Verde wrote:
Then lost to a 20 kyu.
This sounds really hard to believe! Are you sure they were a real 20 kyu, and not just pretending? Sandbaggers (people who pretend to be weaker than they are to humiliate their opponents) are upsettingly common.
Verde wrote:
Im still stuck at what I was three years ago after that match.
This happens to us all. Taking a break means your skills become blunt; the last time you played was a few years ago and you were young, so it's very possible that you've forgotten most of the tricks you had up your sleeve.
All is not lost. Have a quick run through this website and make sure you're up to scratch on the basics (if you're not, don't skimp them!). Then try some easy go puzzles - the Graded Go Problems for Beginners book series is very good, and I'd recommend you start at volume one (it says 25-30 kyu, but it's severely misranked in my opinion). Read everything out carefully, and don't cut corners - this is practice for real games. Play, as well; it keeps it fun and keeps you thinking about the whole board. Try not to care too much about what your rank is, but aim to work out what it is and set yourself goals for the next month, or next year, and try to work towards them. And finally, when you hit a wall or a losing streak, don't be disheartened. It happens to us all, and one of the most useful skills that go has to teach us all about life is patience and diligence even in the face of a losing battle; slow and steady wins the race.
