Starting go in your later years

[Bonobo]

Would it help if I told you, that I …

• am 57 years old,
• began playing more seriously and more often than before about seven years ago (albeit, sadly, still with too little time for Go),
• am currently around 12k (see how “little” progress!),
• don’t even know whether I’ll ever make it to SDK (Single Digit Kyu) in this life,

… and that I enjoy every game I play?


Cordially, Tom

[Krama]

I began to learn the rules right before new years eve last year, and have since then made it to almost 5kyu KGS. Yesterday I took white in an even game against a solid 3 kyu and won. I think that is a pretty good progress for less than a year? Oh and I am 23. Don't listen to anyone who says you cannot do something, just prove them wrong instead.
If you want to become strong quickly I suggest doing tsumego every day, play as often as you can (at least one game a day) and get a stronger player to review your games. Getting reviews are so extremely good for getting a better understanding of the game. The brain isn't even fully developed until around age 26, and it is not like it becomes useless and cannot learn anything new after that. Sure it might take more effort but with motivation I am sure anyone can break into dan level. I refuse to believe otherwise Good luck! Check out the book section in the forum too for some tips on such things.

Thanks for your story!! It gives me hope! I actually just posted my first few games I played on kgs in the game review section if you would like help review my games!

I suggest you don't request game reviews here yet but instead play around 50 games (also playing against stronger players isn't bad)

Watching some of the beginner youtube streamers like bat or nick sibicky or what ever he is called

[xed_over]

Wow this is great thanks for everyone's input! The reason I put later years is because the go salon owner made it sound like being in your 20s was just way too late to learn and I should find a different hobby.

he's both right and wrong at the same time.
its not impossible, but it'll be difficult.
either way, enjoy your journey.

[Mike Novack]

This is a problem about the term "competitive", possible lack of agreement about how the term is to be understood. For example:

1) Competitive in international tournaments
2) Competitive in regional/local tournaments
3) Competitive at the typical* go club and its club tournaments

If you mean "3", then you are not too old. If you mean "1", sorry, it's too late. That go salon person probably was using meaning 1 or 2




* I have to stick in that "typical" because I suspect that the world of go might contain some clubs equivalent to the Marshall Chess Club (where to win a "local" club tournament almost surely a grandmaster, at least it was in the old days)

[Xiaoding]

"The brain isn't even fully developed until around age 26, and it is not like it becomes useless and cannot learn anything new after that."

More like mid-thirty's! The ability to predict the behavior of others, based on your own actions, takes time to mature.

[tentano]

You should really not worry about how good you can still become.

The important part is whether you enjoy it. If it does, keep on enjoying it. If it doesn't, stop right away.

There's no obligation to reach any specific goal. If you accidentally manage to be a top-tier tournament champion, great. If not, no big loss. The probability of becoming top-tier is pretty low even among people who start out as small children. Unless you think we have hundreds of thousands of top-tier tournament champions...

I've even met (and lost badly to) people who didn't cross shodan until they had been retired for over a year. They were quite happy to play go, and that's what your potential profit is all about.

[jsteinberg89]

You should really not worry about how good you can still become.

The important part is whether you enjoy it. If it does, keep on enjoying it. If it doesn't, stop right away.

There's no obligation to reach any specific goal. If you accidentally manage to be a top-tier tournament champion, great. If not, no big loss. The probability of becoming top-tier is pretty low even among people who start out as small children. Unless you think we have hundreds of thousands of top-tier tournament champions...

I've even met (and lost badly to) people who didn't cross shodan until they had been retired for over a year. They were quite happy to play go, and that's what your potential profit is all about.

I do enjoy the journey of learning Go, but I just wanted to see what others opinion about age was, the guy at the go salon didn't even offer to teach me just told me to get another hobby which was pretty discouraging.

[DrStraw]

[I do enjoy the journey of learning Go, but I just wanted to see what others opinion about age was, the guy at the go salon didn't even offer to teach me just told me to get another hobby which was pretty discouraging.

I'd say get another go salon. Where was this?

[jsteinberg89]

I joined a go club instead

[Knotwilg]

In order to make it to pro, one has to be very talented, dedicated and start at a young age.
Today it is extremely unlikely to be competitive at pro level, starting in your twenties. It would require extraordinary talent & dedication and even luck.

However, I believe it is possible for anyone with average intelligence to become a dan player with some dedication, and for anyone with above average reasoning capacity to become something between 4d and 5d but with a lot of dedication.

Within dedication I also assume that you are willing to do the right thing and not the trivial enjoyable thing. For example, writing about Go on L19 or elsewhere on average loses 2 stones in strength.

[tentano]

Didn't even want to teach ...

That sort of short-sightedness is enormously aggravating.

You're better off without someone like that. Good to know you found somewhere else!

[Bonobo]

[..] For example, writing about Go on L19 or elsewhere on average loses 2 stones in strength.

Thanks, this explains why I feel like a TDK so often (assuming that it adds up)