Playing Your Best Game

Kirby · #1

Of course, experience and study are some of the best long term ways to be successful on the go board.

But what do you do to play your best game in the short-term? The tournament day is here, and you've sat down to play.

What types of things do you do to get in the right state of mind to ensure your victory?

I guess short term prep (eg. the day before) counts, too.

Chew Terr · #2

Going for a walk beforehand helps me a lot. Really, anything that's not working myself up over it.

daniel_the_smith · #3

Get lots of good sleep the night before, have coffee the morning of.

hyperpape · #4

Music and sitting on my hands.

I know some people consider it rude, but after introducing myself to my opponent and agreeing to start, I sometimes put my headphones in and listen to music during the first 15 minutes of the game.

There are some fuseki where I could spit out the first 20 moves of a professional game in 20 seconds, but I always try to take my time in a tournament to keep in the mode of playing slowly and deliberatively.

Then when I'm out of what I know, I'm already in the mode of taking my time.

daniel_the_smith · #5

I once tried playing on KGS with music in the background.

That was not a good idea.

(Perhaps Muse was not the best choice, but still...)

k1ndofblue · #6

Plenty of slep the night before and lots of coffee the day off.

GoCat · #7

If I can get in a few minutes of quiet time, I will -- not thinking about Go, just to sort of relax the brain. After a few minutes, and while still sitting quietly, I'll remind myself of certain fundamentals that I should pay attention to. Typically, those that I tend to forget: don't build weak groups; look for sente moves, stuff like that.

(Caveat: I rarely play RT games, so take this as you will.)

ketchup · #8

daniel_the_smith wrote:

I once tried playing on KGS with music in the background.

That was not a good idea.

(Perhaps Muse was not the best choice, but still...)

I think overall, once you get used to it, you kind of aren't listening to the music. It's more about the consistent sound in the background, which is pleasant to listen to. A good playlist will make it so you can drown out outer/background annoying noise(A/C running, stale air, computer noises, people talking, and things of that nature) while still staying focused on the game. In some cases, it might even increase focus, due to the type of music playing. This is probably why so many people do it. At least, this is what I notice when I "listen" to music while playing.

Suji · #9

GoCat wrote:

If I can get in a few minutes of quiet time, I will -- not thinking about Go, just to sort of relax the brain. After a few minutes, and while still sitting quietly, I'll remind myself of certain fundamentals that I should pay attention to. Typically, those that I tend to forget: don't build weak groups; look for sente moves, stuff like that.

(Caveat: I rarely play RT games, so take this as you will.)

I think everyone should do this, regardless of where they play.

I try to, also, minimize distractions during the game. So that means if I feel tired at all, I don't play online. I know it really doesn't help me improve, but I think one of my mistakes with chess is not being picky about when I play.

I played when I was bored, tired, angry, etc. Nothing really helped my game that much, so with go I want to completely minimize distractions including state of mind.

Quote:

I know some people consider it rude, but after introducing myself to my opponent and agreeing to start, I sometimes put my headphones in and listen to music during the first 15 minutes of the game.

Speaking honestly, if I played you, I would not find this rude at all. In fact, I would probably do the same thing, because it does help one focus.

I also remind myself that even though I'm playing online and I want my rank to go up, it's important to have fun playing.

kokomi · **#10**

Go to bath room beforehand. This sounds like a joke, but i'm not joking. :evil:

Exologist · **#11**

Haha, yeah having to go to the bathroom will not helping your concentration. I listen to chill-out music (what I normally listen to, which is mostly no lyrics) while I play on KGS. With games on real boards I don't listen to any music. I like the idea of going for a walk or maybe gazing the stars in order to relax.

Monadology · **#12**

daniel_the_smith wrote:

I once tried playing on KGS with music in the background.

That was not a good idea.

(Perhaps Muse was not the best choice, but still...)

Yeah, I think some music would not be the best choice. Krzysztof Penderecki would be a pretty bad idea, but I really enjoy minimalist or melancholy music when I'm doing something thought-intensive.

I should try putting http://www.rainymood.com/ on in the background next time I play on KGS, now that I think of it.

hyperpape · **#13**

I'm quite particular about the music I listen to, just as if I was studying. I can't listen to most rock music, definitely not rap. Mostly I listen to electronic music with minimal vocals or a bit of black metal. The former is calming, the latter is for focus and energy. Then there's one song by the Pixies that makes me feel cheerful.

Magicwand · **#14**

kirby:
many korean professionals on their winning interview...
"i emptied my heart [also can be translated into mind or will][마음을 비우다][無心] and it helped me win"
if you try to win you usually lose.
but if you empty your mind of winning and play your game then you usually get better result.

Dusk Eagle · **#15**

I try to eat healthily on tournament days. I feel I am more concentrated when I have eaten fresh fruits and vegetables and drank plenty of water than if I were to go to McDonald's and eat fries and drink Coke and that sort of stuff.

daal · **#16**

Magicwand wrote:

if you try to win you usually lose.
but if you empty your mind of winning and play your game then you usually get better result.

Have you tried this yourself? :mrgreen:

Kirby wrote:

What types of things do you do to get in the right state of mind to ensure your victory?

You can't ensure your victory. Try something else.

Loons · **#17**

I see a lot of people talking about getting relaxed - honestly, I psych myself up for intense games. Kick my brain into gear for real reading and fast counting. Music helps a bit, I feel I play my best listening to Cake`s Fashion Nugget.

Also, I play my best after breakfast and coffee in the morning, assuming I`ve had good sleep.

Kirby · **#18**

In regard to playing with music, I actually do that sometimes myself... But the reason is not really because of the music itself. It's because I try to make a pattern in getting into a particular mind set. Whenever (well, not always, but almost always) I study tsumego problems, I listen to a particular set of songs on my ipod. Then, when I go to a tournament, I listen to the same set of songs.

It may be somewhat of a placebo, but doing this allows me to "switch on" my go mind. I'm not really sure if it's actually effective, but it's something that I try to do.

Magicwand · **#19**

daal wrote:

Magicwand wrote:

if you try to win you usually lose.
but if you empty your mind of winning and play your game then you usually get better result.

Have you tried this yourself? :mrgreen:

yes i did. many many times.
it works. in actual tournament i beat many players who are 2 stone stronger than i am.
my casual game is not my maximum strength. i only play in open tournament and have won few game against strong players before using this methods.

Suji · **#20**

daal wrote:

Kirby wrote:

What types of things do you do to get in the right state of mind to ensure your victory?

You can't ensure your victory. Try something else.

While I agree with this in theory, I disagree that you have no control over whether or not you win before the game. I personally believe that you can raise your probability of winning (It can never be 100% or 0%) up before you even set a stone down. Getting into the right frame of mind is one thing that can help. Also, I've found in practice that you have to believe that you are going to win in order to win. It's impossible to win if you don't think you can.

I'm talking about being confident in one's abilities before the game. You can't have an "I am the greatest" attitude. If you have that attitude you set yourself up for defeat.

Playing Your Best Game

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