9x9 board for beginners

[kevinl2601]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum and to the game itself.

I have a question about playing on a 9x9 board.

Someone told me that I should play at least a hundred games on a 9x9 board before moving up to a 13x13 and then 19x19.

I was just wanting to ask if this this is accurate and what skills and/or experience will I have to have in order to move up?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

[speedchase]

People have different opinions about how useful 9x9 and 13x13 are. Personally I think that once you learn the rules it is a waste of time.

[xed_over]

I wouldn't call it a waste of time, even for stronger players.

But I also wouldn't worry about counting the number of games you play on one before moving to another. Play what you're comfortable playing on. Each size has its place and there are lots of things to learn from each.

The point is that the games on the smaller boards will be over quicker, so perhaps you'll be able to see and learn from your mistakes quicker too.

[jts]

The easy answer is that you should do whichever you think is more fun.

In general beginners are more likely to make progress in the game on a 9x9 board. They'll have an easier time keeping track of everything that's going on (1/4 the size), they won't get mentally exhausted (1/4 the length). 9x9 games are also more strategic, at least for beginners; it's easier to see whether or not you have more than half of the board, so it's easier to be cautious or aggressive accordingly. And since the game is shorter you're more likely to quickly see how the first stones you play turn into groups and fights, and how the fights turn into points. (That is, how the opening is connected to the middle game, and the middle game to the endgame.)

But most people think 19x19 is more fun because of the grand scale and the way that you can lose a local battle and still come back to win the war.

Personally I started playing on 19x19, then once I realized how much I sucked played a few games (maybe a dozen?) on 9x9, then went back to exclusively 19x19 until I started to appreciate 9x9 in it's own right. Nowadays I probably play 10 19x19 games for every 9x9 game, but it's still fun.

[Boidhre]

I started on 19x19. I didn't know about the recommendation about 9x9. It didn't seem to hinder me a whole lot progressing through the DDK ranks. 9x9 is a lot of fun though, so is 13x13, I discovered them later and find them a lot of fun for quick games with friends. They are not the same game as 19x19 though and emphasise different skills more and in some cases completely lack others (e.g. a 3,3 invasion under a 4,4 cannot be treated the same on 13x13 as on 19x19 due to how big a percentage corner territory is over the overall board).

[Bill Spight]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum and to the game itself.

I have a question about playing on a 9x9 board.

Someone told me that I should play at least a hundred games on a 9x9 board before moving up to a 13x13 and then 19x19.

I was just wanting to ask if this this is accurate and what skills and/or experience will I have to have in order to move up?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

I started out on the 19x19 and have no regrets. But the 9x9, and ever smaller boards, have their own charm. Forget the crapola about 100 games and moving up. The real question is what do you find enjoyable.

[SoDesuNe]

I think the 9*9-board is good for learning some bascis like broken shape, looking after cutting points and counting liberties. Because of this I would play a couple of games of AtariGo and then move on to 19*19.

[TheBigH]

Welcome to the board, Kevin!

There is something to be learned from every board size. 9x9 gives you practice at local fights right from the beginning of the game. Then when you move to larger sizes, you see how the outcomes of those fights have consequences over the whole board.

[asura]

I was just wanting to ask if this this is accurate and what skills and/or experience will I have to have in order to move up?

Starting on 9x9 is a good choice because the consequence of a mistake will come sooner, in 19x19 it's more difficult to see the relation.

IMO 100 games seems a good number, but more will do no harm and 9x9 is fun for stronger players, too.

As requiered skill for moving up I would suggest the ability to beat everyone on 9x9 with 4 handicap stones.

[Tim C Koppang]

You'll hear a lot of talk about 9x9, but not so much about 13x13. I personally prefer 13x13 when playing beginners because it at least gives them a taste of the larger strategic implications of their moves. I usually use a 9x9 to teach the rules. After one or two quick games, I move onto the 13x13. Now moving from any smaller board to the full 19x19 is another story. I usually wait until the beginner is ready. This will either happen when he/she tells me he wants to give it a try, or when I feel confident enough to encourage the person to try the larger board (i.e. when he/she is showing much greater strength in the basics of the game).