Beginners Luck

Unlike poker there is no such thing as beginners luck in Go. The game is too complex and even when playing against a slightly weaker player it is far too easy to pick apart their moves and gain profit. The beauty of Go is in the handicap system which allows interesting games to be played between people of vastly different skill levels. Even as a player in the single digit kyu range it can be hard to beat a beginner with 19 stones without playing drastic moves. So I'm going to start a series aimed at beginners and people trying to get to that magical 9 kyu mark where people begin to take you more seriously as an opponent.  Each segment will deal with a proverb and how it applies to the game.

My first proverb is 'Learn joseki lose two stones strength'. This is very true but it often has to do with the way people learn joseki. Learning joseki will make you stronger but only if you understand the joseki. If you understand the joseki than you can see how all moves in the joseki are strong and forthright. In a real game, however, joseki are often wrong and playing a sequence by rote can cost you the game.

How then should a developing player study joseki? With the proper mindset a player at 20 kyu could immediately improve by two stones by learning joseki. The trick is to not see joseki as a sequence to be memorized but simply as an equal exchange. This allows you to look at the result in the actual game and compare your achievements to the joseki result. If you had equal compensation compared with the joseki then you could be satisfied with your in game result. Joseki are only useful to demonstrate an equal result and avoid blunders. As soon as there are other stones on the board joseki become obsolete.

This is just an intro, I'm planning to do a series of articles on various facets of the game that are key to progressing to 9 kyu. Planned articles include joseki, fuseki, how to study, Go books, and maybe a subject of your choosing. Email me or leave a comment with a request for a subject you'd like to see covered.