Trying to become pro

Create a study plan, track your progress and hold yourself accountable.
User avatar
RBerenguel
Gosei
Posts: 1585
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:44 am
Rank: KGS 5k
GD Posts: 0
KGS: RBerenguel
Tygem: rberenguel
Wbaduk: JohnKeats
Kaya handle: RBerenguel
Online playing schedule: KGS on Saturday I use to be online, but I can be if needed from 20-23 GMT+1
Location: Barcelona, Spain (GMT+1)
Has thanked: 576 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by RBerenguel »

Robert, I add you to my list of future teachers then :) Leyleth's thread is very useful for me so far :D
Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net
Leyleth
Dies in gote
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:00 am
Rank: KGS 3k
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Schnapps
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Leyleth »

No time to play, no time to play... Can't wait finishing school!
User avatar
emeraldemon
Gosei
Posts: 1744
Joined: Sun May 02, 2010 1:33 pm
GD Posts: 0
KGS: greendemon
Tygem: greendemon
DGS: smaragdaemon
OGS: emeraldemon
Has thanked: 697 times
Been thanked: 287 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by emeraldemon »

Have you tried playing on DGS? Some people don't like it, but I think it's good if you don't have a lot of time to devote to playing. I'll gladly play a game with you :)
illluck
Lives in sente
Posts: 1223
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:07 am
Rank: OGS 2d
GD Posts: 0
KGS: illluck
Tygem: Trickprey
OGS: illluck
Has thanked: 736 times
Been thanked: 239 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by illluck »

Plug for another correspondence server: http://www.online-go.com

A smaller player base than DGS, but offers ladder and tournament system. Might be worth a try too if you are interested in turn-based play :)
Leyleth
Dies in gote
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:00 am
Rank: KGS 3k
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Schnapps
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Leyleth »

I don't like the idea of turn based play. When I play, I like to see the movement of the stones. How they evolve. I also see the game as a discussion with your opponent. It should be made face to face (okay, seems weird to say such a thing on a forum, but :D)
User avatar
Numsgil
Lives in gote
Posts: 614
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:07 am
Rank: 1 Kyu KGS
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Numsgil
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Numsgil »

Nothing like 1500 games of server play to break any artsy-fartsy "feelings" one has about the game :P
User avatar
OtakuViking
Lives in gote
Posts: 329
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:54 am
Rank: 6D Tygem
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: pluspy
Location: Denmark
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by OtakuViking »

Stop focusing on the end result and start focusing on the means of getting there.

Forget your goal and crack open that tsumego book (btw free tsumego at http://tsumego.tasuki.org/ )
Leyleth
Dies in gote
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:00 am
Rank: KGS 3k
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Schnapps
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Leyleth »

OtakuViking wrote:Stop focusing on the end result and start focusing on the means of getting there.

Forget your goal and crack open that tsumego book (btw free tsumego at http://tsumego.tasuki.org/ )


That's exactly what I said I was going to do when school's over...

Today, I noticed I had a weird taste for some cosmic go (fighting while off balance). Maybe my moves are mistakes. However, I managed to pull them off against a 3 dan, today. Was happy even though I lost by 21 points (with 3 handicap)
Sur
Lives with ko
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:03 am
GD Posts: 0
Location: Czech republic
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Sur »

Who are those 2-dans and 3-dans? 1-kyus I know would crush you on 9 stones every single time. Don't let yourself to be carried away by thinking you are actually near dan level. You are nowhere near. Show some respect! Reaching dan level and pro level is so much harder than you think. Hikaru no Go is a great tale for kids, but reality is so much harder.
User avatar
karaklis
Lives in sente
Posts: 797
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:14 pm
GD Posts: 600
Has thanked: 93 times
Been thanked: 105 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by karaklis »

Sur wrote:Who are those 2-dans and 3-dans? 1-kyus I know would crush you on 9 stones every single time. Don't let yourself to be carried away by thinking you are actually near dan level. You are nowhere near. Show some respect! Reaching dan level and pro level is so much harder than you think. Hikaru no Go is a great tale for kids, but reality is so much harder.

No need to say that. Disillusion will come anyway, earlier or later.
Better to get disillusioned when already amateur dan than at mid- to low sdk level :mrgreen:
Leyleth
Dies in gote
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:00 am
Rank: KGS 3k
GD Posts: 0
KGS: Schnapps
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Leyleth »

Sur wrote:Who are those 2-dans and 3-dans? 1-kyus I know would crush you on 9 stones every single time. Don't let yourself to be carried away by thinking you are actually near dan level. You are nowhere near. Show some respect! Reaching dan level and pro level is so much harder than you think. Hikaru no Go is a great tale for kids, but reality is so much harder.


Thx you for your support... Those dans players are some "real" dan players. They got their rating in tournaments (real life ones) all across Canada. When I talk at the go club, I'm talking about real life go. Improving my KGS rating by 2-3 kyu to get my level in real life (my friend who's 6d and got second place in a recent tournament in France told me there was this difference between my 2 levels of play.

I know I still got to improve. I know I'm very far from being a dan player. You won't learn me anything by that. However, I won't let such details get in my way. If you want to stop progressing because the goal seems "too far", then it's your decision. Having 3 stones against a 2d player is unacceptable, in my opinion. I will keep on climbing. I will get stronger. And I'm wondering how you can judge my level just like that, Sur... You never played against me and probably never saw me play in real life. Once I stomp you, maybe you'll start to understand...
User avatar
OtakuViking
Lives in gote
Posts: 329
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:54 am
Rank: 6D Tygem
GD Posts: 0
Universal go server handle: pluspy
Location: Denmark
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by OtakuViking »

Leyleth wrote:You never played against me and probably never saw me play in real life. Once I stomp you, maybe you'll start to understand...


Stupid trolling doesn't impress me or anyone else. Frankly my dear, it makes me sick to my stomach.

On a more friendly note, talking about getting stronger and actually getting stronger are two entirely different issues. If you want to get stronger spend more time solving tsumego puzzles and reading go books and less time trash talking.
Sur
Lives with ko
Posts: 128
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:03 am
GD Posts: 0
Location: Czech republic
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Sur »

Leyleth wrote:
Sur wrote:Who are those 2-dans and 3-dans? 1-kyus I know would crush you on 9 stones every single time. Don't let yourself to be carried away by thinking you are actually near dan level. You are nowhere near. Show some respect! Reaching dan level and pro level is so much harder than you think. Hikaru no Go is a great tale for kids, but reality is so much harder.


Thx you for your support... Those dans players are some "real" dan players. They got their rating in tournaments (real life ones) all across Canada. When I talk at the go club, I'm talking about real life go. Improving my KGS rating by 2-3 kyu to get my level in real life (my friend who's 6d and got second place in a recent tournament in France told me there was this difference between my 2 levels of play.

I know I still got to improve. I know I'm very far from being a dan player. You won't learn me anything by that. However, I won't let such details get in my way. If you want to stop progressing because the goal seems "too far", then it's your decision. Having 3 stones against a 2d player is unacceptable, in my opinion. I will keep on climbing. I will get stronger. And I'm wondering how you can judge my level just like that, Sur... You never played against me and probably never saw me play in real life. Once I stomp you, maybe you'll start to understand...


I actually believe your disillusion can hurt your progress, so I'm trying to open you eyes. Everyone playes better in live serious games, it's not only you. Your KGS rank actually tells something however much you choose to ignore this fact. If you like real life players so much, let me tell you that KGS 7-kyu is only 13-kyu at EGF tournaments in my country. That's the reason I can't possibly believe in your dan players strength.

If it's unacceptable for you to play handicap games against 2-dan, you are being very rude to strong players. It's considered to be a heroic achievement to reach shodan in two or three years in my country and very few actually did it so fast. And here you are after few months of playing claiming that you are near dan level strength and on his way to become a pro.

When you say you are "creaming" KGS 7-kyus by 70 points, it may not be because you are that much better. It may be because you are overplaying and you opponents don't know how to punish your moves. If you were able to win your games by that much playing solid and calm moves, you wouldn't be 7-kyu. I saw a few of your KGS games and you tend to overplay a lot.

If you want some advice how to improve, mine is playing on different servers. I don't like KGS much because players at kyu levels play ugly and impolite go in my opinion. I like IGS where most players are from Japan. They seem to have a very good feel of the game and are playing very nicely. Try IGS and look. Then I have to recommend playing on Tygem, korean server. They are natural fighters and will attack your every group even if they shouldn't. It's nice place to learn fighting and playing solidly.

Another advice is not try to become a pro just right now. You are still in the beginning and go changes as you reach higher and higher levels. You may see this game very differently once you reach another level of your play and then it changes again when you grow even more. High level go may be completely different game than how you see it now.

I may seem a little bit harsh, but seeing everyone supporting you, I thought someone should take the other side and tell you off.
Last edited by Sur on Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Chew Terr
Gosei
Posts: 2060
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:45 pm
Rank: KGS 3k
GD Posts: 264
KGS: Chew
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 546 times
Been thanked: 172 times
Contact:

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by Chew Terr »

Hey, both sides? Cool off and relax. Surely both sides have been underrated at some point and expected to rank up soon, and both sides have similarly realized they weren't quite as good as they may have thought, before. Regardless, there's no reason here to be so harsh to each other. Cool off, and give the benefit of the doubt, please.
Someday I want to be strong enough to earn KGS[-].
User avatar
daniel_the_smith
Gosei
Posts: 2116
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:51 am
Rank: 2d AGA
GD Posts: 1193
KGS: lavalamp
Tygem: imapenguin
IGS: lavalamp
OGS: daniel_the_smith
Location: Silicon Valley
Has thanked: 152 times
Been thanked: 330 times
Contact:

Re: Trying to become pro

Post by daniel_the_smith »

Sur, I have to say, that comes across really nasty. You might consider toning that down if it's not what you intended.

Gah, ninja'd
That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.
--
My (sadly neglected, but not forgotten) project: http://dailyjoseki.com
Post Reply