Can fast go be good for you?

[daal]

I like Blitz (10-20 seconds/move) because to me, in the end, Go is a game. When I start taking it too seriously, I'll start hating it. But, I suppose tournament games should have a longer time limit.

FWIW

I also enjoyed playing blitz for a while, but playing slow doesn't mean that it's less of a game, or that you have to take it more seriously. It just means that you have more time to think about your moves. While this does reduce the luck factor in a game, it also adds the fun of making your clever moves less co-incidental.

That said, since you invest less time and thought into a blitz game, your victories and defeats feel less consequential - and although you may not start hating the game, you could end up getting bored with it.

[tchan001]

The joy of blitz is to know that the tsumego shape you recognize at a glance from your studies in the past is not recognized by your opponent who is struggling with time.

[mitsun]

Playing fast go may be entertaining, but in my opinion it is worthless for actually improving. While it gives you opportunities to practice what you know (or think you know) about shapes and tesuji, it trains your bad habits just as much as your good habits.

[Barrauss]

I think it's worth commenting that the lowest insei play at 30 minutes absolute time. They also play many games on their game days (I believe 12 in one weekend, though I may be wrong). So perhaps it's a general belief by professionals that at lower levels, when learning, longer time doesn't necessarily mean better (though 30 mins absolute each isn't necessarily a short game either).

[snorri]

I think it's worth commenting that the lowest insei play at 30 minutes absolute time. They also play many games on their game days (I believe 12 in one weekend, though I may be wrong). So perhaps it's a general belief by professionals that at lower levels, when learning, longer time doesn't necessarily mean better (though 30 mins absolute each isn't necessarily a short game either).

Yes, it's a sobering thought. I've sometimes thought that playing games with time limits that are any longer than I'm likely to see in tournaments (e.g. 45m + 5x30s) is not productive and that it is odd that there are professional tournaments that are effectively quickplay, but I guess it makes for better television. More than an hour basic time in a serious amateur tournament is starting to look presumptuous in comparison.

Some players complained about the time limits in the Korea Prime Minister's Cup, which uses 30m + 3x30s. But since playing in that is likely one of the highlights of an amateur's go life, it may be time to accept that fast go is here to stay.

If you play blitz online you can always review the games offline later. I often do that. Of course there are reading mistakes that are due to time pressure, but it's also informative to find out where your impulses are taking you. You probably can improve by improving the quality of the first move that comes to mind. At least that's what I'm trying to accomplish when I review my own blitz games. I can't prove that it works from personal experience, but maybe others can.

Just because there is a current trend to shorter limits doesn't mean it's the best way, though. I am in the middle of reading John Fairbairn's e-book "The Life of Shuei" and it's always striking to me how different it must have been in that era. Like the Hoensha rules that encourage low dans and eventually others to finish before bedtime or stay up. (This is for a game that would start in the morning.) Something gives me the impression these players weren't exactly filling their days with blitz.

[Shaddy]

I can't believe I'm defending slow go, but I don't think long time limits in amateur tournaments are presumptuous. I'm only AGA 4-5d, and I took most of my two hours in the Open last year in the games I wasn't playing against little kids. For improving, I think faster games are better, but in tournaments you should be playing the best you can, which means reading out as far as you can at every important juncture (which is most moves, in a fight, and my games were drawn-out fights).

[bakekoq]

owh. I don't know how much time that I will be given in the upcoming tourney. but, I'll try to read as far as I can. hopefully it'll be good fight for me..

[Exologist]

I say just because you are playing a game with more time doesn't mean you can't push yourself to read faster. Pretty much the only thing blitz games can offer are fun factor, more games and experiences (that you remember less later), and motivation to read faster. Reading faster definitely helps overall development, but can be done with non-blitz too if you make your own motivation.