First off, let me start by saying "I don't play [anymore]". That is to say, while I may still get about 3 to 6 games a week, only a few are semi-serious club games (I don't view any non-tournament game as serious-must-try-to-win), and others are teaching games, and I may still from time to time play through a high level or professional game, or work on an interesting tsumego or read a book -- I'm not making any concentrated effort to improve my game. I haven't been for several years now. Its been more than 4 years since I've even played in an official tournament. In spite of all that, I have been slowly improving. I estimate I've risen at least 2+ stones in strength over these past 4 years.

I'm content with being where I am. I'll never be pro. I may never even reach shodan (though I would actually like to get there someday). But I know enough now to enjoy a game with my peers, and to introduce the game to beginners (which I enjoy most of all). My study habits (or lack thereof), haven't changed over the recent few years and I've still been very slowly improving -- until very recently.

I've noticed this very recent trend -- that it feels like my skill level has been sliding backwards, and that's bothering me.

Its making me wonder if its my age, and maybe something is wrong. Or maybe I've just been overworked at my job and its the stress. Or maybe I'm just over thinking this altogether.

I only have a few anecdotal data points -- a few players I play regularly.

One player, we've been trading wins playing even for a while, but suddenly now he's giving me 3 stones and I still can't win. (its possible he's been improving, and I've suggested that to him, but he doesn't think so)

Another player, I beat him enough on 3 stones to work my way up to 2 (where I've never yet won), but now I'm back to 4 stones and still can't win.

Advice to start studying, or to study more is going to fall on deaf ears here. Even if I slide back to my official AGA rating, I'm still ok with that level. I just don't understand why I'm suddenly sliding in the first place.

Sometimes it's not so easy to know for sure whether we're actually improving or regressing, in my experience.
One way to tell is to have someone else with a very good eye, who has been following our games and moves
over a significant amount of time, give an assessment.
Another one is to have objective data points: for example, measurements of how long we take
to solve a particular set of problems, etc., again, over a meaningful time period.

In my view I have not improved since I first learned the rules. Everyone else is just getting worse.

As for decline in skill, I find the "reading" as the go "muscle" analogy quite apt. I don't have any real experience here, since I only had short (read: a few months) real breaks from go since I first started out, but I would guess that just to *maintain* a certain skill one must put in a certain amount of effort. Just as one must strain a muscle every once in a while in order to keep it from withering away.

Without that effort one would probably drop to a certain plateau. (For example, ruling out things like serious head injury or mental illness, a KGS 6dan will *never* in his life drop below KGS 10kyu, no matter how long a break he takes.)
So I would predict the decline to stop eventually, but the resulting rank might not be to your liking.


And again, I feel the need to point out that all of this is wild speculation on my part which I base on absolutely nothing.

Everyone's different, and the human mind is mysterious.

Beyond the technical part of the game there are many factors. In no particular order, consider: health, fitness, stress, fatigue, attitude, fear, frustration, anger, confidence, enjoyment, spirit and perspective.

Even if you're not actively studying, small shifts in your attitude, your personal circumstances, the way you look at the game (both in terms of the models you use to interpret it and how broad your focus is) can greatly affect your play.

Sometimes one sentence can change your perspective everything. Perhaps you need to try a new approach to the game, or remember something that you've temporarily forgotten. Or perhaps it would help to eliminate some other, unrelated source of stress. My personal experience is that stress has a much greater effect on the way I play than I realize (at the time).

I hope there's something here that helps and that you'll feel better soon.

_________________
David

Go Game Guru: Learn Go | How to Get Better at Go | Go Game Shop | Go Boards | Baduk TV

I'm hearing a certain element of complacency in this and while it seems possible that you would slowly continue to get better due to factors such as games feeling less stressful, old concepts starting to gel, etc., it feels as if you may have lost your drive. In order to keep improving, you need to care about winning each game and the way you describe your attitude, it sounds as if you don't. I think you need to conjure up your fierceness before you play.

_________________
Patience, grasshopper.

May I never make shodan again!

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Its not complacency as much as its contentment.

Yeah, I've lost my drive [to strive for higher rank]. But I don't *need* to improve. I don't *want* to care about winning. I don't want to be fierce [in competition].

This is not my problem. There's nothing wrong with not wanted to be the best at something. Its ok to enjoy an activity without needing to improve and be the best.

I have drive and desire and fierceness in other areas of my life. I don't need those to be misplaced in a hobby.

I'm content to be at the level I am. But I'm not as content to feel like I'm slipping behind. Either I need to adjust my feelings of contentment, or I'm wondering if something else might be wrong.

That's a nice thought. Thanks.

I just need to keep exercising to keep the muscles toned. If I don't exercise (for whatever reason), then I should expect some level of decline.