Interesting, I wonder if this makes them play better. For weaker amateurs with not such good reading skills it certainly would (e.g. me playing out variations on OGS was stronger than real-life me) but pros are much better at reading so it won't be such a boost for them. There is this common idea that it's not the reading that is hard, but the judging of the final positions and pros can read 100 moves but I don't really buy this as pros routinely make mistakes that 10 moves deep reading can reveal (if only you read the right moves) and if reading is so easy then just read beyond the 'final' position to a later position that is easier to judge. Or will the competing opinions of the pros actually make them play worse? At the London Open rengo tournament a team's rank (mean of players' ranks, used for handicaps) is reduced by one for each additional player over 2 to reflect that more players probably means more competing plans and disjointed play (no conferring in rengo). Was any of the discussion recorded? That reminds me I've been meaning to get The Go Consultants. Did the players back then think it made them stronger/weaker?

Perhaps John can chime in, but I don't recall any discussion of it in the book by the players. There does seem to be a sense, though, that it was an attempt to get a perfect game. There's certainly a lot of back and forth between the players arguing about the merits of one move over another. I think there was less consensus on the Kitani-Go side, and they ended up just conceding a move to one or the other of them on occasion, though they were oddly sympatico at times too.

I certainly found it a good read, both as entertainment and for the game.

Sadly, I'd say don't hold your breath. JF hasn't posted since the beginning of November and it begins to look like he may be on sabbatical.

Personally, whenever I've seen pros analyzing games together (in their study groups, analyzing after tournament games, etc.) they have always used boards to lay out variations. I don't believe that they would do it that way if they thought there was no benefit. That benefit may be primarily better communication when they are working together but I have to think it is real.

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

Well, the book Go Consultants is out there so why not give it a look. I read it once again when this topic came alive and it was intense and fascinating reading.

The final game is also thrilling to watch.

Cheers,
Vesa

Final,
Korea seeded team vs China seeded team

Korea seeded team defeated China seeded team by 0.5.

The Golden Dragon City Cup(金龙城杯) goes to Korea!!!!!!!!!!!

An interesting result, particularly given the 3-0 drubbing China seeded gave Korea seeded in the individual games.