Aji technically translates to "a taste" left over. It's like an after taste from spicy food or curry in Japan. Like a burp or taste in back of mouth or tongue after the meal. So, Aji refers to the left over potential as an "after taste" from the position or points that have been "eaten" or claimed solidly. So in a corner, if you got 5pts for sure living in a 25pt area, and the rest is up for debate -- those other 20pts are technically the aftertaste portion.
To me, aji isn't only "leftover crap" but is more specifically a position where either or both players can see that difficult variations could arise, but cannot be fully read. It is, ultimately, the unknown. In that way, aji as a word is a sort of admission of our own imperfection in that we cannot read everything. If we could read *everything*, then aji would not exist -- every position and outcome would simply be known. With that in mind, aji can exist for one play or the other as a sort of "emergency parachute". You don't pursue it if things are going well. In fact, you may try to help settle it out when the time is right. But, if things goes poorly, you pull the emergency rip cord of the unknown and see what the universe brings you.
At 31:35, isn't W n18 fine? If B p19, then W m19, and black can't play q18 because it's a snapback. Therefore, B o19 followed by W m14; and then the black group is dead. Or is there something I'm missing?
@30:31 Pretty sure W Q19 is a mistake. If you play P19 instead the corner is a 10000year ko even if you can't just connect out at O19. If Black takes the Ko White connects at T17.
2:57 -- Josh you know I always do that on KGS. I actually tell my opponent what I'm working on, then dare them to stop me. It makes for a really interesting game. I'll say "I'm working on exploiting dragons today" Then intentionally play moves that make it hard for them not to form a dragon, or keep me from forming one with tons of aji on it. Moomonster or "holycow?" on your chat , watches tons of my games and just loves it. He. says it's freaking hilarious when I say I'm working on strong shape, then opponent gets beaten anyway.
@@JohnLewis-old -- When I play for strong shape , that does not mean that i necessarily get territory all the time. Shape exists regardless of influence or territory, just as any element of a game exists , such as walls - regardless of its location. If you are actively working on strong shape, be prepared to lose intentionally or not, because you are so focused on the shape alone, you will naturally forget a few other things you're supposed to be doing, like getting sente. However, when you succeed in getting strong shape, if you do that while keeping overall fuseki and direction of play, timing of invasions, and keeping the game relatively competitive, your opponent will most likely come to you first. For example -- I begin with the orthodox modified 4-4 and the 3-4 enclosure up top vs white's duel 4-4's now, we get white into a situation where , if they want to keep you from out building them, they must come to you. With that in mind, learn some joseki or come up with a likely sequence to get sente after the approach, then do this while trying for the most solid corner and side shape possible for your group. Openings and Fuseki are tools to accomplish a job -- the chinese and new orthodox are based on luring white to you -- thus getting sente. So why then, would you choose a local joseki or fight sequence off of that with poor shape??? it gives away the initiative your fuseki is interested in, and thus throws the reason you played it out the door. Strong shape wins games as you know. From a solid base people launch attacks, invasions, and reductions -- but making strong shape while running back to that base group is often critical to the overall strategy. don't just run out small knight's right?? do the 1 space for better shape while running out the invasion, and all of a sudden you don't get cut all over the place. what rank are you? It makes a huge difference as to what you can get away with. I am about a foxy or AGA 1D now at my best -- and one that knows a thing or two about getting sente. That allows me to work on getting other things trained up. You must determine what kind of game you want to play first, then be flexible enough to adjust your strategy based on what your opponent is doing.
@@paysonfox88 It makes sense at your level to be fighting for sente, the game is played at that level if obviously dealing with correct direction of play, shapes and life/death plays... with variations only because of a blunder. Sente is very important as a result. At my level (DDK for life) I'm still trying to make sure I'm doing Corner/Side/Center and not creating cut points that will kill me later.
Another viewer already commented on the ko fight in the top right corner. Instead of Dwyrinin's Q19, books recommend P19 to get 10K year ko. (Cho Chikon Vol1. page 80) That is better than letting black get a direct ko. For example wP19, bT19, wT17, bS19 will be seki. The disadvantage of playing Q19 is it loses one point eye space.
I know what Aji is, although it wasn't long enough ago that I didn't know what it meant. Unfortunately I don't think you helped someone who has never seen the term before to understand what it means. Maybe defining the term (from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_terms for example;) Aji: The closest English one could use is 'latent potential.' From the Japanese term aji (味), meaning taste, it refers to played stones' lingering ability to open various avenues of play. Though not all aji is pursued or taken advantage of, it bears on the course of the game. Good aji is when your groups are strong, and have little or no possibility of being compromised. Bad aji is when dead stones or weaknesses in one's own formation carry a latent threat of compromising an existing area should the situation become ripe. Aji is different from a simple defect or weakness in that it can be exploited and/or repaired in multiple ways at multiple stages of the game and the best way or time is not immediately clear; hence the "aftertaste" metaphor. Then show examples from different games rather than trying to fall into some example of aji in a game. Aji, in particular, is hard to force into a game. I mean you can force a Ko (assuming the opponent accepts) but forcing Aji? That's hard. In any case, I enjoy watching your games and these were nice to watch as well, but I don't think you achieved the goal of explaining Aji. Cheers, John
Easier to understand that way. I've never really thought 'taste' really describes what we're looking for since most of the time what we're looking for is unpleasant things in unfinished positions
@@dwyrin I agree that "taste" is a horrible idiom. The definition throws it away almost immediately and starts to describe "lingering ability to open various avenues of play" and THAT makes sense. You're not into American Football, IIRC, but gaps in the offensive of defensive line are like Aji. I do like the points you made about how you can't predict where Aji, once opened, will lead to because that depends on your opponent. That part was clear and I think is required. This isn't Joseki, you can't memorize Aji (although some patterns that you learn might help you maximize Aji.) Aji is exploitable weakness in stone placement and like in poker, playing loose opens the possibility of big gains and big losses. If your structure is loose, you can expect a better return if you can defend, if it's too tight, you aren't maximizing your value but you are minimizing Aji. Also Aji looks different at different levels of play. A DDK might not see the Aji in large knight, they just haven't played long enough to understand it. In a Pro game the Aji from a 500 year old joseki might have been cracked over the weekend and now is about to be unleashed on someone in a tournament. But kudos for taking on the topic. I don't want you to think I'm disappointed. I'm not. These are hard to explain concepts and the Basics series is a great place for people to learn. Much appreciated.
John, Aji was a very poorly constructed term by the Japanese. There were so many better terms to call latent potential. I would have just called it weaknesses and left it at that. If we're really being honest, IG is complicated because it was named incorrectly and translated incorrectly on top of that. They should just have said weakness in the position and left it at that.
I think it's condescending and frankly wrong to refer to an idiom as 'horrible' or 'poorly constructed,' especially if you don't speak that language and understand the worldview of where it came from. Idioms and metaphoric language have an arbitrariness to them but their symbolisms come from the way a culture views the world. Dwyrin may be using a more specific definition of Aji, but at least he's not mocking it and the culture in which it originates.
Almost forgot!
0:00:40 - game 1 vs OGS 2kyu
0:34:35 - game 2 vs OGS 3kyu
Aji technically translates to "a taste" left over. It's like an after taste from spicy food or curry in Japan. Like a burp or taste in back of mouth or tongue after the meal. So, Aji refers to the left over potential as an "after taste" from the position or points that have been "eaten" or claimed solidly. So in a corner, if you got 5pts for sure living in a 25pt area, and the rest is up for debate -- those other 20pts are technically the aftertaste portion.
However none of that really describes what we're looking for in a position thus i did not mention it and instead chose 2 words to sum it up
@@paysonfox88 Very nice explanation. :)
Thanks for the video.
Also the moment to recommend the excellent comic "Aji's quest" :D
The feeling of this video is great, I love the explanations of your thought processes
i learned so much from this video! thanks!
To me, aji isn't only "leftover crap" but is more specifically a position where either or both players can see that difficult variations could arise, but cannot be fully read. It is, ultimately, the unknown. In that way, aji as a word is a sort of admission of our own imperfection in that we cannot read everything. If we could read *everything*, then aji would not exist -- every position and outcome would simply be known. With that in mind, aji can exist for one play or the other as a sort of "emergency parachute". You don't pursue it if things are going well. In fact, you may try to help settle it out when the time is right. But, if things goes poorly, you pull the emergency rip cord of the unknown and see what the universe brings you.
At 31:35, isn't W n18 fine? If B p19, then W m19, and black can't play q18 because it's a snapback. Therefore, B o19 followed by W m14; and then the black group is dead. Or is there something I'm missing?
my favorite move was the L4 extension approach at 39:30
@30:31 Pretty sure W Q19 is a mistake. If you play P19 instead the corner is a 10000year ko even if you can't just connect out at O19. If Black takes the Ko White connects at T17.
Ok, that was truly beautiful
"I advise caution! You are running out of liberties at an alarming rate" - too funny.
> Opponent connects against a peep
"Somehow I didn't anticipate that one"
Very nice. Thank you as always :)
For the sequence in the top right corner during the first game, if white just play P19 instead of Q19 its a 1000years ko
I was thinking the same! But it's only maneko if black takes gote, which would be too slow (because of the connection on the first line)
2:57 -- Josh you know I always do that on KGS. I actually tell my opponent what I'm working on, then dare them to stop me. It makes for a really interesting game. I'll say "I'm working on exploiting dragons today" Then intentionally play moves that make it hard for them not to form a dragon, or keep me from forming one with tons of aji on it.
Moomonster or "holycow?" on your chat , watches tons of my games and just loves it. He. says it's freaking hilarious when I say I'm working on strong shape, then opponent gets beaten anyway.
If you are working on strong shape, should your opponent play for territory or influence?
@@JohnLewis-old --
When I play for strong shape , that does not mean that i necessarily get territory all the time. Shape exists regardless of influence or territory, just as any element of a game exists , such as walls - regardless of its location.
If you are actively working on strong shape, be prepared to lose intentionally or not, because you are so focused on the shape alone, you will naturally forget a few other things you're supposed to be doing, like getting sente. However, when you succeed in getting strong shape, if you do that while keeping overall fuseki and direction of play, timing of invasions, and keeping the game relatively competitive, your opponent will most likely come to you first.
For example -- I begin with the orthodox modified 4-4 and the 3-4 enclosure up top vs white's duel 4-4's
now, we get white into a situation where , if they want to keep you from out building them, they must come to you.
With that in mind, learn some joseki or come up with a likely sequence to get sente after the approach, then do this while trying for the most solid corner and side shape possible for your group.
Openings and Fuseki are tools to accomplish a job -- the chinese and new orthodox are based on luring white to you -- thus getting sente. So why then, would you choose a local joseki or fight sequence off of that with poor shape??? it gives away the initiative your fuseki is interested in, and thus throws the reason you played it out the door.
Strong shape wins games as you know. From a solid base people launch attacks, invasions, and reductions -- but making strong shape while running back to that base group is often critical to the overall strategy. don't just run out small knight's right?? do the 1 space for better shape while running out the invasion, and all of a sudden you don't get cut all over the place.
what rank are you? It makes a huge difference as to what you can get away with. I am about a foxy or AGA 1D now at my best -- and one that knows a thing or two about getting sente. That allows me to work on getting other things trained up. You must determine what kind of game you want to play first, then be flexible enough to adjust your strategy based on what your opponent is doing.
@@paysonfox88 It makes sense at your level to be fighting for sente, the game is played at that level if obviously dealing with correct direction of play, shapes and life/death plays... with variations only because of a blunder.
Sente is very important as a result. At my level (DDK for life) I'm still trying to make sure I'm doing Corner/Side/Center and not creating cut points that will kill me later.
Another viewer already commented on the ko fight in the top right corner. Instead of Dwyrinin's Q19, books recommend P19 to get 10K year ko. (Cho Chikon Vol1. page 80) That is better than letting black get a direct ko. For example wP19, bT19, wT17, bS19 will be seki. The disadvantage of playing Q19 is it loses one point eye space.
I know what Aji is, although it wasn't long enough ago that I didn't know what it meant. Unfortunately I don't think you helped someone who has never seen the term before to understand what it means. Maybe defining the term (from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_terms for example;)
Aji: The closest English one could use is 'latent potential.' From the Japanese term aji (味), meaning taste, it refers to played stones' lingering ability to open various avenues of play. Though not all aji is pursued or taken advantage of, it bears on the course of the game. Good aji is when your groups are strong, and have little or no possibility of being compromised. Bad aji is when dead stones or weaknesses in one's own formation carry a latent threat of compromising an existing area should the situation become ripe. Aji is different from a simple defect or weakness in that it can be exploited and/or repaired in multiple ways at multiple stages of the game and the best way or time is not immediately clear; hence the "aftertaste" metaphor.
Then show examples from different games rather than trying to fall into some example of aji in a game. Aji, in particular, is hard to force into a game. I mean you can force a Ko (assuming the opponent accepts) but forcing Aji? That's hard.
In any case, I enjoy watching your games and these were nice to watch as well, but I don't think you achieved the goal of explaining Aji.
Cheers,
John
The potential left in a position. I understand that it means "taste", apparently a foreign concept to one who calls it "leftover crap".
Easier to understand that way. I've never really thought 'taste' really describes what we're looking for since most of the time what we're looking for is unpleasant things in unfinished positions
@@dwyrin I agree that "taste" is a horrible idiom. The definition throws it away almost immediately and starts to describe "lingering ability to open various avenues of play" and THAT makes sense. You're not into American Football, IIRC, but gaps in the offensive of defensive line are like Aji.
I do like the points you made about how you can't predict where Aji, once opened, will lead to because that depends on your opponent. That part was clear and I think is required. This isn't Joseki, you can't memorize Aji (although some patterns that you learn might help you maximize Aji.)
Aji is exploitable weakness in stone placement and like in poker, playing loose opens the possibility of big gains and big losses. If your structure is loose, you can expect a better return if you can defend, if it's too tight, you aren't maximizing your value but you are minimizing Aji.
Also Aji looks different at different levels of play. A DDK might not see the Aji in large knight, they just haven't played long enough to understand it. In a Pro game the Aji from a 500 year old joseki might have been cracked over the weekend and now is about to be unleashed on someone in a tournament.
But kudos for taking on the topic. I don't want you to think I'm disappointed. I'm not. These are hard to explain concepts and the Basics series is a great place for people to learn. Much appreciated.
John, Aji was a very poorly constructed term by the Japanese.
There were so many better terms to call latent potential. I would have just called it weaknesses and left it at that. If we're really being honest, IG is complicated because it was named incorrectly and translated incorrectly on top of that. They should just have said weakness in the position and left it at that.
I think it's condescending and frankly wrong to refer to an idiom as 'horrible' or 'poorly constructed,' especially if you don't speak that language and understand the worldview of where it came from. Idioms and metaphoric language have an arbitrariness to them but their symbolisms come from the way a culture views the world. Dwyrin may be using a more specific definition of Aji, but at least he's not mocking it and the culture in which it originates.
YES BATTS!!
I Love Friday 😎
greetlsngentlemen! 😆
people don't accept free games because of sandbaggers
TGIF