Basic Shapes to Shape Up Your Go Game

[@adamstozek9510]

Love your Channel. I used to play Go as a child and now I have returned to it many years later as an adult. I used to play very instictavely and now my perception of the game has changed substantially. I started watching your videos to grasp strategy better, but now I see I benefit even from relearning fundamentals in a structured way. It definetely helps me understand what even Simple moves do on the board. I really enjoy watching your videos and wait for more :)

[@GoMagic]

Thanks so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that our videos are helping you reconnect with Go and improve your understanding of the game. Revisiting the fundamentals can be incredibly beneficial, and we're glad you're finding value in it.

[@frezzingaces]

2:55 Thanks for the advice about this beautiful shape, cant wait to put this in my living room

[@benhsu42]

Thanks!

[@GoMagic]

🤩

[@orakatokansek]

you need to explain why black is strong at 13:35. like white need to make 10 moves to capture black whileb lack only need 5 moves to make doble eye. that will help a lot for beginner like me

[@myboy_]

This is the video ive been waiting for

[@GoMagic]

There are more to come (and to see on our platform).

[@desent493]

for real, this is exactly what every beginner - intermediate player needs to see!

[@krisztiankoblos1948]

When will the 2nd part of the course come? I finished the first half and looking for the 2nd part.

[@GoMagic]

We are almost finished with part 2. If everything goes well, we will release it soon.

[@ThomasRohde]

Basic stuff, yeah, but I find it amazing that even though, being ~8k, I am not a _total_ beginner anymore, I still learn something from your beginner videos 😄

[@GoMagic]

Learning Go is a continuous journey, and there's always something new to discover or a fresh perspective to gain.

[@pinkmark4047]

Wow. The first shape alone has me floored. Phenomenal cut from black.

[@mitreswell]

I don't understand that first cut at 1:37. White wasn't completely surrounded, so why is white losing those pieces?

[@GoMagic]

Because White won't be able to build two eyes there.

[@Anacst..]

I love tour Chanel please can you tell me if you have any site ir you give private class of Go? I am from Portugal

[@GoMagic]

Yeah, Vadim gives private lessons. Please check this page: gomagic.org/go-lessons/

[@ThomasRohde]

Thank you!

[@GoMagic]

Thanks for watching!

[@Haures89]

hi guys do you have a Video about the lining of the go board and what Job each lining resembles ( fighting,territory,influence etc) and about the value of the positions on the board. i start to understand that more and more, iam not somebody who plays alot, but i learn alot from Theory instead of actions :D shoutout to this Channel.

[@GoMagic]

Hey. Try taking our course: gomagic.org/courses/deeper-into-the-game-of-go-on-19x19/

[@circleviii1801]

awesome content

[@GoMagic]

Thank you!

[@redredc2]

Question: At 13:28, Black makes a one-space jump to stay ahead of white, to prevent him from covering more territory. Can white not cut off the black pieces, separating them from each other? Also, why is white unable to make the same one-space jump to stay ahead with black?

[@GoMagic]

1. Yes, White can try to cut off Black’s pieces, but it’s not always that simple. To make a successful cut, White needs to create weaknesses in Black’s shape. 2. White can absolutely make the same one-space jump to keep up, but by doing that, White will create more weaknesses in their shape, And such weaknesses are harder to protect when thy are outside. Hope that helps! 😊

[@InformedSuggestion]

These are so helpful omds

[@GoMagic]

👍

[@benjamindbailey]

Really appreciate your videos. What brand is your board set? Would like to buy one.

[@GoMagic]

Vadim uses Jang Stone II (Shin Kwang Baduk Korean glass stones). They are made from a high-quality material that emulates the feel and sound of traditional slate and shell stones. Regarding the board, even Vadim himself can't remember the exact place he bought it, but it was a small shop in China...

[@MIbra96]

Yes finally shapes!!

[@GoMagic]

😉

[@gordwrath6811]

I love Go. Im no good at it. But its still fun. What do you do if they just continuously attack you?

[@GoMagic]

Don't worry about not being good at it. The fun is in the learning and playing. Everyone gets better eventually. When faced with continuous attacks, I try to stay calm and focus on building strong shapes.

[@gordwrath6811]

@@GoMagic I want you to play my beginner nephew to see what I am up against. He is a natural.

[@GoMagic]

One day, we might organize a stream and play with our subscribers 😉

[@gordwrath6811]

@@GoMagic I lost against my nephew, and then agisnt my 6 year old niece. So I bought them go boards 🤣

[@desent493]

I always feel like chase sequence at 10:30 is very good for black. They build a huge amount of territory and white simply gets to live. How valuable are those 3 white stones? Is it even worth saving the 4th line stone for white?

[@GoMagic]

We've tried to explain that White can easily escape using the right shape. Of course, Black has a better position here, as they have significantly more stones locally.

[@davidrussitano7362]

Where can I get these books about essential shapes.

[@GoMagic]

I'm afraid you can't buy them anywhere. We just drew them =)

[@rcookie5128]

They were made with AI-art generators 😅😅 You can tell by the wonky font

[@jacobschell9489]

Do these principles hold true on a 9x9 board as well? Or is a 2-space jump too much on a smaller board?

[@GoMagic]

Yes, many principles of Go still hold true on a 9x9 board, but the dynamics can shift due to the smaller size. But in most cases a 2-space jump is ok.

[@ambion19]

Why is the 2 space jump at 16:20 acceptable when there's three stones? The escape can still be cut by white it seems to me?

[@GoMagic]

Because this shape is strong enough to connect even if White cuts directly.

[@Herv3]

was that a slight dig at Shape Up! i heard?

[@GoMagic]

Hardly. But who knows =)

[@cameronyu2413]

It was the wrong idea for white to invade the bottom side at 0:28 in the first place. There’s still open corners to enclose or approach. The invasions should be saved for the middle game and at that point it’s not the middle game yet.

[@GoMagic]

Absolutely, but it's actually a great example to show what can happen in such situations. It's a perfect learning moment.

[@thenakedsingularity]

is this episode part of a series or a standalone?

[@GoMagic]

It was taken from this course: gomagic.org/courses/shapes-level-one/

[@thenakedsingularity]

@@GoMagic ahh thank you.

[@JulianLau]

I don't get it, showing what in Chinese?

[@GoMagic]

This gesture means "6".

[@JulianLau]

@@GoMagic Doesn't it mean 6 everywhere?

[@GoMagic]

Unlike Vadim, I'm not as fluent in Chinese, but I'll assume that the meaning might be different in some circumstances. Use it at your own risk 😂

[@rcookie5128]

@@JulianLau No, in most western countries, six is indicated with holding a high-five hand and one other finger.

[@JulianLau]

@@rcookie5128 I see, thank you. How do you show a 6 or above with only one hand then?

[@jessstuart7495]

1:34 Mmmmm, Dumplings.

[@GoMagic]

Yeah, delicious 😋

[@ateistaeletszemlelet3492]

DOnt compare making territory on the 3rd line with making territory on the 4st line!

[@AdriaanStoopid]

I'm gonna put some criticism here, meant constructively: In most of the video's I miss a LOT of why's. There are so many statements with 0 explaination, which is super confusing. The most common examples are about territory in the style of "you see, now this territory is safe" or a nice one in this video is "now black makes a one space jump to get ahead" implying that its good.. I don't see why. I'm not an expert, I have no idea why that works in this case. I don't see when territory is safe, I don't have the knowledge to know nor pattern recognition to see that things work. I'm trying the learn the basics, and there are a lot of video's on your channel that say "basic rules" and like this one "basic shapes", but I feel like I should have intermediate knowledge to make sense of this. I feel like lots of the examples need to be completely played out to show that things work the way they do, and it is super satisfying whenever you do that!

[@gm5240]

Ah yes, the toothpaste jump.

[@GoMagic]

What's that? =D

[@plrc4593]

Do really good go players need to memorize hundreds of shapes? 😲

[@GoMagic]

A truly skilled player can effortlessly memorize an entire game they've played; it comes naturally to them. But no worries, no one studies shapes by sitting with a book. Just keep playing (and watching our videos) and you'll memorize everything you need no time.

[@ateistaeletszemlelet3492]

That castle is overcrowded. And dont show 2 when you speak to show 6 shapes!

[@GoMagic]

😉

[@aelitaashentaug8272]

Don't use Ai generated images, it's a bad look. I love your content otherwise, you've been very helpful.

[@nickb220]

stop making fun of us man ;(

[@GoMagic]

No such intent, I promise! 🤗