Countering an Unexpected Move - Brady's Blunders 54

In which I misread the best response to a move I hadn't seen before, then learn a key idea in a fight.
The game record can be found on the English-language go bulletin board, lifein19x19 at www.lifein19x19...

[@custersword7746]

Great video! I don't play go, but I really enjoy learning about it, and you are great at explaining each of the moves made by you and your opponent. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to watching and learning more on your channel.

[@BradyDaniels1]

+Custersword I am amazed a non-player got something out of that. Anyway, I hope you start playing soon. The game is even more fun to play than to watch. :)

[@brightspear14]

I've just started go (around 22 kyu), and it seems really intimidating. people who play the game have said that it gets a lot more fun once you get on your feet, but it looks so daunting just to try and crawl. With so many potential traps and pit falls that one can fall into it boggles me how I could possibly learn enough and get good enough at reading ahead to make the game fun. I come from a chess background, so I'm not a stranger to the kind of enjoyment you can get out of game like this, I just don't know how to find it. Please help shed some light if you can, I'd really appreciate it.

[@BradyDaniels1]

Hi +Merrick Newbury - Good news and bad news. The bad news is there are no short cuts in learning go. Books and videos can help, but the only way to get better is to play. The good news is that at your level (and for a good long time to come) your improvement should be measurable, and it's great fun to get promoted. But remember, Go is a journey, not a destination. The key is to enjoy the experience. Later there will be frustrating plateaus, but we can talk about that when they come. My recommendation - If you have a smartphone or a tablet, download the free app GoQuest and playing a hundred 9x9 games. The app makes it super easy to get a game and play, and it will find your true level pretty quickly. Playing a hundred games on this size board will help your reading more than playing ten games on a big board. Feel free to supplement this with videos and books, of course. Then when you move on to the chatty servers, KGS and OGS, you will find opponents and friends who will review games with you to find your mistakes. At some point, I'd recommend a teacher, but for now, just play! Oh yeah, and do go problems. That is an excellent way to improve your reading. You don't have to do a ton, but at least a few every day. www.goproblems.com/ is a good place to start. Have fun!

[@brightspear14]

+Brady Daniels I see. Thank you for responding, it really helped me a lot.

[@Zanacinonyx]

Great video! Looking forward to apply this on my games.

[@BradyDaniels1]

+Zanacinonyx Cool, let me know if you do!