Hi all

I need some real help with my psychology in this game.

I dont expect to become a good player without a lot of effort, but i get so dispondent as I am hammered in almost every game I play.

I know that I will probably lose a lot of games when i start but i just tend to blow up inside and make the same mistakes time after time (mosting still in life and death situations). This leads me to think Im wasting my time.

I play on KGS and when i started it rated me at 5 K (wrongly!).
I want to put the effort in and have invested in a few books but need some assistance in working out how to get through this difficult first stage.

Some people say that I should only play games and others say I should just study, I could do with a consensus on which is better?

Sorry for the length of this post but im really stuck,so early on in my Go career (2 months in).

Thanks
markeemark

At the beginner level, there is more benefit in playing many games than in reading many books; try something like 90% playing and 10% studying.

Play games. Games games games games games.

They dont seem to be working thats the problem but thanks anyway

You've given yourself only 2 months.

Consider this... Its actually possible to play and lose every game, yet still improve considerably.

Think about baseball players. Great batters still strike out about 75% of the time.

Learn to embrace the loss as a learning opportunity. Have fun with it. Experiment. See what works and what doesn't, because it doesn't matter if you lose, you still win.

Try to finish 100 games. 9x9, 13x13, or 19x19 doesn't matter. Just play.

xed_over makes a good point. Losing does not mean that you aren't learning. Losing can be discouraging, but remember, because of the accurate handicapping system in go, you will lose about half the time, even after you have improved. Get your opponents to give you more handicap stones, so that you win about half the time. You should change the handicap by one stone after each game, because you will be making rapid progress.



You are making the same mistakes over and over? Then you know what to focus your learning on. Now, just saying, my groups die, does not mean that you are making the same mistakes. They may die for different reasons. Analyze your mistakes. Turn your weaknesses into strengths, so that you never make those mistakes again. Set up similar situations, so that you are sure that you know what the key elements of the positions are.



It's a game. Have fun!



Do both.

Good luck!

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Thanks all

Very constructive comments!

Maybe your right Bill and I have been a bit hard on myself.

As the main issue is life and death and reading I think that is where I will start.

Thanks again my head isnt sorted yet but I am on the right path!