Commentary on my T.A. Death GM

[colour_thief]

Over the course of the week, I hope to give detailed commentary on my GM performance. I'll explain various techniques and strategies that guide certain placements, what were my biggest mistakes, and what I could improve on.


Commentary will follow... For now here are various mirrors of the performance so that people can follow along:


EDIT: And you can all thank muf for making screenshots of every placement! Thanks muf!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slgTfzEOZ_4

http://videngineering.net/other/Death_GM.mp4

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM.mp4

http://nihon.se/arika/Death_GM.mp4


Please ask absolutely any questions or even criticize any placements. The idea is to get people talking about this stuff... which is something that doesn't seem to come very naturally over the internet.

[Rosti LFC]

This could be quite interesting, because the first half of the video is pretty messy.


Something interesting I noticed, because it's something I just realised I do myself, is lik the L placement at level 5/6, where you IRS anti-clockwise by default, even though it's not needed and in that case was actually far less beneficial.

[Amnesia]

I have a comment for your Death Gm c_t.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

I really wonder if every body is affected by this phenomen :


Perfect begining --> sheet score (100%)

Awfull begining --> new record (Often)


It seems impossible to perform the "perfect run"..

For every body..(or only for me ?) http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
If I could do it, I think I would beat every body here with my current potential..On both Master and Death..


There is two reasons..If ofcourse, some people agree with the fact that I am developing..


1 : the stress and the pression prevent us to do a perfect run..

Example :

" Rahh !!! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif I can do it !! I will beat them all my game is so good !!

no..no..NO NO NO !!!! Why I am losing this f**** game !!! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_evil.gifhttp://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_evil.gif "


2 : Physic law : Torque X Speed = Power

Or for Tetris it could be : Speed X Endurance = Quality of the game

We have a limit of concentration, and we practice every day in order to increase this limit..


Just to say c_t, you may be disapointed by the begining of your game..

A Gm @ 6:12 would have been nicer is not it ? http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Ghett0]

I have a comment for your Death Gm c_t.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

I really wonder if every body is affected by this phenomen :

Perfect begining --> sheet score (100%)
Awfull begining --> new record (Often)

It seems impossible to perform the "perfect run"..
For every body..(or only for me ?) http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
If I could do it, I think I would beat every body here with my current potential..On both Master and Death..

There is two reasons..If ofcourse, some people agree with the fact that I am developing..

1 : the stress and the pression prevent us to do a perfect run..
Example :
" Rahh !!! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif I can do it !! I will beat them all my game is so good !!
no..no..NO NO NO !!!! Why I am losing this f**** game !!! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_evil.gifhttp://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_evil.gif "

2 : Physic law : Torque X Speed = Power
Or for Tetris it could be : Speed X Endurance = Quality of the game
We have a limit of concentration, and we practice every day in order to increase this limit..

Just to say c_t, you may be disapointed by the begining of your game..
A Gm @ 6:12 would have been nicer is not it ? http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif


Completely true. Sometimes I have the nicest beginnings and kill myself right after 200.

[mikehaggar]

I'm excited to hear the commentaries....I have a lot of strategies to learn!

[colour_thief]

I'm excited to hear the commentaries....I have a lot of strategies to learn!

Welcome stranger. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif Just a heads up that maybe the other strategy threads will be a better learning aid. My intent with this thread is to explain what went into my GM performance without necessarily trying to say that these are things everyone should do.

Perfect begining --> sheet score (100%)
Awfull begining --> new record (Often)


In fact, this is why I strongly recommend that players always play their game to completion. Never give up! If your early game sucked it is easier to relax.


This general phenomenon I would agree with... But there are exceptions too. On my TAP machine, my section 0-100 record was done with an orange S8 game. It's all a matter of keeping your stress under control. The tension disappears with time and experience. Way back in September, when jago and I both improved our records "close" to GM, it was extremely difficult for me to keep my stress under control every time I reached 500. After reaching 800 many times, and especially after obtaining my GM, I now feel extremely relaxed playing Death no matter what I do.




Anyhow, on with the commentary... First thing first: I'll explain why 0-300 was so sloppy. When I play, I can make well thought out (read: slow) placements and get to 400 cleanly, or I can make fast impulse placements to get to 400 (probably) messily but possibly cleanly. I can break the torikan either way, but often I choose the fast, careless route. With the mistakes I usually make, it all balances out. During my GM run, the 0-300 mess was caused by a huge series of input errors from time attacking too agressively... Level 14, 25, 57, 137, 193... All input errors, followed by a section of recovery... A really sloppy beginning!


When I play with this "fast and careless" plan, I don't really start thinking hard about placements unless I'm either really close to dying, or I've passed level 400. At those times, I focus as hard as I can on raw survival above all else. I'm not saying this is the best way to play, but it is how I was playing the day I got my first GM.


This takes longer than I thought... I'll have to continue with less general commentary tomorrow.

[colour_thief]

Rosti has already noticed the first move I want to comment on...


Something interesting I noticed, because it's something I just realised I do myself, is lik the L placement at level 5/6, where you IRS anti-clockwise by default, even though it's not needed and in that case was actually far less beneficial.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/6.jpg
L - Level 6

It's not by default actually. It wasn't the best move here, but it was chosen as an instinct reaction that helps with stability surviving 500+.

http://fumen.zui.jp/?m105@deA3gbA3gbB3g ... cCcB7eAAAA (http://fumen.zui.jp/?m105_40deA3gbA3gbB3gbA3hbI3qbAAA7eAKXBDeoUoboUobp ?UBcCcB7eAAAA)

At death 500+ speed, the most efficient placement (no rotations or movement) would lock the piece very quickly... Much much faster than placements where lock delay is reset. This double rotation "anti-finesse" allows you to keep the speed smooth and at pace you are comfortable with.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/16.jpg
S - Level 16

I created an overhang here, when I could've instead stacked it on the previous S. This is "bad", but in creating an overhang the highest point on the screen was column 5, which maximizes mobility by allowing any piece to move either left or right. It wasn't until much later, with the Z piece at level 24, that this overhang paid off. So even though there was an overhang in the middle, which is where you especially want to avoid holes, it can be a worthwile risk if you can keep a cool enough head to repair it.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/20.jpg
T - Level 20

Here I intentionally set up a t-spin with a T piece, something that would, on the surface, seem like a bad move given the game's randomizer. However, it is also a placement that would allow me to repair the centre overhang without needing to double tap a piece (slow!) and while also retaining mobility to the right edge of the screen. You've got to choose a solution that works with the pieces you get, and this seemed to me to be a solution that was stable enough to wait out a T.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/23.jpg
O - Level 23

Note that I have no inhibitions whatsoever creating a hole in column 10. I would have also placed either a J or an S on the far right as well, which ties into my t-spin setup being stable.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/30.jpg
Z - Level 30

Again I show my willingness to place my mess in column 10. If pieces fell in my favour, and I cleared a single to fix my misdropped I (and also filled in the left side), I'd have a standard tetris hole waiting for me on the right.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/31.jpg
I - Level 31

I regret this move. It would have been better flat on the left, as cutting off the right just about guarantees overstacking anyways.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/36.jpg
Levels 32-36

Desperate moves to avoid overstacking, hoping for the obvious single to come soon. Note my A+C double rotation finesse placing the J piece.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/39.jpg
T - Level 39

I pull off a fancy move, surrounded by tons of misdrops. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif You have to time things so that your DAS isn't charged until you've 180'ed your piece.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/41.jpg
I - Level 41

While this placement was an obvious decision, what really matters is the patience I had waiting for the I piece while placing the previous pieces. Don't be tempted to fill in a hole like this with a J or L unless you're truly desperate. It really pays to wait for the right piece for the job, and now my screen is relatively stable and well positioned for recovery.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/53.jpg
I - Level 53

Another move I regret, again cutting off the right side of the screen. I got very lucky that the next few pieces didn't punish me for this... Only to blow it away with a misdrop while playing:


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/57.jpg
L - Level 57

An obvious misdrop, but the move I was attempting to do deserves a mention. In the same vein as level 6, I wanted to IRS and then press right and then rotate (wallkick!) to undo my IRS. It's a good move that lets you control the flow of speed.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/66.jpg
I - Level 66

An attempt at a fling synchro. I had a 2 frame window to pull it off, and failed. If I was playing for stability, I would have double tapped left and then rotated and DAS'ed to the wall... But like I mentioned in my last post my playstyle at the time was to refuse to slow down unless I was near death.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/72.jpg
L - Level 72

Note that this move is a pretty gross example of overstacking. Holes in the middle of the screen are very difficult to get rid of. Repairing them is a task which must be approached with a stable screen, otherwise you're just going to create even more holes. For this reason, I decided to overstack quite a bit over the hole, to attack it later when my screen is in a better position.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/78.jpg
T - Level 78

Notice that I had nowhere to place this piece, so I opted to create a hole on the edge of the screen.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/91.jpg
Z - Level 91

With no good place to put the piece, I created an overhang and made column 6 the highest. Note that this limits T and S pieces to going left... but that's what I want so it all works out. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/95.jpg
O - Level 95

Another overhang! While it's risky to have 2 at once, my 2 sides need different pieces so it's "ok". Or at least, very likely to work out at least in part. This move was probably motivated also by a need to make column 5 the highest again.


-----


Phew, one section done. Is this interesting? It's actually quite a lot of work to do this.

[timc]

CT this is absolutely appreciated. great work. I'll be studying this for awhile, I'm sure. Thank you

[colour_thief]

Another section!


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/103.jpg
I - Level 103

Note that, rather than taking the lines to the right, I chose to fill the hole on the left. Now, this hole could have been filled by a J piece, and the J piece is out of the history and is therefore somewhat likely, but I still feel uncomfortable waiting for it. If you look at the left hole carefully, you'll notice that until I fill it with a J piece, columns 1, 2, and 3 are not an option for piece placement. This would effectively cut off the left side of the screen until the J arrived, or create new holes if I gave up waiting. By contrast, the lines on the right could be cleared by a wide range of pieces. A tetris hole on the side of a stable screen is almost like a wildcard. It's good general practice to not clear lines there until you've got a piece that doesn't really fit anywhere else... Only clearing lines when not doing so would threaten stability.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/106.jpg
Z - Level 106

Note that I could have placed this piece without creating an overhang, but it would have cut off the right for everything but an I piece. (See also level 16 discussed above.) This overhang ensures that columns 4 and 5 are the peak of my stack for the next few pieces.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/107.jpg
L - Level 107

I took my lines here, but there was another (very often used) fast placement option of point the piece down in column 9. I felt placing the piece in column 9 would make it too difficult to place an I in column 10, and also would make the screen too flat to accomodate an S piece. This was a good call, because my very next piece was an S!


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/111.jpg
S - Level 111

This placement was motivated by the need to keep a clear path for a future I piece (now freshly out of the history) to the right. In retrospect, I don't like this placement because it creates the need for another S. A better alternative would have been to place it 2 spaces to the right. But as I said in the beginning, I was avoiding double taps at all costs in the name of speed, which is probably why I didnt' do that.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/113.jpg
O - Level 113

Again a double tap right would have been much better, but that was a self-imposed non-option. Rather than place the piece left, and create a hole in the middle, I placed it right to cover my hard earned teris hole. Ultimately, it will be easier to unearth this than any hole in the middle.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/116.jpg
T - Level 116

This placement was made to allow an I piece to go left. And I turned out to be my next piece! The I piece had been out of the history a long time at this point, and it was therefore quite likely to show up at any moment. Ever since level 113 I had a very uneasy feeling from not having a good spot for an I piece. This T piece was the first opportunity I had to make room for an I... it was very lucky for me to not get the I for 3 pieces. The main point I want to convey with this comment is that it is very possible, and really important, to have a practical grasp of the randomizer and awareness of your 3 likely pieces. This placement was a solid choice, but I would have chosen a different placement if the I piece was in the history.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/119.jpg
Levels 118/119

I had no good options for these pieces. But note that I chose the lesser of 2 evils: I kept all my untidyness to one side. When you keep your holes close together it is much easier to repair them.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/122.jpg
S - Level 122

My only options for this piece were to either create a hole in column 3 or 4. I chose 3, to make the hole as far away fromt he middle as possible.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/123.jpg
Z - Level 123

When I made this overhang with an L piece in mind to repair it. (Which came level 129.) I encourage players to experiment with overhangs even if it slows them down, because it is only with experience that you can connect overhangs and holes in a way that allows you to efficiently use them at high speeds. Master mode is especially goo for this, because of the emphasis on tetrises.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/137.jpg
I - Level 137

A shameful misdrop... If not for this I would have rapidly uncovered my tetris hole. The move I intended was to place it in column 6. Please note that like level 91 this limits the T and S piece to going left, but I want these pieces to go left so that is ok.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/146.jpg
I - Level 146

I had no good options as far as I can tell, and my decision here may have not been the best move, but that's not what I want to talk about. After placing this piece, I knew immediately that the only way I'd survive was if I could get an I to column 10. The next few pieces it was my priority to build up the right side of my screen to allow this to happen.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/158.jpg
J - Level 158

I regret this move, and would much rather have placed it to the right. IRS A, spawn, press and hold right, and then A+C while DAS is charging. I'm still not the best at fancy moves like this, and will often take the easier path if I feel I wouldn't be able to pull it off.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/161.jpg
O - Level 161

This move should be used by every player every game they play. Moving the O left one space creates great mobility by making column 5 the highest point and also it allows I pieces to be DAS'ed into column 1.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/168.jpg
O - Level 168

In fact, I think I should have repeated level 161's move here. Taking the double wastes my "wildcard" hole on the right


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/172.jpg
J - Level 172

This is not the worst move... if I get a piece to fix the overhang. Inward pointing overhangs are really risky because they cut off part of the screen. The best piece to fix it, T, is actually the most recent piece in my history so this was a very bad move (and I felt this as I was playing). In retrospect I'd have taken a single on the right.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/173.jpg
I - Level 173

While I can't exactly blame myself for taking the lines, I should have pressed a quick right-left to slide it under my overhang. The reason for this error in judgement is that the idea of placing the I to the right had been well formed in my head for quite a few levels. I didn't have time to adapt my I-plan to the new situation... If the I had come a couple levels later I would have likely chosen the stronger move. I want to highlight the importance of this phenomenon because I have seen even strong players like KAN make similar mistakes. It is a sign of skill that you have premade plans awaiting certain pieces, but it is also very easy for one of those pieces to become more strongly needed elsewhere. The only way to avoid these mistakes is to familiarize yourself with these "emergency need" situations. Perhaps someday, I'll make a faster connection between the overhang created at level 172 and an I piece solution.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/177.jpg
S - Level 177

I should have fixed (well, displaced) my overhang here similar to level 173, but unfortunately a preconceived plan got the better of me once again.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/193.jpg
I - Level 193

Similar to level 66, for better or worse when I'm playing fast I refuse to double tap my Is instead gambling on a fling synchro. I could have easily placed against the right wall, but that would result in horrible overstacking.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/197.jpg
Z - Level 197

Note that I'm not hesitating to place a Z where a J would fit better. This is because J is the most recent piece in the history.

[Edo]

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/161.jpg
O - Level 161
This move should be used by every player every game they play. Moving the O left one space creates great mobility by making column 5 the highest point and also it allows I pieces to be DAS'ed into column 1.
I cannot emphasize how much I agree with this; it was the strongest move in the given situation, and it's also the strongest move in many other situations. Every beginner should learn and memorize this move!

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/103.jpg
I - Level 103
Note that, rather than taking the lines to the right, I chose to fill the hole on the left. Now, this hole could have been filled by a J piece, and the J piece is out of the history and is therefore somewhat likely, but I still feel uncomfortable waiting for it. If you look at the left hole carefully, you'll notice that until I fill it with a J piece, columns 1, 2, and 3 are not an option for piece placement. This would effectively cut off the left side of the screen until the J arrived, or create new holes if I gave up waiting. By contrast, the lines on the right could be cleared by a wide range of pieces. A tetris hole on the side of a stable screen is almost like a wildcard. It's good general practice to not clear lines there until you've got a piece that doesn't really fit anywhere else... Only clearing lines when not doing so would threaten stability.

Whilst I totally understand your motives for playing this move, personally I would feel far more comfortable playing the I on the right, like so (http://fumen.zui.jp/?m105_40ec1lnb1lSpibaiRpssRphbYilzQpuskzgb8elzss1l ?Jw8egb8eQpkzss1lJw8egb1lYiQpLwkzgbIwbigbusAfkzg?b 8e1l8egbkzYissZi8essRpgbkzJwQpYivshbIwmz1lRphb?Iwm z1lQpibQpsskzus1lYiQpkzssRpusqbAAA7eCp2A92AA?AA). While it's true that the pattern on the left isn't particularly stable, and fixing it should be considered a priority; whether or not it should be considered the top priority is debatable. I can't help but feel that playing the I on the right - making more breathing space, and restoring great stability to the centre and right regions of the playfield - is of greater importance and has far more to recommend it than the move you played. Taking lines for the sake of taking lines is not to be recommended, but as you said yourself, a player should always take lines if not doing so would threaten stability.

[colour_thief]

And other one...


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/204.jpg
I - Level 204

Note that there is also a attrative horizontal placement against the left wall, but I opted for a vertical placement to avoid overstacking.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/212.jpg
L - Level 212

This placement was again motivated by avoiding overstacking. Note that at this point the T and Z can only go left... But that's where I want them to go. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif Just like levels 137 and 91. Note also T and Z are also out of the history right now.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/218.jpg
I - Level 218

I regret this placement. I should have placed the I vertical in column 5. As it is, I've cut off columns 1 and 2 which weakens my stability.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/220.jpg
J - Level 220

I must have had a brainfart because I strongly regret this placement as well. The shape of the surface in columns 1-5, combined with I and J as my most recent history pieces, makes this an extremely bad move. I would have much rather cleared the double to the right, using this unintuitive wallkick (http://fumen.zui.jp/?m105_405cB3nbC3hbA3jbG3ibI3gbI3gbI3gbI3gbI3gbI3gb ?I3gbI3gbI3qbevAzc4Gob4Gnb5GSdmvA9c6Gob4GQdG7A7e?A AAA). Note that I could have withheld IRS instead of using this kick, but it's good to know this kick in general.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/222.jpg
L - Level 222

I'm not sure why, but my finesse is horrible for this placement. Maybe it's anti-finesse I aquired struggling with the speed in shirase? Whatever it is, unlike the anti finesse discussed at level 6, this one doesn't let you control the speed as slow or fast as you like... it's only slow and should be avoided.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/227.jpg
O - Level 227

This is a very very bad move. I is a likely piece because it's out of the history and ideally I need 2 of them, one for each side. In placing this O, I blocked off the right hole while the left hole was inacessible. Now, if my next piece was anything but an I, I would have placed it in a way that allowed I pieces to go left. Unfortunately I played against the odds and lost... my next was an I.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/230.jpg
T - Level 230

With an I piece in my history, and a very unstable screen, there was little point in keeping the left tetris hole open so I took the single. This paid off, with some straightforward placements over the next few pieces stabilizing my stack significantly. Until...


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/236.jpg
J - Level 236

There's more to this placement than meets the eye. My plan at this point, as you can probably tell, was to free up my left tetris hole with a single. For this single, I need 2 spaces filled in on the left and 3 on the right. This J piece is capable of filling either spot. Filling in the 2 spaces on the left is the superior decision because, after the single is cleared, it would be possible to DAS a horizontal I to the left wall, and then rotate it to have it DAS into the hole. This is not possible when filling the 2-gap with an O, Z, or L.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/238.jpg
I - Level 238

Unfortunately that plan didn't work out and I got the I piece earlier than I'd hoped. Maybe I'm wrong (and please let me know if you think you'd have made this decision), but I think many intermediate players would place the I in column 1. This would be because they had formed an I-plan (discussed level 173), and are therefore pulled towards it even if the stack's context doesn't support it yet/anymore. In the end, placing the I in column 7 was a much stronger move because it avoided gross overstacking over the left hole.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/241.jpg
L - Level 241

While I would hope this move is obvious, I see a lot of players who don't do a lot of "unusual" line clears. There are especially a lot of interesting singles you can clear to unearth holes... I am sure some will come up later during my play.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/254.jpg
S - Level 254

Note that I could have stacked this over the previous S, which would have maintained column 5 as the highest which is "good". However, I felt my stack was pretty stable so I placed the S to the left to avoid overstacking over my hole. This paid off, and over the next 8 pieces I uncovered and filled this hole. Perhaps a bit lucky to clear it so efficiently, but clearing holes from the middle always takes a bit of luck.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/256.jpg
I - Level 256

Placing the I horizontally would have also made a stable surface, but again I wanted to avoid overstacking.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/257.jpg
O - Level 257

Again, I want to avoid overstacking.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/258.jpg
Z - Level 258

Note that Z was the best possible piece to fill the groove in column 4, which is why I didn't want to take the double. It is the best to fill that grove because it places column 5 as the highest. Note that the double could also be taken with an O, T, J, or even a second Z, so there is no rush to clear it. Again this is an example of line clears being a wildcard to be used only if the piece has no good move.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/273.jpg
Levels 270-273

This is a bunch of moves with no greater purpose than maintaining the ability to place an I in column 1. I specifically kept columns 2 and 3 empty and built up column 4.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/277.jpg
I - Level 277

Here I had to choose which hole to place my I in. I chose the right hole, because the left would only yield a single. If I want to lower my stack, I'd get more immediate results by skimming while I wait for more I pieces. Usually, it's more stable to choose the non-tetris hole, so long as you're not about to die and in dire need of space.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/280.jpg
T - Level 280

A great example of line clears being a wildcard. I placed pieces until I was uncomfortable, and then cleared lines. I continued to stabilize my screen with pieces that would fit, and clearing lines with the rest.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/288.jpg
T - Level 288

Note that this prevents most pieces from going left, but I don't care because the right side of my screen can take anything.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/296.jpg
Levels 291-296

More line clears with pieces that don't help with stability. It's great if the option is available to you... Unfortunately you have to first build a tall clean stack. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/299.jpg
S - Level 299

Not to be confused with the Z I placed at level 299! While this move was a bad call in this situation (I should have gone for a single on the left), it isn't as bad as perhaps it first looks. The move creates an overhang, but it also makes column 5 the highest. The overhang can be fixed, even at the highest of speeds, with a very fast and powerful L piece placement. Spawn, left, A, right. As soon as I placed this S, I created an L-plan to fix it. And indeed, you can see this at level 302.

[colour_thief]

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/103.jpg
I - Level 103
Note that, rather than taking the lines to the right, I chose to fill the hole on the left. Now, this hole could have been filled by a J piece, and the J piece is out of the history and is therefore somewhat likely, but I still feel uncomfortable waiting for it. If you look at the left hole carefully, you'll notice that until I fill it with a J piece, columns 1, 2, and 3 are not an option for piece placement. This would effectively cut off the left side of the screen until the J arrived, or create new holes if I gave up waiting. By contrast, the lines on the right could be cleared by a wide range of pieces. A tetris hole on the side of a stable screen is almost like a wildcard. It's good general practice to not clear lines there until you've got a piece that doesn't really fit anywhere else... Only clearing lines when not doing so would threaten stability.
Whilst I totally understand your motives for playing this move, personally I would feel far more comfortable playing the I on the right, like so (http://fumen.zui.jp/?m105_40ec1lnb1lSpibaiRpssRphbYilzQpuskzgb8elzss1l ?Jw8egb8eQpkzss1lJw8egb1lYiQpLwkzgbIwbigbusAfkzg?b 8e1l8egbkzYissZi8essRpgbkzJwQpYivshbIwmz1lRphb?Iwm z1lQpibQpsskzus1lYiQpkzssRpusqbAAA7eCp2A92AA?AA). While it's true that the pattern on the left isn't particularly stable, and fixing it should be considered a priority; whether or not it should be considered the top priority is debatable. I can't help but feel that playing the I on the right - making more breathing space, and restoring great stability to the centre and right regions of the playfield - is of greater importance and has far more to recommend it than the move you played. Taking lines for the sake of taking lines is not to be recommended, but as you said yourself, a player should always take lines if not doing so would threaten stability.


This ties into what I was saying earlier in that rather than trying to say what's best, I'm often just trying to show my motivations and thought process. In this case T had just left the history, and S was still in there, which may have also pushed me away from your suggested move. Additionally, I don't feel threatened while having a clean top stack unless I'm within 3 rows of the top.


Definitely, in this situation either move would have succeeded, but it's difficult to say one is better than the other. It's really a tough call... With 2 I's in a row I'd probably make both moves. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[colour_thief]

Onwards...


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/300.jpg
O - Level 300

This isn't a good move, but it's making the best of a bad situation by placing the whole on the side of the screen. Even though my stack looks pretty ugly right now, I have a very clear plan: I want to stack cleanly on the right side of the screen, and place my holes on the left side (near my tetris hole). With your holes close together, it is easy to dig through garbage.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/301.jpg
I - Level 301

My 2 options were vertical in column 3 or 7. I chose 3, as it gives a few more options for dealing with my overhang. Column 7 would have opened a path for a future I piece in column 10, but given that I has just entered the history this is not very important.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/302.jpg
L - Level 302

Here I execute my L-plan formed at level 299. See how easy it is? And see how column 4 is really high, allowing an I piece to easily get to column1? Learn this move and use it, both the SL and ZJ flavours.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/304.jpg
L - Level 304

In retrospect I would have placed this piece here, but 180'ed. This would have fit better with my plan to throw junk left while cleanly stacking right.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/306.jpg
O - Level 306

Why hello there O block moved left once. (see level 161)


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/308.jpg
S - Level 308

Sure I could have created an overhang instead... But this was a fast placement that keeps with my current plan.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/317.jpg
Levels 310-317

I filled in the right, lines have cleared, and my plan was a success. I'm left with only the tamest of buried tetris holes on the left. Let it be said that you only have to build cleanly in 2/3 of the screen at once! http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif My plan changes slightly now. I still want to build high on the right. But now, instead of throwing junk on the left, I want to clear lines there until the tetris hole is filled in. So, earlier my attitude was "throw crap left to clear lines later" and now it's "throw crap left to clear lines immediately". It's essentially the same thing, but I'm in a much better position now that the right side is built up.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/319.jpg
O - Level 319

Left once... Have you learned this move yet?


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/321.jpg
L - Level 321

In following with my plan, there's no good place on the right for this piece so I'm clearing a single on the left. I had 2 possibilities for a single here. The one I chose leaves 3 rows of overstacking. The one I didn't choose would have left 1. If my right side was built up higher, I would have picked the placement that reduced overstacking. However, As it is I chose the placement that would allow me to continue with my new plan discussed 310-317. I worked hard to get the right side high enough for immediate line clears on the left instead of hopefully clearing them soon, and I wasn't about to give that up unless I had to due to the obvious risks involved.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/335.jpg
Levels 322-335

Hopefully, this should look like fairly straightforward playing out of my current plan.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/336.jpg
I - Level 336

A very disgusting misdrop. These are the worst... When the piece would fix something bad, but insteadit leaves that badness and creates a mess of it's own. As I hope you've realised from previous misdrops, it's best just to keep on going without freaking out about it.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/337.jpg
Z - Level 337

I had 2 optionswhen creating and overhang an overhang here. Overhangs 2 columns away from a tetris hole are a little easier to deal with than 3 columns away, as they can be simply and immediately filled with a T L or J. Additionally, choosing column 3 in this case meant either pulling off a crazy move with a J, or building up to it with an O and then sliding a T L or J in. I'm not sure which is a more stable strategic decision, but I do know it's easier to pull my choice off. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/348.jpg
J - Level 348

HORRIBLE MOVE. Seriously, I challenge you to find a worse move for this piece. I think I was trying to go for the other single, but then misrotated. This would have been an ok move... But in retrospect I really really want to simply place the piece: spawn, right, lock.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/352.jpg
L - Level 352

Back to my weaker earlier plan of throwing crap left in the hopes of cleanly filling in the right. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/358.jpg
Levels 357-358

Both of these moves were placed out of a strong desire to make sure I can move an I piece left.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/363.jpg
L - Level 363

This, is an interesting choice. At this point I've made a clear change of strategy. I've committed to stopping the old strategy of stacking high on the right, and clearing lines on the left. There are a couple reasons for this. My placements 357-358 provided much need support for bringing my I piece to the left (which was a good move). However, they have also left the centre of my screen in an uncomfortable situation. So, firstly, this placement stabilizes the centre. However, this placement also creates a hole on the right side of the screen, something I have been avoiding for many levels now. Why am I doing this? Well, I have nearly filled in the entire left side. Assuming it was filled in, then I would start building cleanly on the left while playing sloppily/clearing lines on the right in order to attack my next hole. Even though the left is not yet filled in, it's so close to the bottom that it practically is. By placing this L piece, I'm essentially gambling that I can fill in the entire left without needing additional line clearing support from a hypothetically clean right side.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/364.jpg
J - Level 364

And here I've gone and filled in most of the left. I think you'll agree now that it is a good idea to stack high on the left and clear lines to the right. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/372.jpg
J - Level 372

I didn't really plan on this, I was just sharp enough to take advantage of it. It is a line clear of opportunity, as it were. I love finding a simple solution to a pain in the ass problem. You really really should never plan on it, but when you create certain patterns you should be thinking "X piece would be the best to fix this". That's exactly what happened here... I felt a strong desire for a J or I to fix my problem... and got my preferred piece. This is in the same vein as level 241, though I really do hope there are some interesting singles later on.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/375.jpg
L - Level 375

I could have placed this left I suppose, but that would cut off column 3. The way I placed it, more of the screen is available and I'm guaranteed the ability to place an I piece in column 3.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/383.jpg
L - Level 383

Even though this worked, I fully acknowledge it was a bad decision. As previously mentioned (level 172) inward-facing overhangs are extremely risky. And it was even riskier this time than at level 172. I guess I was caught off guard because L was in my piece history so I wasn't expecting another so soon. The only way to fix this overhang is with T (which is in the history http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif) or with J. What I should have been concentrating on is building high on the right with junk/lines on the left. That's probably another reason why I made this decision... in the last 6 seconds I've gone from wanting to dig on the left, to wanting to dig on the right, to wanting to dig on the left again. When you're doing really well and digging through garbage very fast, it can be difficult to keep track of what your current strategy should be.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/387.jpg
O - Level 387

A few pieces later, I'm comfortably adjusted to what my strategy should be. I chucked this O on the left, in the hopes of building cleanly on the right and digging left. I've said a similar comment many times already, but I've created a hole along the side of the screen where it is not difficult to repair it.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/389.jpg
I - Level 389

My placement here is pretty weak. And looking at this stack again, I still feel a strong pull to place it in the exact same place. This has actually made me notice a recurring weakness with my playstyle. See also levels 53 and 218. A vertical I in column 5 is a decent move that I am criminally underusing.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/390.jpg
L - Level 390

This is a bad move because it overstacks by 3 rows. But screen stability is ok... So I am taking here a "slow but sure" approach to dig through my garbage. Especially when the game starts speeding up, I'm more willing to overstack if the alternative is to risk creating more holes.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/398.jpg
O - Level 398

Hey look, I'm moving O left once. It re-establishes column 5 as the highest, and it keeps my pit in column 8 able to accept both L and J.

[colour_thief]

Last update for the day!


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/411.jpg
Levels 400-411

Every single one of these placements should be agreed upon by every player, I would hope. I got a good string of pieces that were exactly what I needed at that point in time. Just like level 372 I didn't plan on all these line clears... I just recognised the best pieces to fix my holes and did not hesitate to place them. So, while there's a bit of luck getting the right pieces, there also a fair bit of skill in associating various patterns with their solution pieces. Especially with line clears constantly changing the stack's shape, it takes some skill to visualize ahead.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/416.jpg
J - Level 416

I was actually planning on stacking up for a tetris, but by the time my piece had reached its destination and I saw the O coming next, I decided to take the double instead. Otherwise, placing the O would have created a formation that requires a J... A piece that has just entered the history.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/421.jpg
S - Level 421

This is a misdrop (I wanted to go left once). I tapped left too soon (during ARE) and didn't realise my mistake until it was too late. In fact, I think I realised it possibly fast enough to correct it but chose not to. At high speeds there is a certain value in keeping the screen predictable and under control, even if that means creating holes. If you try a risky move and fail... how are you supposed to plan your next piece? If you assume you'll succeed but then fail, you'll likely have 2 failures on your hand. Maybe even more! There can be huge snowball effects. So in this case, I noticed my error just late enough that I wasn't sure I could correct it. I chose to go with it instead of risking an unpredictable screen, as you can see by my fast, confident placement of the following L.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/423.jpg
I - Level 423

I'm taking my lines here, so that they can't get buried under the hole I just created. There's nothing more painful than a tetris or 2 buried under a few centre holes.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/430.jpg
S - Level 430

I placed this left, when many people might have chosen right. This is because I'm currently focusing on my hole in column 4, and if possible I'd like to open it up without overstacking. This means column 3 has to be filled in without adding to column 4. The best solution I can think of is S followed by L or I.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/432.jpg
Z - Level 432

With nowhere to place this piece, I felt it best to create a hole along the wall of the lowest side. Starting with this placement, I'm initiating a standard strategy of build high on the left with sloppiness/line clears on the right.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/434.jpg
O - Level 434

OMG! I didn't move it left once!! This is actually because I'm still avoiding overstacking in column 4, which is no longer important in retrospect, but at the time I was still commited to the idea in desperate hope of everything working out quickly. I guess the full implication of level 432 hadn't sunk in yet.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/437.jpg
S - Level 437

A deliberate t-spin setup.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/438.jpg
T - Level 438

Regret! This is not a misdrop. Even though I just set up a tspin, I wasn't expecting to get a T immediately.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/439.jpg
O - Level 439

Would have moved it left once if only I could. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif I kept it here because it wouldn't have really helped things on the right, and now I've got columns 4 and 5 raised.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/440.jpg
J - Level 440

The right was getting pretty ugly, so I placed this to build up to the higher overhang and simplify the stack shape. Fortunately a Z came next to act on this plan immediately.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/450.jpg
Levels 442-450

Following the general strategy of building high on the left to dig and clear lines on the right.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/451.jpg
I - Level 451

This an overstacking of sorts, but I've got a hole in column 6 and that is an absolute top priority to eliminate.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/455.jpg
O - Level 455

Another trapped O. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif Like I said earlier, holes in the middle are bad because they take a certain degree of luck to fix. Now I'll have to restabilise my screen and attack it again.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/456.jpg
L - Level 456

An example of bad overstacking. Really this piece should have gone to the right. I was probably just too frustrated with my failed recovery to think straight.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/459.jpg
I - Level 459

I placed it hoping for a quick single, which often works. But this wasn't a very good move with L and J freshly in my history. I should have placed it vertical against the left wall, or possibly even vertical in column 5. I really am missing tons of great "I in column 5" placements... See levels 389, 218, and 53.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/466.jpg
J - Level 466

After working hard to get my unwisely gambled single, I took the first opportunity to fill in the hole in column 6. This is an absolute priority, which is why I wasn't bothered by making the hole in column 7 larger in the slightest.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/477.jpg
Levels 468-477

I think these are straightforward. But please observe how much care I was taking in order to minimize overstacking in column 7.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/478.jpg
Z - Level 478

I was actually planning on rotating this after it reached it's destination. But, the travel time gave me the chance to see S was my next piece, so I didn't rotate to leave room for it. See level 416. I'm much more likely to notice these kinds of last minute moves when they are important for recovery.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/482.jpg
L - Level 482

I could have placed this piece far right with some fancy moves, but I generally only attempt such things when I am very comfortable with my stack. So this is another example of choosing consistency (see level 421).


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/490.jpg
Z - Level 490

This and the previous piece clogged my right side. Unfortunately, I had a 10 piece I drought which did not favour my recovery in column 7. This placement also comes with a change in strategy: I will abandon recovery on the right, instead focusing on clean building and recovery on the left.


http://mufunyo.net/tetris/colour_thief/Death_GM/497.jpg
O - Level 497

This is actually a pretty stupid move. It would have been much better 180'd and placed left once. It worked out in the end but I regret this placement.

[timc]

CT again thank you. This is exactly what I need. Formalizing hereto intuitive processes will improve my game immensely. This needs to be wiki'd in stone, archived and locked for all time when complete.

[colour_thief]

No problem! It's a very good exercise for me too. Also, if any of you guys spot typos or crappily crafted sentences, let me know so I can fix them. With this kind of volume they're sure to slip through.

[Amnesia]

S - Level 299


I definitely vote for the S on the left with the single..Because the big hole on the left is a 3 column hole which allow to put easily the I ..

Then I don't really see any inconvenient to create this line.. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
Whereas the S on the middle create an overhang that I can't perform 100% of the time at DEATH 300 speed..

[mikehaggar]

Will pics be added for post level-200? They were really helping!

[muf]

Will pics be added for post level-200? They were really helping!

Pics have been shot and uploaded, just waiting for colour_thief to inline them into his post http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif.

[mikehaggar]

sweeeeet!

[colour_thief]

Now that the carnival is over, I think I'll finish this at a more relaxed pace.


Z - Level 506

This move is notable because I create an overhang in the middle, where you are supposed to avoid holes the most. I could have occupied columns 6-7-8 instead, but that would have caused overstacking. I could have placed it in columns 1-2, but then I'd have an inward facing overhang that would effectively cut off the entire left side of the screen until I got the right piece. I think I chose the best option, as it's very easy to recover from this. This overhang is actually very very common, so immediately when I placed it I created a L-plan of "left B right" and a T-plan of "left B B". Notice how this is a Z piece... but it is creating the common S overhang pattern. (See level 299)


L - Level 511

Here I take a line, creating a hole in the process. One thing people who first reach these speeds do too often is cash out lines too soon for instant gratification, at the cost of stability and ultimately creating holes. This particular line clear is ok though, because it only overstacks by 1 row, and it's very easy clear that row by placing a wide number of pieces to the right.


J - Level 514

Notice that placing this piece to left far left would have also been a good move. But my priority was to re-open the hole I buried at 511, and also getting the piece in the left hole is much harder to execute... You have to press B 3 times. That's not something I can do consistently at this speed.


L - Level 520

This does some serious overstacking in column 10. I could have avoided this overstacking by making column 10 my tetris hole, but I felt that unless I got ZJ (in that order) almost immediately, column 1 would become a tetris hole as well. I overstacked in anticipation of needing to make column 1 a tetris hole.


Levels 521-523

T - I made column 1 a tetris hole. Now, no I piece could actually make it there at this speed, so building a path became a priority.

J - Looking good, I've made a path for the I.

I - Well... Crap... all that work and I blew it. This is another example of context changing fast, and not properly adjusting my I-plan. It's like I've got an I-plan of "don't go left yet", and before I can change it to "GO LEFT!!" I get an I piece. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif (Compare with level 173.) This is also an example of not trying any last moment fixes. (See level 421.) I almost certainly noticed my mistake quickly, but trying to fix it would have probably just made things worse.


Z - Level 524

Because of my previous mistake, no I piece was going to go left in the immediate future. For this reason, I decided to cash in a line while blocking my tetris hole, instead of maintaining my tetris hole. An L or O, both likely pieces, would reopen this hole immediately anyways. Compare with level 511 for the sort of "immediate gratification" line clears I think are worth going for.


L - Level 526

I have absolutely no idea why I triple rotated here. I haven't screwed up this bad since level 348.


O - level 527

While this placement is obvious, it was while placing this piece and looking to the J ahead that I saw a line clear of opportunity that would allow me to quickly recover from my previous error. (See levels 372, 411.)


I - Level 531

While this piece might have been better placed in the hole, the context was changing really fast and frankly I was a bit stunned that my line clear of opportunity was achieved so quickly. Forgiving this lapse in concentration, placing the I piece in column 5 is a very good move in many situation because it guarantees the mobility of all pieces in the immediate future. I should use this more often... See levels 459 389, 218, and 53.


L - Level 532

Whenever I place an L like I have here, I get a T-plan to place a T flat on top of it. This is because placing the T piece overstacks the tetris hole by exactly 4 lines... a potential tetris! This is pretty important in master mode and TGM1 and Ti. It doesn't really matter much in death mode, but I just thought I'd point out that I get a tingle for a T piece.


J - Level 536

I didn't place this against the right wall because that would create a hole that wants a J piece... The piece that has just entered the history. Additionally I feel really uncomfortable with I holes in columns 4,5,6,7.


L - Level 542

Notice that I'm cutting off columns 1 and 2. At this point though, I'm focusing on uncovering the hole in column 1, so this column had a self-imposed cut off anyways in order to avoid overstacking.


L - Level 549

I could have easily placed this piece sitting in columns 7/8. However, that would create a formation I generally dislike (see level 103). It was not easily, but very possible, to place this piece in column 10, but I don't trusdt myself to pull that off. I settled for a decent placement that maintains the height of column 5.


Z - Level 552

Placing this piece in columns 4/5 would have been a good move. I was drawn to the move I chose out of a need to create a path for an I piece to go right. This wasn't strictly necessary, but I have a strong preference for I placements that are first horizontal and then are rotated vertically into position. Without this, missing an IRS would cause a misplaced I. Additionally, I'm very familiar with this overhang pattern. Just looking at it I see many possible high speed solutions... J,T,I. I,O. I,L,J. And column 7 is pretty low risk, if I really can't fill it.


L - Level 557

Here I'm executing an L-plan formed at level 552. Not that I,L,J is really not my ideal solution, but it's a solution I commonly use. You have to make due with the pieces you get. When it comes to overhangs I like to play the first solution I have the pieces for.


I - Level 563

Would you have placed this horizontally? Lots of people miss good horizontal I placement opportunities. I think it was the best move here.


Z - Level 568

This piece couldn't have it's lock delay reset at all. This messes with your rhythm and often results in misdropping the next piece.


J - Level 569

All I wanted to do was tap right once... But because the previous piece was placed too early in my rhythm, I failed to time it right. It's really hard to stay in control of the small bursts of speed that happen when lock delay isn't reset.


I - Level 571

When you are planning to fill columns 9 and 10 with I pieces, it is best to fill column 10 first. This saves you from tapping left after reaching the wall with the first I. More importantly, the second I can easily be rotated into column 9 after hitting the wall in the horizontal orientation.


S - Level 573

This placement is part of a commitment to build cleanly on the right while keeping my mess on the left. Notice also that this placement required me to abstain from using IRS, instead waiting until I reached the wall to rotate. Many options open up when you learn the full spectrum of DAS moves.


T - Level 581

Placing this in the middle would have created a need for an O piece, which is freshly in my history. Taking the lines feels ok to me, because it's "practically" a double.


O - Level 584

Look who just got moved left once!


T - Level 597

I should not have taken these lines. This piece would have been better placed in the middle, elevating column 5. My screen was flat before this piece, but that was ok because the ready-to-go lines offered me some flexibility. Now I lost that flexibility and didn't even get a double out of it.


Z - Level 599

This placement was made to recover from flatness and to create a path for an I piece to go right.


L - Level 599

This is an interesting decision. This piece would have fixed my overhang nicely, however I decided I would rather have a hole in column 9. Filling the overhang would require a double-tap right -- something I can't consistently do and wouldn't want to risk when there is a lot at stake (a ready made tetris in this case). Additionally, it would have prevented me from moving an I into column 1 the slow, safe, IRS-less way.


T - Level 599

This piece again could fix my overhang, though without a double tap this time. But it would still prevent me from moving an I into column 1 the safe way. I don't want to mess around when I have a tetris at stake.

[mikehaggar]

pictures!!!

[ema]

It takes trouble and will be serious, but I am looking forward to continuation http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif

Over the course of the week, I hope to give detailed commentary on my GM performance. I'll explain various techniques and strategies that guide certain placements, what were my biggest mistakes, and what I could improve on.
Please ask absolutely any questions or even criticize any placements. The idea is to get people talking about this stuff... which is something that doesn't seem to come very naturally over the internet.


This topic is fantastic, but this is in English. So I hope to translate into Japanese. As a starter, I copy all messages to below page.


http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules ... pwiki_body (http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules/xpwiki/?_25A1_25D6Commentary%20on%20my%20T.A.%20Death%20G M_25A1_25D7_25CB_25DD_25CC_25F5#xpwiki_body)


Translation might take a while. But I'll do it.

[LOst]

It takes trouble and will be serious, but I am looking forward to continuation http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif

Over the course of the week, I hope to give detailed commentary on my GM performance. I'll explain various techniques and strategies that guide certain placements, what were my biggest mistakes, and what I could improve on.
Please ask absolutely any questions or even criticize any placements. The idea is to get people talking about this stuff... which is something that doesn't seem to come very naturally over the internet.

This topic is fantastic, but this is in English. So I hope to translate into Japanese. As a starter, I copy all messages to below page.

http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules ... pwiki_body (http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules/xpwiki/?_25A1_25D6Commentary%20on%20my%20T.A.%20Death%20G M_25A1_25D7_25CB_25DD_25CC_25F5#xpwiki_body)

Translation might take a while. But I'll do it.

colour thief will like this!


Great work ema!

[colour_thief]

It takes trouble and will be serious, but I am looking forward to continuation http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif

This topic is fantastic, but this is in English. So I hope to translate into Japanese. As a starter, I copy all messages to below page.

http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules ... pwiki_body (http://www.tetrisivorytower.com/modules/xpwiki/?_25A1_25D6Commentary%20on%20my%20T.A.%20Death%20G M_25A1_25D7_25CB_25DD_25CC_25F5#xpwiki_body)

Translation might take a while. But I'll do it.


I'm glad you like it. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif That it is being translated into Japanese comes as a great surprise to me. One of my main motivations for writing this was the fact that there are few good learning resources in English.


I hope that TiT will forgive my lack of skill. I am sure that there are much stronger Japanese players that could give more useful commentary. But hopefully it is still interesting.

[colour_thief]

L - Level 604

I had avoided this move previously (see L - Level 599), though here I attempted it and succeeded. The difference is that this time there was no tetris waiting to happen. There is less at stake, so I was more willing to try a difficult placement.


T - Level 606

This placement leaves no good place for an S piece, which is out of the history and quite probable. The T would have been better placed if I rotated clockwise once.


S - Level 607

With no good place to put this, I shoved it my hole as the least bad of my bad options. (See also levels 78, 197, 230, 280, 300 etc.) Another important thing that happened with this move, was that since no lines cleared I knew immdiately that I could not unearth my left hole until I had fixed the hole on the right.


Levels 608-611

As per my rapid change of strategy that was an automatic reaction from level 607, I staacked high on the left to open up the right.


O - Level 614

Notice that I didn't leave it in the middle. I moved it left once, again.


Z - Level 618

A misdrop. When you play without locking, it takes a very good rhythm to time IRS during ARE. I was a little early here, causing the active piece to rotate unnecessarily. These mistakes happen a lot when you are just starting to play these speeds, but with practice they will disappear. You start to develop a very concrete sense of when lock delay is reset.


S - Level 619

This is a less than ideal placement. However, it was deliberate. After making a mistake at high speed, as happened previously at level 618, it is very easy to lose control and turn your 1 mistake into a series of mistakes. This placement was made with the intent of knowing my current stack shape. By contrast, if I had tried a different placement and failed, I would be surprised by the error and would still not be in control. (See 421, 438, 523.)


O - Level 623

Much like level 607, I'm making a hole at the side of the screen where it is easily recoverable. Note that I didn't place the piece left twice, which would have avoided holes, because then the left side of the screen would have been unreachable with a T piece.


J - Level 624

I had just received an I at level 624, and I wasn't going to wait for another because my screen was very unstable. Also, note the higest holes are in columns 3, 8, and 10. When you have 2 holes in the same row like that, creating a third is not a big deal. I needed a lot of work to dig deeper than row 5 anyways.


O - Level 630

This placement was made to avoid overstacking, hoping for an L or I-J easy fix.


O - Level 637

Left, once. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

J - Level 640

After avoiding overstacking for the last few pieces, I placed this piece to overstack a single row. My strategy, at his point, is to stack high on the left, while clearing lines on the right, with a secondary goal to avoid overstacking.


L - Level 649

All the effort I went through to avoid overstacking was wasted with this placement. I had a fairly large O-drought at this point, and felt a need to keep a good place for the O piece.


I - Level 651

Did you know this move was possible? It doesn't come up very often. The auto-synchro move placing I pieces to the left, by comparison, is a staple.


J - Level 665

This is a bad move because it uses a J piece to make a J-hole. This piece would have been better placed flat in columns 5-6-7... But placement in the middle (ie. without lock reset) must be decided on early or else you will lose the rhythm and misdrop your next piece.


T - Level 666

Another bad move. I overstack my hole unnecessarily, and also create the need for an I piece in column 1. Better alternatives would have been to place it in columns 4-5 pointing right, or in columns 1-2-3 facing down (see next comment).


T - Level 677

Here I create an unnecessary hole. However, I feel that the screen shape is much more more versatile now. Alternative placements without holes would leave few options for S or Z pieces. Though my placement makes a hole, it is very easily recovered, and I am guaranteed to keep column 5 the highest for many pieces to come.


Z - Level 682

This move made my screen unstable, but I was focused on fixing the hole I had just created at level 677.


L - Level 684

This is a lot of overstacking, but I felt my screen was too bumpy, and preventing future holes is more important than efficiently clearing current holes.


J - Level 693

This might look like a bad move, with a great alternative placement on the right. Bu this move stabilizes the middle of the screen, and the overhang is easy to deal with. When I placed this piece, I immediately created an L-plan of "DAS left, move right once". Also note how my placement technique controls the speed (see commentary for level 6).


S - Level 694

Another example of making a hole on the side where it can be easily recovered.


I - Level 696

In continuing talking about my placement at level 693... The overhang is so versatile because even now I can easily fill it. My L-plan changed to IRS B, DAS left, A. Note that even if the I piece filled one space higher in its column, the L-plan would still work.


O - Level 699

I didn't place this once left. Why? Specifically so that I could keep a placement option for the Z piece, which I then proceeded to pass on anyways...


Z - Level 699

I originally wanted to to place this piece in columns 3-4. Note how I would still have been able to fill in the hole with my L-plan. However, I noticed that my hole on the right, after the line was cleared, would require an L piece. Since I was having to luck getting L pieces, I decided to abandon my plan (a good call - I would have waited 12 pieces). This made a hole on the left, but opened the hole on the right. Importantly, this move grouped all my holes close together on the left. It would have been possible to keep going with my L-plan, expecting an I piece or an (improbable) L piece for the right. But there is an advantage to moving all holes on the same side, and I think it allows for more agressive digging.

[colour_thief]

L - Level 701

Even though this L-hole was only opened up with the previous placement, I had no hesitation in filling it. In fact, ever since I placed the T at level 695 I knew I could use an L in the future.


T - Level 703

This piece was actually the best possible piece I could place left, given my top 2 holes. This is because it avoids overstacking without creating additional holes an it also leaves room for an easy S placement on the left wall.


S - Level 705

The aforementioned S placement that avoids overstacking. This move is very versatile. Even if columns 3 and 4 were a deep pit to the bottom, it would be possible to place the S here.


S - Level 714

In retrospect, I should not have been afraid of placing this on the right in columns 8 and 9. This would have created an I hole, but the I piece was out of my history and therefore probable. And placement of that I piece would be very simple. As it is, I overstacked. This was probably a basic reflex from my left over S-plan created at level 703.


S - Level 728

This was an intentional move to keep column 5 the highest. Unfortunately with this piece sequence it was a bad idea, but I feel it is an ok move in general when you are playing for survival above all else.


O - Level 729

A placement hoping for a line clear of opportunity that would use a J piece and something else in order to clear a double and repair the hole made previously.


T - Level 731

Here I abandoned all hope of getting that line clear of opportunity. If I was a real man (or I had Ti wallkicks, heh) I would have placed the T piece against the right wall using advanced techniques. Without confidence in my ability to pull that off at max speed, I thought that the only stable placement was to overstack 3 rows. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif

I - Level 736

Too often, I think people miss good horizontal I placement opportunities. This placement isn't exceptional or anything, but I think many people would not even consider it.


I - Level 756

Now this, is an excellent horizontal I placement. It helps greatly to open up my hole with minimum overstacking.


S - Level 761

On the one hand, I've just re-created the hole I worked so hard to open up, but on the other hand my stack has a very stable shape and I've opened up the tetris hole on the left.


L - Level 763

A seemingly bad move, but I'm more interested in fixing the hole in column 6 than having a clean pit on the side. My screen is still very stable, and I'm now well positioned for recovery.


L - Level 769

Notice how I am stacking in preparation for a tetris on the right. With my previous 2 pieces I fixed my hole in column 6, I filled my pit in column 1, and immediately I knew that my next hole was in column 10.


S - Level 777

An intentional overhang that I am very familiar with. There are many possibilities for filling it, even at high speeds, at there is a good path for moving an I piece to column 1.


J - Level 779

Even though this move is not optimal, I will often settle for it, especially at high speeds. It creates a hole, but a quick single will open it back up. Also, it trades an overhang in column 4, for a hole in columns 2 and 3. On the bad side this trades possible badness for actual badness. However, this move also moves the badness towards a wall, making it less bad.


S - Level 782

Someone without a larger plan might have instinctively placed this piece to the left. However, clearing this single was a huge priority for me, and was planned since level 779.


O - Level 788

Another O piece I didn't move left! (See level 699.) This time, it was because I didn't want to create a deep hole in columns 2 and 3, and there was no place for an I piece on the left anyways.


Z - Level 792

Another misdrop from IRS timed too early. As always, with a mistake like this you need to keep your cool and concentrate on stability and clearing your built up lines so that the screen becomes lower and you can recover more comfortably.


O - Level 794

I previously mentioned how important it is to clear your built up lines. It is important to note the row the misdrop affects, and carefully place pieces that can clear lines around that row. This O placement planned for a double, which I knew could fit under the imperfect row. I don't think it came up much in this performance, but there is a wide variety of tricks you can do to clear lines around an imperfect row, so that you can compact your stack and move your mistake to the bottom. As a side note, both J and I were outside the history right now. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif So this double was practically guaranteed with safety.

[colour_thief]

My sloppy beginning may have been more noticed, but I believe it is in fact my 800-899 section that was filled with the worst mistakes.


L - Level 804

Previously, I was focusing very hard to make sure I cleared the tetris I had built up. After I cleared it, and entered section 800, I became directionless. As strange as it sounds, sometimes when I focus very hard on getting a tetris, I find it difficult to readjust afterwards to get new goals to guide my placements. Sometimes I'll get a similar effect if my screen is too low: When I fix my last hole, suddenly something I was very focused on no longer exists, and I'm more likely to lose direction and make foolish placements.


T - Level 807

Though this placement leaves a stable surface, it was a very poor decision. It is best to keep one half of the screen clean, and keep holes together on the other side. So, it would have been better to overstack on the left.


Z - Level 811

I placed this piece thinking the hole I created at level 807 didn't exist. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif On the one hand, this is advanced thinking because it predicts the shape after a line clear, but on the other hand I show that was definitely losing concentration at this point.


I - Level 817

This was a poor placement, but it actually saved me. I was too tired to adapt to the rapidly changing holes on the screen, but this poor placement helped me instinctively establish the right side as my clean side and the left side as my dirty side. I might be in a very bad position right now, but at least I've established this strategy. Though ideally my brain wouldn't get exhausted like this in the first place...


Levels 818 - 823

Notice that my stacking shows a lot more direction now that I have regained a strategy. Things are still relatively clean on the right, and I've created a hole and an overhang on the left.


S - Level 824

This is an unfortunate misdrop. But my screen is relatively stable and I can go forward with my general plan.


O - Level 829

With this line clear my "dirty side" became filled in, and, guided by the hole in column 6, my strategy changed to make my left side the "clean" one now. A hole in column 6 is extra tricky... Really, you want both sides to be clean while you attack the middle. But my priority is absolutely to keep the left clean.


Z - Level 835

Holes in the middle are such a delicate situation at high speed 20G that I am much more willing to settle for a partial solution like this one. It can get extremely dangerous waiting for the ideal piece.


L - Level 837

It may look like I missed a great opportunity to open up my hole in column 6 again. (I would have had to not IRS the piece, or Mihara's conspiracy's (http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1023&highlight=miharas+conspiracy) J kick would have to work for the L.) But this placement makes my screen extremely stable, with the samll cost of only 1 row of overstacking.


Levels 838 - 843

these placements aggressively attack the hole in column 6 without much thought for stability. I may have recovered a sense of direction, but I am still not playing as intelligently as I should be.


Z - Level 851

My placement was not bad, but in retrospect I feel tempted to create a J-plan overhang in column 5. This would have maintained screen mobility, whereas my chosen placement cuts off the left 3 columns. Either way I would need a J piece, and the overhang is more flexible. (See levels 299 and 506.)


J - Level 852

This was an extremely aggressive move, putting major pressure to stack cleanly on the left so that I can get tetrises on the right. I'm not sure why I decided this, because most of my 500+ play is extremely defensive and purely focused on survival.


T - Level 858

This placement disrupts the stability of my stack. L just entered the history and is unlikely to come and fix my pit in column 6. I should have plugged my far left pit. There is often a choice that must be made between stability and avoiding holes. I made the wrong decision here.


O - Level 859

Though this placement causes the damage, it is the fault of the previous placement. Notice that the T would have plgged the hole more efficiently by creating a hole of only 1 square.


J - Level 862

Technically this is unnecessary overstacking, but it also maintains a place for the Z piece.


I - Level 869

Here I attempted the synchro move, the same one that I failed at levels 66 and 193. Notice that in this case the risk is low because failure produces a single. See how I was playing similar to forced high speeds early in the game? At 500+, it is extremely dangerous to tap left twice and then rotate.


L - Level 871

Though I would ordinarily be tempted to place it in columns 2-3-4, since I just got an I piece I did not want to create a tetris hole.


O - Level 876

Strangely, here is an O I should have placed left once but didn't. Placements that don't reset lock delay require extra planning and comfort with the speed, so often I will miss good centre placements if I am not playing with enough concentration.


I - Level 878

This is a terrible placement. Column 10 would have been ok. Or even, placing it flat on the ground. Horizontal I placements are often missed, horizontal I placements that don't clear lines doubly so. (See levels 563, 736.)


S - Level 880

I don't think I've commented much on finesse, but it is important to know the full vocabulary of fast moves that are available to you. Here, I DAS'ed to the wall and then pressed left+rotate together to place the piece. Can you see how it is simple to place the S in columns 9-10, 8-9, or 7-8 even at the highest speeds? The placement I just used is the most sophisticated of the three. If you press rotate before releasing your DAS, you will fail because you then need to press left twice to correct the mistake. And if you press left before pressing rotate, the piece can't move so you have to press left a second time (after the rotation) to actually move the piece. If you time things just right, rotating while you are moving the stick left, you succeed. In fact I pressed left and rotate in the exact same frame here. http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif It's possible to do this move very consistently with practice. ...As a side note, this move was strategically motivated by a desire to avoid overstacking column 9.


T - Level 889

Another misdrop caused by trying to IRS before ARE. This put me in an extremely uncomfortable position. This is easily the most uncomfortable I've been 500+ during this performance, and it was my final difficulty to overcome on the way to GM.


S - Level 891

I could have DAS'ed this into columns 1-2, but I was too surprised by my level 889 misdrop to make that decision.


Levels 892 - 896

Thanks to my poor placement at level 891, I now found myself with a tetris hole in columns 1 and 10, with no way to get an I piece there and an I piece coming next!! In this situation, especially near the top with little room for flexibility, a decision must be made to plug one of the holes and making that the dirty side, while stacking cleanly on the other side.


L - Level 898

Here I chose the right side to be my dirty side. I think this was the right choice because that side was lower, and could therefore hold more dirtyness and offer me more flexibility.


J - Level 899

Here it is, the moment I felt a sigh of relief and thought I would probably make it to GM. The I piece was out of the history. While I still hadn't received it, I received a J piece, which could clear a double while plugging my tetris hole. As I placed this piece, I was hoping for an L piece to immediately open up the tetris hole again... and it was my next piece! With 3 lines cleared to give me a little a little breathing room, I knew my likely I piece would soon come and I was in a good position to dig through my garbage.

[jujube]

thanks ct, it was fun to read that then to go and watch the video again. i didn't feel the same discomfort at level 889, probably because i knew what was gonna happen http://www.tetrisconcept.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif