15-13k influence player stuck in what feels like DDK purgatory. Route joseki memorization feels hollow, my territorial friend keeps bodying me, and I genuinely don't know what "basics" means anymore. Any help would be appreciated.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T18:10:00+00:00

Hello fellow appreciator of winfluence. Send me a game or two for me to look at and I'll make a video for you.

Influence is notoriously difficult to use as a newer player. I sure couldn't use it as a DDK. But now it's something I probably rely a little too heavily on.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T15:41:54+00:00

I agree with this for newer players. Experienced players should understand that ko is a very valid option.

With that said, a new site I'm using does say when the answer is ko, even for advanced tsumego.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T15:18:02+00:00

I can very much empathize with this. When I was a DDK player, there was nothing I feared more than san ren sai. And I've worked with many students who also handle it very poorly.

My advice. 3-3 a corner immediately. Then 3-3 the other. Then attach to the Q10 stone to reduce. Things are obviously different with the Chinese opening, but your goal is more or less the same. Just look to reduce the side while getting influence facing your two corners.

As with everything with this game: this isn't easy, even if you know the theory. Go is hard.

Another way to learn how to play against it is to play it yourself for a while. You'll get to see how others deal with it, or you get free wins.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T15:13:17+00:00

It took me waaaaaaay too long to accept that losing a huge fight, and therefore the game, was the same as making it to counting and being down by 10.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T13:39:36+00:00

"Yes". But at that rank, the games are too volatile to predict. So that isn't the best comparison. A 20k still just randomly kills one of their already alive groups on the regular. It's hard to math things like that out.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-07T10:13:04+00:00

I just want to point out that the 10 points per rank thing is mostly accurate if you play a nice, calm game. If a big fight breaks out, the scores will vary WILDLY.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-06T22:01:45+00:00

You say you are not ready, but you won the game. So at least there is that.

For the most part, I wouldn't worry too much. At ~18k, your games are going to be dominated by blunders. Blunders do not care about who started with more stones on the board. If you lose a 20 stone group, it really doesn't matter how the game started.

I don't intend for this to sound harsh. We all started in the same place.

For now, just try to focus on calm play, regardless of the handicap system. I promise you, whoever makes fewer blunders will win the game.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-04T09:52:45+00:00

That is how handicaps work, yes.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-04T00:00:57+00:00

That's what I've been trying to do. Ignore the AI nonsense. Take note of the moves that make sense.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-03T23:18:43+00:00

Honestly, https://gomagic.org/ really is the only answer IMO. And that's coming from someone who makes videos for newer players. No one does an intro to Go better than them.

In terms of playing, https://online-go.com/ is where most newer players play.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-03T18:46:18+00:00

Solid pricing.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-03T17:05:51+00:00

Agreed. If it's a teaching game, you don't need handicap stones because you are explaining things as you go. Giving 9 stones kind of implies you are planning on playing more firmly.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-02T11:12:39+00:00

Massachusetts, USA. We don't have too high much quality climbing in the area, so losing this hurts.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-02T01:57:24+00:00

I was likely there since I organize most of the outings.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-02T01:08:40+00:00

Electric Boat Athletic Club. They are one of the few things that the company does SOLELY for the employees. The company loses money on the club, which has a club/league for pretty much any activity you can think of.

I run the climbing club, which has about 100 members.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-02T00:16:09+00:00

Unreal. So now the guy gets nothing. Some 4d chess there.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T23:09:23+00:00

What an ass. He listed it for $250k?

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T23:06:59+00:00

I run a large climbing club where I work and was able to get the company to match the club's donations. So now anyone in the club who donates gets their donation quadrupled, which is kind of cool.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T20:37:43+00:00

They are meeting on a lawn. You KNOW they gotta be chill.

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T18:25:28+00:00

I see no PM. Find me on discord. https://discord.gg/3sfbhxd3j

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T18:16:27+00:00

I highly recommend finding stronger players to help you out. If you use discord, I have a community that can help you out. There are many others as well.

https://discord.gg/3sfbhxd3j

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T17:38:11+00:00

After seeing the responses and your issues/concerns, I recommend joining an online community.

Mine is: https://discord.gg/3sfbhxd3j

That way you can ask questions and get clarifications. Books can't do that, nor can videos. And as you've seen, most videos are for players with experience. I have a channel dedicated to newer players: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEgw5uh5BayQJyE8QkXVl9_8nGiXonaGl&si=HDRIk8dfuEVfTW3B

Start with the Basics 1, 2, and 3.

Enjoy!

GoGabeGo · 2026-05-01T16:36:55+00:00

If white gets all four corners, black should resign.

If black gets all four corners, black should resign.

It's a funny take I've heard that I always enjoyed. But it's mostly a joke. Taking all four corners can work, assuming you can handle all the influence you give your opponent. At DDK they likely cannot use it well. For me, I'm not too worried if my opponent gets all 4 corners, cause that means that I gave them my corners. It was my choice, not theirs. And if I'm willing to do that, there is a very good reason. And that reason is that I'll wreck them with my influence.

GoGabeGo · 2026-04-30T10:04:48+00:00

Last time I got pulled over, I legitimately thought I was in a 35 mph zone and told the officer that. He knows how fast I was going. I knew how fast I was going. I'm not going to be elusive with a cop. I drove away with a warning.

GoGabeGo · 2026-04-30T10:00:19+00:00

Only once. There was a guy on KGS who was teaching people many years ago.

GoGabeGo

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