To address the original goal:

As I said, I had the same goal for myself a while back. It *is* cool to achieve 1 Dan somewhere, even if you know that doesn’t match your “real” strength. And GoQuest is a fun and challenging environment.

For those who aren’t aware, early on it’s easy to gain ranks on GoQuest. Leveling up might be as simple as “win 3 games at your current rank.” If you play long enough, you’re likely to do that even if you lose far more often. But later on, the ranks are tied to your Elo rating on GoQuest, which I’ve found surprisingly accurate at telling me whether I’ll get a good game from my opponent. Honestly, I wish more servers published an Elo rating (or something similar) in addition to the rank. At the SDK and dan levels, you have to hit a certain Elo rating and win a certain number of consecutive games at that rating to level up. That can be pretty hard, even if you’re winning at above a 50% rate. It makes that eventual level up pretty satisfying.

The other nice thing about GoQuest is that once you are 1 Dan your rank won’t slip back. Your Elo rating can drop (and that’s what it uses for match-making), but the rank is an indication of the highest level you’ve achieved. Since it’s 9x9 they don’t use the same handicap system as most servers, so that’s not a concern.

One thing I found interesting about working on my 9x9 game was how many strategic concepts carry over from 19x19 go. Yes, you have to be good at fighting (but you do to be really good on a full size board too), but the concepts of leaning attacks, influence, sacrifice, and shape are all evident, too. And since you get feedback so quickly, you can really see how they affect your game.

Don’t let the miscommunication turn you off. This forum is generally a pretty supportive bunch, and I at least would love to hear about your progress!

Thank you very much Jeromie- I appreciate the time you've taken to write that. I've found the recent experience of refocusing just on 9x9 very illuminating. (I'd spent the first year just doing 9x9, then happily got into 19x19 which I still love- just frustrated at 9k plateau.) I've been appreciating sacrifice, and furikawari more recently. Also appreciating the Chinese rules on GQ (prisoners don't seem to matter etc, so you can experiment with sacrifices etc).

And it's exactly as you say- even though I realise 9x9 GQ 1d means little in the scheme of things, it's still meaningful/satisfying to me and feels in reach. My plan is once I get 1d-9x9 to go back into the 19x19 etc.

All the best.

Definitely best of luck from me - also thank you for introducing me to GoQuest, I hadn't encountered it before and it's a lot of fun

Something that helped me go from 1800 to 2000+ on GoQuest was to just get out of the 19x19 mindset and be willing to play moves you wouldn't even consider on a full-sized board. I would go to the leaderboard and study the games of 2600+ players, and learn all of the funny-named openings like "Hand fan", "Equilateral 2", "Windmill", etc. When I first saw Windmill and Handfan in my games, I couldn't believe the first moves were valid, but again just have to stop thinking on a full-sized board and embrace the strange 9x9 world .

Such a tease Solomon, what are those openings?! Is this armpit hit that goes against normal full board principles such an opening?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

I hardly play 9x9 and am relatively weak for my 19x19 level, but something I've noticed is that it can often be a good strategy (or accident) to be the first one to die on 9x9 if you can then get a lot of forcing moves so solidify the rest of the board.

I don't play much 9x9 but I noticed that some 9x9 openings can be found at https://online-go.com/puzzle/181

Another nice resource for studying openings: http://ps.waltheri.net/9x9/
The database contains 21 000 games between strong players on GoQuest.

Hmm, I don't think I've seen that one very much actually. And yes, you are absolutely correct regarding being the first one to die to get forcing moves in! For example, in Windmill:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 7 . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 3 2 8 y . . |
$$ | . . . 4 5 x a . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

I've found 'a' to be the most common followup to try and get W to take the 2 stones and get forcing moves like x and y in. Some other opening names I've run into:

Orthodox

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 3 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Curveball

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 3 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 4 . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Soccer juggling

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 3 . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Hand fan

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 3 4 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Jump attack

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . 5 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 3 4 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Black boomerang

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . , 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . 5 . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Bean throwing

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . 7 . . 2 6 . . |
$$ | . . . . , 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . 5 . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Sword

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 3 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . 4 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Pendulum

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . 2 , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Lunar eclipse

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Kodachi

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 3 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

New Orthodox

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 3 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Slider

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 4 . 3 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Secret agent 033

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 3 . 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Andromeda

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 4 5 , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 6 3 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

White slice

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 5 . . , . . |
$$ | . . 4 3 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 , 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Jump attachment!

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 1 , 3 2 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Boots

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ | . . . 1 , 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Flower

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . 1 . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 7 3 4 . . |
$$ | . . . . 5 2 . . . |
$$ | . . , . 6 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Almost Equilateral 1

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . , . . |
$$ | . . 3 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Almost Equilateral 2

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , 2 . 3 , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Almost Equilateral 3

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . 2 , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Sea fairy

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 1 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 2 . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 3 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Flower fairy

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ | . . . . , . . . . |
$$ | . . 2 3 . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Cross line

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 2 . 6 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 5 . 1 . 3 . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . 4 . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Windmill:

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[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . , 8 2 3 6 . . |
$$ | . . . . 5 4 . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

I came across this by accident, the others I have no idea about !

PS Ninja'd by Solomon's outstanding post of awesome.

Who comes up with these names? I thought windmill might be this, or is this pinwheel? Or maybe it's just terrible for white on the small board so not played.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . 7 . . . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 2 8 . . |
$$ | . . . 6 4 3 . . . |
$$ | . . , . . 5 , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +-------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 7 . . . |
$$ | . . , 8 2 3 6 . . |
$$ | . . . . 5 4 9 . . |
$$ | . . . . 1 0 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . , . . . , . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +-------------------+[/go]

Yeah, it's strangely non-symmetrical, but this is actually really hard for Black to play. There are so many odd liberty fights that crop up here. My immediate reaction to was "has to be overplay", but playing on both sides of it Black has been the one suffering for me

Maybe is an overplay, but looks like one to me.

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

I'm fairly convinced it is, I found it out the hard way, and have had two people try it to me with similar misery for Black.