Are there distinct regional styles anymore?

[nagano]

I was wondering... does anyone think there is still a significant difference in style between different countries, or are the regional styles moving closer together due to the internet? Anyone is free to give their opinion, but I'm especially interested in what the stronger players think.

[shapenaji]

I'm not sure that they're moving closer together, I think all the regional styles are still there, they're just no longer attached to just those regions. Players are able to pick from a number of role models for any given style. But the styles don't really blend together into a grey "internet style"...

[schilds]

kgs players seem to try more weird openings than igs players.

[ethanb]

kgs players seem to try more weird openings than igs players.

Oh really?

(;GM[1]FF[4]AP[qGo:1.5.4]ST[1]
SZ[19]HA[0]KM[-5.5]TM[120]OT[25/600 Canadian]
PW[white]WR[2k+]PB[ethanb]BR[3k+]RE[B+R]DT[24 09 2010]PC[IGS]
C[(0) -> hi]
;B[pd]C[(1) white: Hi!]BL[53]
;W[nf]WL[60]
;B[jj]BL[33]
;W[fn]WL[56]
;B[ce]BL[14]
;W[nn]WL[51]
;B[jn]BL[599]OB[24]
;W[ff]WL[47]
;B[dg]BL[518]OB[23]
;W[mc]WL[38]
;B[qf]BL[511]OB[22]
;W[gc]WL[35]
;B[cp]BL[483]OB[21]
;W[gq]WL[26]
;B[ck]BL[452]OB[20]
;W[mq]WL[20]
;B[oc]BL[425]OB[19]
;W[qm]WL[15]
;B[qq]BL[423]OB[18]
;W[cm]WL[11]
;B[eq]BL[413]OB[17]
;W[qg]WL[591]OW[24]
;B[pg]BL[382]OB[16]
;W[ph]WL[587]OW[23]
;B[rf]BL[367]OB[15]
;W[rg]WL[578]OW[22]
;B[oh]BL[363]OB[14]
;W[pi]WL[572]OW[21]
;B[oi]BL[343]OB[13]
;W[pj]WL[567]OW[20]
;B[og]BL[340]OB[12]
;W[cd]WL[561]OW[19]
;B[bd]BL[318]OB[11]
;W[cc]WL[555]OW[18]
;B[ee]BL[312]OB[10]
;W[bc]WL[551]OW[17]
;B[fe]BL[310]OB[9]
;W[ge]WL[549]OW[16]
;B[gf]BL[302]OB[8]
;W[he]WL[542]OW[15]
;B[fc]BL[274]OB[7]
;W[gb]WL[532]OW[14]
;B[dd]BL[266]OB[6]
;W[dc]WL[528]OW[13]
;B[ec]BL[264]OB[5]
;W[be]WL[525]OW[12]
;B[bf]BL[263]OB[4]
;W[ad]WL[523]OW[11]
;B[kc]BL[260]OB[3]
;W[md]WL[519]OW[10]
;B[ke]BL[258]OB[2]
;W[lf]WL[515]OW[9]
;B[jf]BL[244]OB[1]
;W[ef]WL[512]OW[8]
;B[de]BL[240]
;W[if]WL[489]OW[7]
;B[jg]BL[582]OB[24]
;W[gg]WL[486]OW[6]
;B[go]BL[529]OB[23]
;W[fp]WL[477]OW[5]
;B[dn]BL[508]OB[22]
;W[dm]WL[474]OW[4]
;B[en]BL[493]OB[21]
;W[em]WL[472]OW[3]
;B[fo]BL[487]OB[20]
;W[cn]WL[469]OW[2]
;B[eo]BL[478]OB[19]
;W[co]WL[466]OW[1]
;B[bp]BL[446]OB[18]
;W[dk]WL[461]
;B[cj]BL[425]OB[17]
;W[dj]WL[596]OW[24]
;B[di]BL[423]OB[16]
;W[ei]WL[594]OW[23]
;B[af]BL[417]OB[15]
;W[ae]WL[589]OW[22]
;B[dh]BL[416]OB[14]
;W[fj]WL[586]OW[21]
;B[jq]BL[397]OB[13]
;W[pr]WL[573]OW[20]
;B[qr]BL[387]OB[12]
;W[rp]WL[570]OW[19]
;B[oq]BL[360]OB[11]
;W[or]WL[567]OW[18]
;B[pq]BL[356]OB[10]
;W[nq]WL[565]OW[17]
;B[qo]BL[347]OB[9]
;W[ro]WL[562]OW[16]
;B[qn]BL[346]OB[8]
;W[rn]WL[561]OW[15]
;B[pm]BL[345]OB[7]
;W[qp]WL[559]OW[14]
;B[oo]BL[341]OB[6]
;W[pn]WL[554]OW[13]
;B[po]BL[332]OB[5]
;W[on]WL[553]OW[12]
;B[no]BL[331]OB[4]
;W[mo]WL[549]OW[11]
;B[mn]BL[328]OB[3]
;W[nm]WL[545]OW[10]
;B[mm]BL[324]OB[2]
;W[nl]WL[543]OW[9]
;B[mp]BL[323]OB[1]
;W[lo]WL[540]OW[8]
;B[lp]BL[322]
;W[ko]WL[537]OW[7]
;B[lq]BL[552]OB[24]
;W[jo]WL[527]OW[6]
;B[ql]BL[537]OB[23]
;W[rm]WL[524]OW[5]
;B[ml]BL[537]OB[22]
;W[pl]WL[519]OW[4]
;B[np]BL[506]OB[21]
;W[ip]WL[513]OW[3]
;B[in]BL[499]OB[20]
;W[iq]WL[510]OW[2]
;B[jr]BL[478]OB[19]
;W[ir]WL[498]OW[1]
;B[fr]BL[474]OB[18]
;W[kn]WL[477]
;B[kl]BL[470]OB[17]
;W[km]WL[595]OW[24]
;B[jl]BL[444]OB[16]
;W[jm]WL[590]OW[23]
;B[im]BL[435]OB[15]
;W[il]WL[588]OW[22]
;B[io]BL[414]OB[14]
;W[jp]WL[583]OW[21]
;B[fm]BL[365]OB[13]
;W[hl]WL[572]OW[20]
;B[nk]BL[344]OB[12]
;W[om]WL[568]OW[19]
;B[lr]BL[324]OB[11]
;W[ep]WL[563]OW[18]
;B[dp]BL[315]OB[10]
;W[fq]WL[560]OW[17]
;B[gr]BL[303]OB[9]
;W[hr]WL[553]OW[16]
;B[er]BL[268]OB[8]
;W[do]WL[544]OW[15]
;B[gm]BL[226]OB[7]
;W[hp]WL[530]OW[14]
;B[gk]BL[132]OB[6]
;W[ho]WL[523]OW[13]
;B[hm]BL[116]OB[5]
;W[gp]WL[519]OW[12]
;B[gn]BL[115]OB[4]
;W[ij]WL[512]OW[11]
;B[hj]BL[104]OB[3]
;W[jk]WL[498]OW[10]
;B[kk]BL[84]OB[2]
;W[ik]WL[487]OW[9]
;B[ii]BL[81]OB[1]
;W[cr]WL[427]OW[8]
;B[br]BL[74]
;W[bs]WL[420]OW[7]
;B[ar]BL[590]OB[24]
;W[bo]WL[412]OW[6]
;B[ap]C[(159) white: Thank you for the game.
(159) white has resigned the game.
(159) B+R]BL[573]OB[23]
)

I'm black.

[Mef]

I'm not sure that they're moving closer together, I think all the regional styles are still there, they're just no longer attached to just those regions. Players are able to pick from a number of role models for any given style. But the styles don't really blend together into a grey "internet style"...

Indeed, varying styles will still exist regardless of how connected the communities can become, the internet will just remove geographical boundaries that may have prevented styles from spreading to new areas. If you look at professional organizations though, there are some stylistic differences that may still remain due to varying rules used by each organization (for instance, top Japanese tournaments have quite different time controls from top Korean tournaments, hence different types of play emerge in one compared to the other).

[schilds]

kgs players seem to try more weird openings than igs players.

Oh really?

...

I'm black.

Given the "Hi!" and "Thanks for the game.", I assume that's igs.

It doesn't really contradict my (possibly faulty) recollection that I've played more kgs games with weird openings than igs ones.

[ethanb]

kgs players seem to try more weird openings than igs players.

Oh really?

...

I'm black.

Given the "Hi!" and "Thanks for the game.", I assume that's igs.

It doesn't really contradict my (possibly faulty) recollection that I've played more kgs games with weird openings than igs ones.

No, of course not - I just found it amusing that that game was just a couple of days ago. And yeah, it's IGS.

[ljl]

I'm an American, I played a fellow from Taiwan. I don't know about regional styles, but there was a different flavor. His responses were... different. While he was much better than me, his attacks seemed... softer.

Is that what you are asking about?

[nagano]

I'm an American, I played a fellow from Taiwan. I don't know about regional styles, but there was a different flavor. His responses were... different. While he was much better than me, his attacks seemed... softer.

Is that what you are asking about?

Basically I was talking about the concept of a national style, where players with different individual styles nonetheless often have similar tendencies to others in their country or region.

[kokomi]

I think there are distinct server styles as well, not to say regional.

[nagano]

I think there are distinct server styles as well, not to say regional.

True, and there probably always will be. I guess the real question is are they becoming more similar over time, as the internet instantly exposes people to ideas from different countries and regions?