The way to BlackBelt

Charles Matthews · Post by **Charles Matthews** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 1:40 pm

Elom wrote:I'm trying to desperately understand what happened in all of the games, but it's proving a little difficult [...] Any comments are welcome!

OK, the simplest helpful comment could be this: your style of go seems to force the issue, at every opportunity. Which stronger players are going to welcome.

You need a supply of "laid back" ideas too.

jeromie · Post by **jeromie** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:38 am

Elom wrote: ...I wanted to make the game feel a even as possible in my mind

It's funny that you put it that way, because just looking at the moves it appeared to me as if you thought of yourself as beginning way behind and took it upon yourself to play desperately in an attempt to catch up. When we begin a new game we are all even, no matter the fancy numbers we attach to our names. :-)

The tournament is a good place to try out new ideas, though, and in this respect I think your gameswere a success. How often do we get to play serious, (relatively) slow games that have no effect on our rating? And how often do we get to play even games against players strong enough to show us whether our moves are truly good or bad? It really was a great learning opportunity!

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:56 pm

jeromie wrote:
Elom wrote: ...I wanted to make the game feel a even as possible in my mind

It's funny that you put it that way, because just looking at the moves it appeared to me as if you thought of yourself as beginning way behind and took it upon yourself to play desperately in an attempt to catch up. When we begin a new game we are all even, no matter the fancy numbers we attach to our names.

The tournament is a good place to try out new ideas, though, and in this respect I think your games were a success. How often do we get to play serious, (relatively) slow games that have no effect on our rating? And how often do we get to play even games against players strong enough to show us whether our moves are truly good or bad? It really was a great learning opportunity!

Well, what's interesting is that I'm usually a little negative in all of my games, even-ranked or not, and even in life, which I'm trying to curb.

Playing wildly was an attempt to counteract that mind-set, but maybe it didn't work completely

I think I have to take Charles Matthews advice to be more calm and less anxious, which at any one point in time I usually am (if I count that the game is even I feel I'm behind. I also tend to count in a stricter fashion on myself than for the opponent, "just to be safe")

On another note, instead of posting one of my boring games today, I'm putting up some games of people who actually know how to play Go-- and play it well. Introducing the 16th Nongshim Cup, first stage.

I was completely unaware that the amazing Youngill An 8p Had done a commentary of the Games. So every single review are my own naive thoughts-- I have not looked at the Kang-Ida Commentary. So Once You're done playing around here, head on to gogameguru.com/go-commentary-kang-dongyun-vs-ida-atsushi-16th-nongshim-cup/ for some who knows what they're doing.

Here are the Games: Byung Sangil 3p V Ichiriki Ryo 7p

Tuo Jiaxi 9p V Ichiriki Ryo 9p

Kang Donyoong 9p V Tuo Jiaxi 9p

Kang Dongyoong 9p V Ida Atsushi 8p

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:59 pm

Due to an unlikely turn of events, I've made it to the last preliminaries of the 19th pandanet world online amatuer championships, main class.

http://my.pandanet.co.jp/sa_iwag2014/result-eu-t.asp

I must say that after all the excitement, I just want to produce a good kifu. My next opponent is someone named shimamura, a roku-dan. I don't know if roln is Ilya Shikshin, but I mightaswell do my very best to play a C-class insei level game or higher. Becuase I've lost most of my games against 3-4 kyu's, a few due to poka's I feel a bit like a sandbagger ranked IGS 6kyu. Mind you, however, I had a surprise loss against a 7kyu! Right after a convincing win against a 6 kyu! I feel that I get seriuosly behind in most of my games, but fight back in the middle game, either one of us get killed, or something dramatic happens. In many cases, I just can't turn the game around, especially if it's a solid player who doesn't leave a weak group to attack-- I won't do very well against Chen Yaoye

Bill Spight · Post by **Bill Spight** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:50 pm

Elom wrote:Due to an unlikely turn of events, I've made it to the last preliminaries of the 19th pandanet world online amatuer championships, main class.

Congratulations! :salute:

And good luck1

SamT · Post by **SamT** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:00 pm

Elom wrote:Well, what's interesting is that I'm usually a little negative in all of my games, even-ranked or not, and even in life, which I'm trying to curb.

Playing wildly was an attempt to counteract that mind-set, but maybe it didn't work completely I think I have to take Charles Matthews advice to be more calm and less anxious, which at any one point in time I usually am (if I count that the game is even I feel I'm behind. I also tend to count in a stricter fashion on myself than for the opponent, "just to be safe")

In my random researches into go, one of the studies I looked at was a series of comparative brain scans of high-skill Go players to high-skill Chess players and a control group. Compared to both Chess players and the control group, top Go players had seemingly under-developed amygdalas -- meaning they had a suppressed urge for fight-or-flight.

My own interpretation of this, as a beginner, is that Go skill is very related to reading skill, and reading while your hands are shaking and your heart is thumping is INCREDIBLY hard.

Since low-level dans are reading 10-12 moves ahead and pros are reading 20-30 moves ahead (or 100 in some exceptional cases, such as Lee Changho), the ability to suppress fear and negative emotions is an essential part of becoming stronger at Go.

But I am no expert. YMMV.

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:30 pm

Bill Spight wrote:
Elom wrote:Due to an unlikely turn of events, I've made it to the last preliminaries of the 19th pandanet world online amatuer championships, main class.

Congratulations!

And good luck1

Thanks!Hopefully I could make a good game out of it.

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:53 pm

SamT wrote:
Elom wrote:Well, what's interesting is that I'm usually a little negative in all of my games, even-ranked or not, and even in life, which I'm trying to curb.

Playing wildly was an attempt to counteract that mind-set, but maybe it didn't work completely I think I have to take Charles Matthews advice to be more calm and less anxious, which at any one point in time I usually am (if I count that the game is even I feel I'm behind. I also tend to count in a stricter fashion on myself than for the opponent, "just to be safe")

In my random researches into go, one of the studies I looked at was a series of comparative brain scans of high-skill Go players to high-skill Chess players and a control group. Compared to both Chess players and the control group, top Go players had seemingly under-developed amygdalas -- meaning they had a suppressed urge for fight-or-flight.

My own interpretation of this, as a beginner, is that Go skill is very related to reading skill, and reading while your hands are shaking and your heart is thumping is INCREDIBLY hard.

Since low-level dans are reading 10-12 moves ahead and pros are reading 20-30 moves ahead (or 100 in some exceptional cases, such as Lee Changho), the ability to suppress fear and negative emotions is an essential part of becoming stronger at Go.

But I am no expert. YMMV.

You hit that on the nail! One of my short term goals actually is to improve my reading ability by a significant amount-- right now it's about 15-20 on a really good day for a relatively linear sequence, but I want to start averaging 20 moves in two weeks! Following Lee Hajin 3p's advice to train you're strongest part and you're weakest part, I've managed to get my phone to play .asx files, which could only mean one thing! Lot's of wbaduk lectures! Especially Cho Hyeon 9p's "Profundity of Baduk" series, (what I call it) half of the series covers-- hold your breath for my worst nightmare-- THE OPENING. And if things aren't scary enough, it starts out with my worst nightmare of nightmares-- THE CHINESE OPENING! (wow, I don't remember ever using bold before) perfect material, almost too good to be true (Upon discovering them earlier in the year, I thought that if it's not a dream, why hadn't I discovered them when I started playing 3 years ago? (turns out I did, but it's a long story)

Anyway, my long-term goals... my non-secret goal is self-control upon the goban (which would naturally seep into life. Huh? My secret long-term goal? The clue is in the journal name, but it must be interperated differently than how one would first expect... :cool:

)

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:07 pm

I decided to just post the she without any comments. I'm going to scrutinize this game, since I intend to undoubtedly make EGF 5 Dan in 5 years-- or much sooner. Also, I have a good feeling about participating next year...

Oh, what exactly happened!

Uberdude · Post by **Uberdude** » Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:04 pm

o3 should be c5, it's double sente.

Charles Matthews · Post by **Charles Matthews** » Fri Nov 14, 2014 1:33 pm

Elom wrote:I'm going to scrutinize this game [...] Oh, what exactly happened!

Good idea, given that your opponent is a class act. Notice that you are not being bullied, and also are not being given any serious chances to fight back.

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:37 pm

Uberdude wrote:o3 should be c5, it's double sente.

Yes, that was a painful mistake :-|

Charles Matthews wrote:
Elom wrote:I'm going to scrutinize this game [...] Oh, what exactly happened!

Good idea, given that your opponent is a class act. Notice that you are not being bullied, and also are not being given any serious chances to fight back.

Yes

playing against kyu players feel like playing against fireworks, while playing against mid-high dans is like being carried in a current about to tip you over a waterfall. And every attempt to fight back is not even countered, like water.

So, I decided to put up the rank graphs for KGS and IGS. Mind you. I haven't played on KGS for a while, and my IGS rank is provisional. As mef said, it seems like I'm aiming to join the ranks of the top European players, ie Pavol Lisy, Alexander Dinerchtien, Antti Törmänen, etc. Well, to achieve my greater goal, I have no choice but to, so becoming as strong as the top European players ie the way to black-belt, sort of a sub-goal, part of the way.

http://www.gokgs.com/graphPage.jsp?user=WindnWater

[img]<img%20src="http://www.gokgs.com/servlet/graph/WindnWater-en_US.png"%20width="640"%20height="480"%20alt="KGS%20rank%20graph%20for%20WindnWater"/>[/img]

Note: hmm IGS rank display for WindnWater does not seem to be working at the moment.

Elom · Post by **Elom** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 11:34 am

After trying my best to uncover the secret (not) methods of Korean YeungSeung Training, Chinese "pushups" training, and even Japanese Insei training, which is also useful, I have crafted a regime to help me get to EGF 5Dan by the end of next year (heh, it keeps changing).

All the daily schedule is for weekdays, with weekends left for more experimental study.

TSUMEGO

Every weekday, 15 unchallenging problems, 15 medium problems, + at least 20 problems ranging from easy to medium

PROFESSIONAL

Every Weekday,

Look Through (lv2) 5 pro games in the morning,
Skim Over (lv1) 9 pro games in the evening,
And Replay (lv3) through one game at any time of the day.

Also--

1 level 4 every week,

and,

1level 5 every month.

...

You know, a lot of work has been put into spreading the beauty of Go to the world.

There must be mixed feelings-- It's no small feat that from almost nothing, in a couple of decades the Go community in Europe and the Americas and Oceania, even the rest of Asia (unfortunately, out of no real fault of the KBA, Nihon/Kansai kiin and CWA, Africa has been left largely untouched) had grown to this level. However, it must be somewhat dissapointing to China and Korea that only a handful of American players, and even fewer Europeans could compete with their 1p's, considering these are the countries where they put 80% of their efforts. I mean, some, not fully undetstanding the akward Baduk situation and disrespectful view towards board games in the west, must be baffaled as to why not even more than a couple of people in the US could equal the current level of the top female pros.

Technically, we have a bit more of a resposibility than we may first realise as WeiQi practitioners in the western hemishpere. Every stone you get stronger is a tiny show of apreciation to all those working hard to BOTH spread Go AND raise the level of Go in the all of the countries outside of China, Korea and Japan.

And _in_ China, Korea and Japan.

Thanks for your insights, for helping me get stronger! As a student become stronger and better as a person is the ultimate gift to a truly dedicated teacher.

oren · Post by **oren** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 12:38 pm

Where are you own games and review? That is the most critical part...

Knotwilg · Post by **Knotwilg** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 1:35 pm

oren wrote:Where are you own games and review? That is the most critical part...

Indeed, forget about the pro games. Study a few commented ones, to understand what pro level thinking is really like.
Play and review your own games. The tsumego part, of course!

Life In 19x19

The way to BlackBelt

Re: The way to BlackBelt: Final Games

Re: The way to BlackBelt

Re: The way to BlackBelt: 16th Nongshim Cup

Re: The way to BlackBelt: a pleasant surprise

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Re: The way to BlackBelt: 16th Nongshim Cup

Re: The way to BlackBelt: a pleasant surprise

Re: The way to BlackBelt: 16th Nongshim Cup

The way to BlackBelt: Pandanet tournament, my last game.

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Re: The way to BlackBelt: Pandanet tournament, my last game.

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