Life In 19x19

I almost always use up more of my time than my opponent. And it often surprises me that people don't utilize the time given (if they want to play a quicker game why not choose appropriate time settings?).

I realize that some people may prefer to play quickly at the beginning to force the oppoenent into time pressure. But I greatly prefer taking my time, strategzing intensely in the first 60-80 moves or so, and reading out potential sequences around the board so that I can respond quickly when their time comes (and I'm normally in byo-yomi).

The only exception to this is when I know byo-yomi will be less than 20sec per move. (preferably i keep it at 30). In that case I will play quicker in the beginning in order to send my opponent into byo-yomi first.

I also would like to test a hypothesis that people who frequent L19x19 play slower than the average player. Since statistically people should fall 50/50.

RedStick wrote:...

I also would like to test a hypothesis that people who frequent L19x19 play slower than the average player. Since statistically people should fall 50/50.

I'm kind of curious if you came up with this hypothesis for some particular reason. Is it just a random guess?

It depends on the game. If it's a straightforward game with no tough reading, I may use less time, but if there's a lot of reading (such as an L&D problem), or if the game is close (I tend to count several times in a game), I may use more. So I'm not voting.

Kirby wrote:

RedStick wrote:...

I also would like to test a hypothesis that people who frequent L19x19 play slower than the average player. Since statistically people should fall 50/50.

I'm kind of curious if you came up with this hypothesis for some particular reason. Is it just a random guess?

Yes. It's pretty much a guess. I probably should have phrased it: "It would be somewhat curious to find if the L19x19 community differs from the 50/50 split that we might assume exists." Although at Kirk points out, many people may not have a "normally".

Edit: I've edited the poll so that people in Kirk's position can vote.

RedStick wrote:
Edit: I've edited the poll so that people in Kirk's position can vote.

There you go - now I've voted.

As per my vote, I typically play slower unless my opponent is significantly weaker than me. For example, six stones or more weaker.

My AGA rank is weaker than my online rank. I can play around 1d KGS and 2d on tygem, but until the last tournament I went to, my AGA rank was around 3k (I think it's 2k, now).

As such, I am too arrogant when I play AGA games IRL. I might be playing against a 4k evenly, and I think, "Posh... I can't lose to him!", and I play very quickly. He threatens to kill my group, and I tenuki.

Sometimes this works, but sometimes I lose to "weaker (???)" players this way.

I really should slow down and think... I guess I have a short temper, as was pointed out elsewhere

I'm in the minority. I play the game for fun, and trust my intuition to get me through rough spots.

I'm just impatient in general. It means that in a 30 minute +5x30 byo-yomi game on KGG, if it's not a tournament game, I might use 10 minutes total. I'm trying to slow down, but so far I've only succeeded in doing so for games against KGS 1d and above, which I usually lose anyways, but I learn a lot.

Hmmm ... I guess I just don't see the point of agonizing over my moves, trying to find something non-obvious. It's a game, right?

Depends on my opponent and how fast he plays.
Depends on the sort of game we're playing.
Depends on time settings.
Depends on my physical and emotional state.
Depends on the time and day.
Depends on the priority of other things I have to do in queue while I'm playing.

I`m normally slower, and I prefer it that way. Moves I make in haste (like "automatic moves") are often not so much moves as regrets. I think time is an important resource, that you should exploit as well as you are able.

99% of my games are played with a time setting of 30 minutes +5x30 byo-yomi.

If I'm playing an even game, I'll usually still have main time left over at the end of the game, and my pace will be roughly equal to my opponent, except for tough situations; I usually take my time on those.

If I'm playing a stronger opponent, I'll usually play slower and try to think and read deeper than normal. My clock might have noticeably less time than my opponent, even just a few moves in.

If I'm playing a weaker opponent, I'll tend to play a little on the fast side, and not read very deep... until I get slapped for being careless. Then I'll go into kill-em-all mode.

Also, I think my in-person games tend to run longer than my online games.

Maybe one game in ten ends with me in main time. In the rest, I'm in byo-yomi, often my last period. I'm bad at playing quickly, but I'm trying to get better, if only for those byo-yomi times.

i usually play fast..
but if it is a serious game i always enter buyomi before endgame.
i can spend 3 hours if i had that much time to think and it is serious enough for me to win.

It depends. If my opponent is even-strength or weaker, I typically play faster than them. If my opponent is stronger, I typically play slower (mostly because I'm watching for their tricks (which I probably can't see anyway)).

Magicwand wrote:i can spend 3 hours if i had that much time to think and it is serious enough for me to win.

Like against Kirby?