I got up to 4 or 5k when I played a lot and studied but I have slid since I don’t have time to play anymore. (My 4 or 5k ranking is based on IGS strength. I know the ratings are all over the place depending on what country you are in)
If you play do you have a board and stones? I have a full sized board with the fancy Japanese legs and a great set of stones.
If you play can you recommend any Go study books? I have “The Many Faces of Go” and “Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go” by Toshiro Kageyama which are great books. At the same time I need more in depth study without getting into deep opening moves and the like.
There are other sources on the web. Google on ‘Go tutorials’ and you will find a bunch of sites.
At the same time, while the rules of Go are simple compared to Chess, the learning curve is kind of steep. The reason, at least IMHO, is that Go is not just an attack based game. Chess, when you boil it down to basics, is kill the king. Go, on the other hand, has more variation. There are times in Go when attacking and killing is viable yet most of the time you attack to make room and get eye space. When two equal level Go players go at each other there is very rarely a big kill on either side.
I think, and this is why I love the game, is that Go makes you think in a different way than Chess. Go, when played well, is more subtle than Chess.
My Dad taught my how to play Go. It took about a year of messing around with a Go program for me to understand the game. Once I understood the game I read a bunch of books and, within a year, came within two stones of my Dads strength. (Go handicaping is pretty straight forward. For every 4.5 stones or so that someone beats you by you get a one stone handicap) My Dad has been playing Go for 30+ years.
Anyway, pick up the game and email Zebra, I’ll try to teach you and be nice about it.
I learned how to play in college from a Japanese exchange student. It seemed so simple.
He creamed me in minutes.
That was many years ago, but I believe there were at least two variations, a “simple” version and a much more complicated, and lengthier version.
Like I said, haven’t played in decades, but I wouldn’t mind taking another “go” at it sometime.
I play! I think it’s a wonderful game, and it’s kind of a shame that so few people play (at least here in the UK). There are Go clubs here in the UK, and I’ve been to the London one, but it has a fairly thin membership.
I was qute keen on chess for a while in my youth, but after a while I realised something about the game. If player A knows his chess openings better than player B, then it is almost (but not quite) certain that A is going to win the game, and what’s more B’s fate is sealed after about half a dozen moves, the rest of the game serving merely to postpone the inevitable. I know chess lovers will pull this apart every which way in defence of the ‘king of games’, but I maintain that’s it’s generally true, and it’s what kinda turned me off the game.
This is not true in Go. First of all, there is a perfectly good handicap system such that players with different levels of experience can start on a level playing field. Chess players can try to do something similar by improvising fudges like a pawn or pawn+1 move advantage, but it’s hardly the same.
Secondly, even if player A gets an early advantage in one part of the board, typically one corner, player B might do much better in the other areas where play develops. A typical game of Go might involve several joseki (opening patterns) and it is by no means sure that the ‘stronger’ player will get the better of all of them.
Thirdly, in a good game of Go the sente or ‘initiative’ can change quite rapidly, and a player who was seemingly enjoying a strong advantage can suddenly find the tables turned quite surprisingly!
DMark, Go has very simple rules but it takes a long time to understand how to play the game. The guy-girl who taught you the rules then creamed you shouldn’t be teaching the game. I try to teach anyone who is interested and I make it a point to hold back so that the other person does not get upset and quit trying to learn the game. I win but I make it somewhat even then review the game and point out the mistakes in a positive light. Getting killed when learning a game just sucks.
If you really want to try Go again check out the link I posted earlier or buy “The Many Faces of Go” software package. A hint if you want to give it a try, making eye space is key to living.
As far as the simple version of Go you meantioned you are probably remembering Pente. Pente is played using the same board and stones but is very different than Go. The point in Pente is to capture 5 groups, in twos, of the other players stones or get 5 of your stones in a row.
Another 12 Kyu on a good day checking in. I learned from friends at UH, and actually studied in a class taught at a club here in Osaka for about 2 years. Many gaps in my playing time though, so I’m nowhere near as strong as I should be, having played for more than 10 years.
I used to play… I’ve even got a (very cheap) board, errrm, somewhere about the place. I’d quite like a proper go board - I read somewhere that some makers stretch strings across the undersides of the board, so that the sound of a stone being placed is enhanced by a faint musical tone… charming idea.
I haven’t played in ages, though, and even at my best the only rating I ever had was “not very good”. Perhaps I should start looking around Oxford for a go club - there’s bound to be one.
