I've just tried the KGS automatcher for the first time (that I can remember, at least), and ended up in a "Fast" game with 20 second byo-yomi. I found this almost unplayable, and made an elementary reading error in byo-yomi that cost me a pretty good game. What do you guys find is the best overtime format for your reading, and how long must it be?

For me, there's no real best. The more time I have, the more time I spend reading. The question is how much fun you have reading in any given byo-yomi period.

It's also worth noting that I have a strong bias towards moving in the first 2s of a 10s period, and the first 5s of a 30s period. When I've been playing a lot of games online I get into the swing of using the periods ruthlessly and can read much further in one period, if I focus on it.

Anyway, you can go under Automatch Preferences and uncheck blitz and fast.

I've found that playing the "Fast" setting on KGS means that I might not have enough time towards the late game. Faster than that is an almost guaranteed loss on time.

That doesn't mean I don't normally play fast, but that I take a very long time on some moves.

As for general overtime format preference, I prefer Canadian style overtime to others (haven't really tried Fischer yet though).

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a1h1 [1d]: You just need to curse the gods and defend.
Good Go = Shape.
Associação Portuguesa de Go

30-40 second byo-yomi is enough for me in most situations

Fischer time is supreme and Kaya has it. If you have never played a game with this setting, try it and realize what you've been missing.

Exactly!!!

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Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

10s - panic
20s - difficult
30s - totally comfortable

I'm surprised about the difference between 20s and 30s. I suspect that I gravitate towards doing a certain amount of reading/staring at the board on any given move that I don't find obviuos, and 20s is cutting me off just a little too fast.

I do find that to think for more than 30s, instead of just letting my mind wander, takes work. So that fits with the theory.

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Occupy Babel!

What are your favorite increments then?

So far I have been using mainly 5/20 (5 minutes main time plus 20 seconds per move increment). That delivers 45 minutes total time for each side in a 240-move game. Comfort-wise, even 40-second byo-yomi isn't as good for me because I panic in the squeezes and with BY once they start they never go away. I find that when I think a long time and run my time down in Fischer, I am ready to play more than one move so I immediately get back some cushion.

BTW, blitzy types think 5/20's way to slow. But as always I say, "You-know-what 'em if they can't take a joke"!

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Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21