How do you personally get out of a rut?

[leonprimrose]

I've been in one. I've been losing "won" games left and right and it's always do to a single major blunder. I'm sure there are other errors with my play but I'm always clearly winning and then I make a single error of judgement or reading that ends up being extremely major. Today I was up by 20 points with no real way to lose and then I made about a 30 point error right at the end. Not even gunna bother posting it to review because of how clear the reason for the loss was. And this sort of thing has been happening in a lot of my games lately.

So, I ask you forum, how do YOU get out of these ruts?

[Bill Spight]

Remember that at the go board you have two opponents. The most important one to overcome is yourself.

I know that may not sound helpful, but as the saying goes, "The game is not over till the fat lady sings." If you get careless playing out a won game, it is because you are forgetting your second opponent.

[Bill Spight]

Let me add that this applies more generally than getting out of a slump. You may not always overcome the other player, but you can always play up to yourself. As bridge great Terence Reese said, "The player who plays up to himself is hard to beat."

[Polama]

As soon as I blunder, I try to identify the root cause of it. For a while I was blundering a lot at Go club (realized other people speaking causes it. Made an effort to slow down and concentrate when somebody nearby was blabbing.) I've had issues after stones have been captured (relying on memory of the status of groups made earlier. Now after a big exchange I take a moment to re-evaluate the board). I've stopped concentrating when a game is in hand (I try to read out endgame moves carefully for threats, although this is a tough habit to break). I'm still working on a bad habit that goes like this: read deeply, considering a move. Find it's got some flaw. Spot another move that avoids that flaw. Slam that move down without reading anymore, totally missing major issues with the second move.

In almost every case that I play something way below my ability I can look back and see that I was doing something wrong at the time. I was distracted, or over-confident, or playing too much by instinct. Once I get my head on straight, the blunders diminish again.

[leonprimrose]

lol You are definitely right Bill It's a particularly grievous problem for me and I haven't figured out how to completely overcome it yet. The games are 250 moves long. I can keep control of it most of the time but it only takes one slip up.

I have been aware of it and I think it's one of my biggest weaknesses. I can get better and better at the game but if I keep losing to myself I'm still a bad player lol "A player that attacks at 4 dan strength but reads at a 1 dan strength is still only a 1 dan"

[Kirby]

Stop studying for awhile.

I was getting a little burnt out, so I stopped studying Go. I've played a few games since then, and they've been quite fun.

That's because the expectation to win is much lower, and you can simply enjoy playing the game. When you've studied and invested a lot of time, then there's a lot more pressure to win and it can feel depressing when you're "in a rut".

At least that's how I feel.

[leonprimrose]

Stop studying for awhile.

I was getting a little burnt out, so I stopped studying Go. I've played a few games since then, and they've been quite fun.

That's because the expectation to win is much lower, and you can simply enjoy playing the game. When you've studied and invested a lot of time, then there's a lot more pressure to win and it can feel depressing when you're "in a rut".

At least that's how I feel.

I do that too but I've got my eyes set on shodan and I feel like that would only set me back on that end goal :\

[Kirby]

I do that too but I've got my eyes set on shodan and I feel like that would only set me back on that end goal :\

For sure, I understand your sentiment. I'm around 1d, and I've been there for a long time. I'd like to improve. Sometimes this drives me to study more, and try to break through.

But when I get depressed, sometimes I have to say, I'd rather be a happy 1d than a depressed 5d.

Then again, I've never been 5d, so maybe life is nicer on that side of the fence.

[leonprimrose]

I do that too but I've got my eyes set on shodan and I feel like that would only set me back on that end goal :\

For sure, I understand your sentiment. I'm around 1d, and I've been there for a long time. I'd like to improve. Sometimes this drives me to study more, and try to break through.

But when I get depressed, sometimes I have to say, I'd rather be a happy 1d than a depressed 5d.

Then again, I've never been 5d, so maybe life is nicer on that side of the fence.

I think a big part of that improvement is getting stronger with a group or playing with friends that also have a passion for improvement. I notice that in a lot of things. Maybe I should make some actual friends in the community that are around my strength or better lol

[Kirby]

I think a big part of that improvement is getting stronger with a group or playing with friends that also have a passion for improvement. I notice that in a lot of things. Maybe I should make some actual friends in the community that are around my strength or better lol

Okay. You can be my friend

[Bill Spight]

"A player that attacks at 4 dan strength but reads at a 1 dan strength is still only a 1 dan"

First, if reading is your problem, then you just misread. Ç'est la vie.

Second, the quote is not true. It says that reading determines strength. Reading is important, but not everything. There are many skills in go. That player is probably a 2 or 3 dan.

It's a particularly grievous problem for me and I haven't figured out how to completely overcome it yet. The games are 250 moves long. I can keep control of it most of the time but it only takes one slip up.

Go is a long game. In fact, that is one of the names of go, The Long Game. This idea from sports psychology may help. 80%. That is, when you are in a contest where endurance matters, don't go all out. Keep something in reserve. Give it 80%. Then you won't flag at the end.

[leonprimrose]

Okay. You can be my friend

Okay! I use a bunch of different names and servers lol but we can arrange games and chat on here.

[leonprimrose]

"A player that attacks at 4 dan strength but reads at a 1 dan strength is still only a 1 dan"

First, if reading is your problem, then you just misread. Ç'est la vie.

Second, the quote is not true. It says that reading determines strength. Reading is important, but not everything. There are many skills in go. That player is probably a 2 or 3 dan.

It's a particularly grievous problem for me and I haven't figured out how to completely overcome it yet. The games are 250 moves long. I can keep control of it most of the time but it only takes one slip up.

Go is a long game. In fact, that is one of the names of go, The Long Game. This idea from sports psychology may help. 80%. That is, when you are in a contest where endurance matters, don't go all out. Keep something in reserve. Give it 80%. Then you won't flag at the end.

I forget where I read it. I think it was in a book but I think the point was that you need to be equally good at all skills.

I didn't know that name lol and that's a really good analogy Thanks, I'm going to keep that in mind from here on. A full 19x19 game is like running a marathon. I'm not doing sprints here. I just need to stay at pace. If I can do that, even if I lose I won't have collapsed along the way and I'll feel good about the game

[Bill Spight]

"A player that attacks at 4 dan strength but reads at a 1 dan strength is still only a 1 dan"

First, if reading is your problem, then you just misread. Ç'est la vie.

Second, the quote is not true. It says that reading determines strength. Reading is important, but not everything. There are many skills in go. That player is probably a 2 or 3 dan.

I forget where I read it. I think it was in a book but I think the point was that you need to be equally good at all skills.

OIC. Like "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link"? Well, that's not true of go, either.

[sparky314]

How to get out of a rut....