A Go Player

One man's fascination with the world's best game

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

British Go Journal Archive

Hunting around on the web, I came across this archive of old British Go Journal issues. Lots of meat in there. Enjoy.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Live in Phoenix?

If you live in the Phoenix metro area and play Go, let's try and have a go meetup. I think it would be fun to meet in a coffeehouse-type atmosphere :)

Feeling Better

Well, I've been feeling a lot better about my playing. Not that my rank has improved any... I'm still not only bouncy but not that great. But I'm starting to see a lot more. Not that I can play it, but I can sense it is out there waiting for me to come upon it.

I haven't read much, other than some shape stuff and some basic techniques. Instead I'm playing. And guess what? It's helping.

More later.

Friday, October 15, 2004

Go Magazine Online

There's some interesting articles at the Interactive European Go Magazine, including an article on driving your opponent's stones by Charles Matthews and some interactive flash commentaries. Good stuff, maynard.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

I'm hopping mad!

I have been planning to go to the Tempe Go Club for the first time in many weeks, as my daughter is out of town. However, I forgot completely that the presidential debates are in Tempe - tonight - the same night as the Go Club meeting.

Sigh.

It figures. Ah well, I guess I'll have to play online, or do work or something like that. What a shame. Despite the fun of playing online, there is nothing like playing an opponent face-to-face with real stones in your hand.

As far as progress goes, I sure don't feel like a 19kyu. But I played a 26kyu and lost by 0.5 points (i.e. with a 7-stone handicap) and I played a 17kyu with a 2-stone handicap and won (immediately followed by losing to a 15kyu) so I guess I am right around the level KGS says. I just don't understand what I'm doing...

The big reason I'm upset about not being able to go to the club is that I had some serious tactical questions, and now I'll have to hold off on them. Maybe I'll have a chance to go Saturday. My fingers are crossed.

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

Almost Sente

Almost Sente is a comic strip about go that will probably not be funny to non-go players.

Dragon Go Server Redux

The more I play on Dragon Go Server, the more I enjoy it. The pacing is perfect for me; I can't always play a whole game, but I can sure squeak in a few moves here and there. My rating is slowly climbing again. I took quite a beating recently as I tried to assimilate the Wilcox material I have been studying.

I am now not joining any new games until I finish my current crop and my rating has stabilized somewhat. I recently played a game against someone who is about my level, but due to my inflated rating, they had a 4-stone handicap against me. That was a hard game!

I taught my friend Michael to play this past weekend. Somehow it seems like a game he might appreciate as much as, if not more than, chess, which he currently is completely enthralled with. If you check out his site, you'll see why I think so. Heh.

In any case, I think I need about 30-40 more games before I will be ready to go on to the intermediate material in Contact and Sector Fights. I understand it intellectually, but not completely, and it surely isn't integrated with my game yet. So, here's to more games of Go!