Life In 19x19

One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

Mef wrote:One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

Hm, this is a very nice idea. I might copy you here. Although at my rank, I'll probably end up giving over $1000! But this is a cool idea. Imagine if everyone did this.

hailthorn011 wrote:

Mef wrote:One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

Hm, this is a very nice idea. I might copy you here. Although at my rank, I'll probably end up giving over $1000! But this is a cool idea. Imagine if everyone did this.

Two key items: 1) serious games; 2) make it a penny each time

Mef wrote:One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

What about times when you take sente but you shouldn't have?

Dusk Eagle wrote:

Mef wrote:One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

What about times when you take sente but you shouldn't have?

I meant for that to fall under "played tenuki when I shouldn't" (=

Marcus wrote:

hailthorn011 wrote:
Hm, this is a very nice idea. I might copy you here. Although at my rank, I'll probably end up giving over $1000! But this is a cool idea. Imagine if everyone did this.

Two key items: 1) serious games; 2) make it a penny each time

Yeah, I mean realistically I tried to pick criteria to make it reasonable...I figure last year I only was able to play about maybe 50-100 serious games, and I would guess on average make this mistake 2-3 times a game? This should project to a reasonable amount into a jar ($1/day worst case? and that would mean I get to play more go than expected! I also figure the more mistakes I'm identifying the more I will improve so it will be worth it.). You could pick a different amount to put in the jar, or a different error you want to fix to adjust accordingly.

Mef wrote:

Dusk Eagle wrote:

Mef wrote:One thing I have thought about doing for a bit, and might make a New Year's Resolution about, is making a "Sente Jar." Basically for every "serious" game I play (e.g. non-blitz, non-teaching) I will go through and review it or if possible have it reviewed by a stronger player. Every time I find a point where I should have taken sente but didn't or played tenuki when I shouldn't, put some change (maybe 50 cents?) into a jar. At the end of the year take that accumulated sum from the jar and donate it to the AGA/AGF/etc. This give me an added incentive to consider taking sente when I can, and if all else fails hopefully can end up helping go somehow.

What about times when you take sente but you shouldn't have?

I meant for that to fall under "played tenuki when I shouldn't" (=

Marcus wrote:

hailthorn011 wrote:
Hm, this is a very nice idea. I might copy you here. Although at my rank, I'll probably end up giving over $1000! But this is a cool idea. Imagine if everyone did this.

Two key items: 1) serious games; 2) make it a penny each time

Yeah, I mean realistically I tried to pick criteria to make it reasonable...I figure last year I only was able to play about maybe 50-100 serious games, and I would guess on average make this mistake 2-3 times a game? This should project to a reasonable amount into a jar ($1/day worst case? and that would mean I get to play more go than expected! I also figure the more mistakes I'm identifying the more I will improve so it will be worth it.). You could pick a different amount to put in the jar, or a different error you want to fix to adjust accordingly.

I had an idea, too. How about for every loss you record, you put in a nickel. And for every win, you put in 15 cents. The reasoning behind this, you learn more from a loss, so you put in a minimal amount. However, when you win, that's a culmination of all you've learned from the community, and to be grateful, you put in more.

Leave it to me to complicate stuff, but I just thought I'd toss that idea out there.

I've noticed for myself that resolutions tend to have the opposite of the desired effect on me. I think it may just be that expectations, chiefly the ones I have of myself, add pressure and I try to avoid that in my recreation time. Or in general, actually.

It's not that I wouldn't like to reach shodan by end of the year, but I think the best way to get there is by just having fun with the game. Who knows, maybe that won't get me to shodan, and I'll instead realise that I don't need to be shodan, or any specific rank, to enjoy this beautiful and rich game. I think I might like that better.

Meet nice girl playing go

Date her

Heh, that one doesn't depend on you entirely.

Joaz Banbeck wrote:Many years ago, I resolved to never make any more resolutions. I've done that resolutely.

The more I read this quote, the funnier it gets.

I resolve not to keep this resolution.

It's silly to make "shodan" your resolution.
Don't resolve to reach a goal, instead resolve to do stuff.
For example, "I will do tsumego for at least three hours a week".

palapiku wrote:It's silly to make "shodan" your resolution.
Don't resolve to reach a goal, instead resolve to do stuff.
For example, "I will do tsumego for at least three hours a week".

I don't think it's silly. By striving for this goal, of course I've got to do the work to get there.

SDK. A fairly easy resolution I think, but it goes back a few months already anyway.

Having thought about it seriously, I'd love to make 1 kyu on KGS this year. Recently, I've played seven games as a 2 kyu while holding the rank, which shocked me. I had thought I'd stopped getting better at the game, so one rank in a year is like winning the lottery.