May I break into this fascinating chess discussion with an on-topic post? Thank you.
Yesterday I read some of the on-line tutorial stuff, then downloaded Igowin. I am well on the way to losing my first 100 games. At least the 9x9 variety. Think I’ll fumble around here for awhile before acquiring a 19x19 game.
I did not that the computer jumped me from 25 kyu to 19-20 kyu pretty rapidly, like after my first couple wins. Huh. Thought I’d stay at “rank beginner” a little longer, but I’m not complaining. Fact is, my playing seems quite erratic, which I suppose is normal for someone just starting.
I had a Philosophy of Games course back in the day, and one aspect of the course was playing the teacher at progressively-less-handicapped games of Go, for credit. I played far enough to get the full necessary credit, and a few games more. I have an actual small Go board that came with one of the ‘Beginner’s Kits’ we purchased as class materials - but have yet to get to play it outside the class.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but igowin is not a good gauge at all. I thought I was real hot stuff when I played against the computer on igowin at first, but when I played my first 19x19, I realised just how wrong I was. You can get to playing even games with igowin without understanding the concepts behind Go, especially on a 9x9 board, by simply playing “you take your territory, I’ll take mine”, and playing as thickly as you can. Most of the time, you need to worry about keeping groups alive, or killing groups at all.
This is no strategy in a 19x19 board, where you have to take into account the entire board, and where each stone does not necessarily affect the entire board, unline 9x9 Go, where almost every move affects the entire board, and running to the centre is not an option.
Sure, you can learn about capturing and territory building on a 9x9, but that’s like learning how to check the king in chess, or how to take a pawn with a knight, or what castling is. It completely avoids the question of strategy element of the game, making it a “hack fest”, so to speak.
Really, the best way to advance is to get on KGS or IGS (I find KGS friendlier), and ask for a teaching game in the beginners room. There really is no substitute to someone guiding you on aji (potential), thickness, cutting points, all of which are so fundamental to the game that without understanding them, you cannot really understand the game.
I seem to be coming across as quite condecending. I shall now perform a non-sequitor. 18" DHIBJD!
Ah, well… I read the bit in the tutorials where the 9x9 game is good for very basic moves/concepts. Hey, I’m just one day into this.
My preference is to play humans in any sort of gaming. Which is why I’ve played all of one computer chess game in my life, and never checkers or much of anything else. People are so unpredictable and that’s part of the appeal. But I do find the computer more interactive than simply reading a book.
In Go, like in many many other things, a little restraint goes a long way. In losing the many many games I’ve lost, I’ve also lost count of the number of times I thought a section was perfectly safe, only to have a single move, from the opponent, demonstrate that I was VASTLY outmatched (and now suddenly down a dozen spaces of territory)
9x9 is mostly ‘get good ground initially, spread out to gather the most ground first’.
19x19 is a protracted range war on multiple fronts with the Russians on one side, the Mongols on another, and winter coming right down the middle.
But that’s only if you don’t have a high enough handicap.
For those of you looking for people to play with, theAmerican Go Association has a list of clubs. Playing the computer is all well and good, but there is definately something to be said for playing in person. If anyone in the Chico, CA area is interested we have a small Go club that meets at The Naked Lounge Coffee Shop on Mondays at 6:30. We are always happy to teach new players as well
At least the 9x9 variety. Think I’ll fumble around here for awhile before acquiring a 19x19 game.
