All About Go

“Oops, I didn’t even see that move.”
“I misread that.”
“Wait a minute, that stone moved!”

I often find myself saying something like this when I lose a game. As I have mentioned previously, I believe that a lot of games at my level are lost because of simple reading mistakes. Reading Go moves in situations you’re unfamiliar with can feel like trying to read a challenging book in a different language or dialect, but like reading a book, it is something that becomes better with practice.

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I would like to wish Go players worldwide a happy and successful new year. This is a perfect time to reflect on what the game means to us, and what we hope to achieve.

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“You win.”

What? Did I hear that correctly? Although it was over two months ago, I can remember quite clearly my reaction when Seung-Hyun Park (Korean 6P) finished counting the score and told me I had won in a simultaneous game with him at the 33rd Canadian Open. That was my first real game with a professional player. Sure, I had a six-stone handicap and he was playing between eight and eleven other players during our game, but it was a proud moment for me and I felt a strong sense of confidence in my games throughout the day. Overall it was a very motivating experience – what motivates you?

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If the first step to improving in Go is setting goals, then naturally the second step is focusing on the goals and maintaining them. Focus and concentration are important not just with goals, but in actual Go games as well. How many games have you lost because you lost concentration and made a silly mistake? How many games have you won only because your opponent did something similar? Just what is the secret to staying focused?

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I often wonder exactly how we progress in Go, or any skill for that matter. What separates a professional from an amateur? How do some improve rapidly while others do not improve at all? There are many important factors which are sometimes overlooked. Allow me to share with you what I have learned.

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