Life In 19x19

I almost invariably go down to byoyomi, and it is a rare occasion that my opponent uses more time than I do. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to not use even 1/4 of the time they have. I don't think the twenty+ minutes I use is pushing it, but when the opponent practically insta-replies to my moves, even taking account them thinking on my time, then what could possibly go on in their minds? What could one possibly learn when using knee jerk moves time after time? Doing something, whatever the thing is, without actively trying to become better, what is the point?

I mostly play on Tygem, and I understand it has a slightly different mentality than KGS for example, but if you want fast games, then why accept longer time settings? And even if taking into account the sandbaggery, what satisfaction could one get from playing against a clearly inferior opponent you don't even need to think against to win? GO is confusing but, damn, people are even more so.

Maybe it is something people expect there, to be quick, but it just doesn't seem beneficial to actually becoming a better player IMO. Seems such a waste to see thousands upon thousands of people online in there, and the majority of them are in a horrible hurry. I don't understand the mentality, for I believe if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well enough to actually improve yourself. Actually, I don't really understand blitz games at all, but maybe I am a slowpoke mentally, and surrounded by superior humans.

This type of opponent is one of the most frustrating for me to play against. I usually see it accompanied with a style that involves many bold invasions into my areas on influence. I feel that this strategy is concerned with winning on average as opposed to any particular game; playing in a way that minimizes his time spent and aiming to ignore yose (i.e. win by resignation).

I hate it. I am usually goaded into playing just as fast as him and losing as a result. I cannot shake the feeling that I am being disrespected by playing against an opponent who is not taking the game seriously.

One of the hardest things I've found is playing at my own pace when my opponent plays fast. Learning to do this has proven to be much more difficult than I expected. It is damn unnerving when someone plays at blitz speed in a slow game. You're constantly feeling like you've misread something.

GhostWhite wrote:Doing something, whatever the thing is, without actively trying to become better, what is the point?

Go is a game; the point for many is simply to have fun.

LocoRon wrote:Go is a game; the point for many is simply to have fun.

Go... fun? Ha, what a joke!

What's wrong with them using their time the way they prefer?

disclaimer: I'm a blitz player on longer time settings :p

i am more concerned with what happens on the board and i left Korean servers for that reason; i don't really care how my opponent uses his time allowance. i only hate when he blitzes on slow setting and then starts making comments on how slow you play. 'dude, you set up a 30 mins game, i agreed, so i will use them as i see fit'

PS: the last sentence follows from the previous one (where i am the slow guy), but funnily enough, it can be understood as the opposite and as a direct answer to the OP

I usually play on IGS and I see this all the time. I've seen matches with an allocated hour apiece where the players took less than ten seconds each move!

I don't want to be the guy who takes forever in those cases, but I take the extra ten seconds every now and then and win. Simple as that. These servers need to be swarmed with slower players who have the control to push ahead at their own pace. It could be a revolution!

IMO, Go was never meant to be the crazy, fast-paced game it is today on online servers. Look at what pros consider to be 'lightning' games. Sure, we're not pros, but by that token we're not quite good enough to play a reasonable game with 4-second moves.

It's all about confidence and emotional control. Keep on reading and win games, or at least play a game that won't make you feel sick when you review it!

"Those who drive faster than me are irresponsible idiots, those who drive slower than me are morons preventing traffic flow, and those who drive exactly like me are in my blind spot and should get off the road!"

Bottom line - people will always find something to get irritated about.
Why don't you all get irritated at yourselves for getting irritated by what others quite legally do.

Tsk tsk... such lack of tolerance.
Just play your game and don't worry. If your opponent plays too slow or too fast or whatever - its their right to use the time as they feel is best.

I can't believe I've agreed with something Bantari has posted
maybe I have crossed over.

In principle I don't mind people playing whatever speed they want to play. My opponents have their own freedom within the time constraints and I'm slow for some. But in practise I experience some kind of rip tide against faster players wherein I'm sucked in to playing faster, and it can irritate at times. I'm not irritated at my opponent, though, it's more a scar on my psychology in that I'm not coolly independent all the time and have to resist, and expend energy, against the speed of others. What's the the nature of this weird speed-coercion? . . . Politeness? Fear of mental inferiority? Something subconscious going with the flow? It's weird it exists.

I tend to do it out of habit, honestly. It's not great for winning a lot of the time, so I suppose it's one of those habits I should break. But really, I don't have a problem with how fast or slow someone plays. If someone plays too slow I can read Ender's Game (currently reading) or listen to music.

What I DO have a problem with is those players who talk condescendingly while in a game whether winning or losing. Or if you do something nice, the belittle it, and make it seem like it was worthless. Or just being rather rude in general.

hailthorn011 wrote:What I DO have a problem with is those players who talk condescendingly while in a game whether winning or losing. Or if you do something nice, the belittle it, and make it seem like it was worthless. Or just being rather rude in general.

Agreed 200%. I've had this happen to me a couple times on KGS. It makes me shake my fist in the air. Why these rude morons feel that I have some moral obligation to play out a game with 25 minutes of main time in 5 minutes is anyone's guess.

For me, I have to exercise a lot of self control not to play too fast. I am not sure why that is my inclination. Maybe using less time and still winning makes me feel smarter, but losing doesn't smart as much because I wasn't trying my best. When I take my time and really think through my moves, my strength goes up a couple stones. It should be a no brainer to play like this all the time, but it goes against my natural inclination so much it is often easier to just play fast.

So often when someone makes a comment on a certain style like the OP's or mine it meets the reply "they can play how they want." Of course they can! We were just expressing our confusion (in the OP's case) and frustration (mine).