a thing in "play the basics", and in this instance ... wow... that's like the middle of the open space! Another example of where the basics aren't so basic!

[@teooo]

I'm a new player, but I don't see how the four stones are dead at 34:00. Why can't white play L15?

[@InSente]

Ah, so I my have misspoke here. So once black extended, he could either capture my 4 stones OR capture the other 4 stones at H16. Since I can't defend both, he gets 4 of my stones and his giant dragon lives, effectively eliminating any chance I had of winning.

[@teooo]

Ah I see it now, thanks! :)

[@robertmsonnenschein1630]

Michael, I like your idea about Back to Basics. How can I send you a private comment about your implementation? And some suggestions about learning . Too long for a public comment. How about getting to 8 or 7 kyu after just 5 games? It's been done.

[@InSente]

+Sente 1993 Hello! I'd love some advice. I do think it's something I'll have to get used too. Thinking about basics more, my direction of play feels much stronger than it used to be, and I've been winning more when thinking about basics. You can shoot men email if you want ([e-mail])

[@ApontyArt]

You look like Annie Lennox from Eurythmics here

[@northlord804]

InSente, good try at using basics. I love basics but you totally beat yourself! Don’t overthink things. You had your opponent dead to rights. Enjoyed watching tho. Keep trying.

[@Martin_Gregory]

FWIW, one of thing things I find "distracting" about this video, and Dwyrin's, is the ongoing off-topic chat with the observers. Probably keeps the thing interesting for the creator of the video, but it's horrid to watch. Because it's in the past, you can't even respond....