I hit a wall with my go progress after graduating to the single-digit kyus; I’m now trying to get out of this rut. Several people have suggested reviewing the games of professionals and strong players, but until now, every time I’ve tried, I’ve felt lost and disheartened. I then found your “Greatest Games Ever Played 04: Huang Longshi vs Jiang Tianyuan” videos and was amazed at how clear and accessible you were able to make this game. Not only did your commentary help me follow what was going on, I could then go back over the .sgf of the game and remember several of the key points.

Thank you so much for providing a way for some of us to approach the games of strong players! Even if I never end up improving myself, just being able to get a glimpse into higher-level play feels so wonderful and greatly increases my enjoyment of the game.

All the best and many, many thanks again!

My favorite game review so far was over the old Chinese master Huang Longshi (Greatest Games Ever Played 04). It helped me a lot in trying to understand how to effectively attack and develop a thinking style when in possession of a very thick position. I also gained a lot of insight when you showed how Huang Longshi attacked the two-space extension on the left-side using his thickness.

My second favorite video was the game with Fujisawa Hideyuki vs. Go Seigen (Greatest Games Ever Played 04). I liked viewing how Go Seigen tried to use every one of his stones to the maximum efficiency, and through the process of this offered many exchanges throughout the game. I think it helps to show how one should develop strategies that keep many options open, and how these options are used throughout the game to maneuver one’s stones into the most efficient placement.

I would like to see more videos that show how a strong professional leverages use out of a very thick position throughout an entire game; and more games which emphasize either one or both players having a playstyle that gives conscious thought into receiving the most value from each stone while leaving options open.

Please feel free to e-mail me, if you would like.