This afternoon I read through an interview with the latest EGF professional, Jan Simara. The words were probably badly mangled by toogle granslate, but I remained confident that I understood the fundamentals of the piece.

https://goweb.cz/2023/03/rozhovor-s-jan ... esionalem/

Jan Simara, is the newest EGF professional, at 37 years old. He intends to retain his full time job as a computer programmer. Go is his main activity in his spare time, which makes it sound like a hobby.

Does it mean that the professional system is dead? Or is it life Jim, but not as we know it.

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North Lecale

Not necessarily. I can think of at least a few examples from chess and bridge where top pro level players had another profession. In a case like Omar Sharif, I'm sure he made more from being an actor than the highest grossing bridge pros. Alexander and Botvinnik in chess in chess did not give up their work with computers << I choose these two precisely because of the parallel with computers as the other thing, and while Alexander just a national champion, Botvinnik did make World Champion

There are many Alexanders

Anyway, professional sport is the exception and is it that surprising if Jan Simara isn't quitting his job just yet.

Seeing that Jan was a 6 dan (also a former European Champion I believe) in the EGD and those are already rare, I wonder how long until we will have a 5 dan becoming pro. That would mean a rating reset! Since 1 pro is equated to 7 dan this would be a two rank jump and the rating would (or could?) be set directly to 2700.

I don't even understand how you can be a professional Go player while having another job.

I understand his reluctance to give up his job as a programmer, which is far more future proof than that of a go pro, but I would expect him to waive the honor then.

Unless indeed the idea of being a European go pro does not mean treating it as a job but is a kind of honorary title.

Translation by GPT-4 which should be better than Google Translate:
Interview with Jan Šimara, the first Czech professional

The Czech Republic has its first professional player. The decision was made a week ago at the 7th European Professional Qualification, in which Jan Šimara surprisingly defeated Lukáš Podpěra in the final. Thus, the dream of several generations of Czech go players has come true.
Jan Šimara's go career is quite unconventional for a top player. And it can certainly be a great inspiration for those who started playing go later or are "professionally" older.
How did you get into go?
Like many other go players, I got into go through chess. When I was about 13 years old, I was at a chess camp in Zlín, which was also attended by a small group of go players. As soon as I tried go, I fell in love with it. During chess training, I couldn't concentrate properly, and in my head, I was solving various trivial go shapes, and during breaks, I quickly ran to play go.
Although you had quite good results in tournaments, it took you 7.5 years from your first tournament to reach 1st dan. You were 19 years old. Why did it take you so long?
For the first two years, I hardly played. Although I played two tournaments and started going to the go club instead of chess training, my chess coach intervened and convinced me that go has no great future compared to chess. I don't blame him at all because it made perfect sense from his point of view. When I returned to go between the ages of 15 and 16, I improved a lot at first, but stopped around 3rd kyu. At that time, I didn't have many opportunities to study go, I didn't have the internet, and I went to play go once a week in the club. I have to thank Martin Kužel for teaching me a lot during this period and for taking me to many international tournaments that I wouldn't have otherwise attended.
On the other hand, you reached 5th dan, which most people don't even achieve, in just 2 years and 9 months from earning 1st dan. What changed then?
The first thing was my new approach to the internet, where I spent whole days playing go. Secondly, I also started studying seriously, both by playing professional games and solving tsumego. And perhaps most importantly, Ondřej Šilt returned from Japan to Zlín, and we became very good friends over time. We often played and analyzed games together, went to tournaments together, and generally lived by playing and philosophizing about go. Without Ondra, I probably would never have reached the level I am at today.
Another turning point for you came in 2012 when you unexpectedly won the European Championship. Was it a surprise for you, or did you feel in form?
It was definitely a surprise for me, but I must say that at that time, I was in my peak form.
Did you want to use the title of European champion in any way – for example, to become a professional and start making a living from playing go?
Unfortunately, it was the opposite. Considering the minimal prize for first place, I realized that making a living from go in Europe is very difficult. The European Professional Association did not exist at that time. So I started to shift my focus to other activities, especially poker.
What were your plans or resolutions for this year's professional qualification?
I had no big plans; I just went to play. My main motivation to play as well as possible was my girlfriend, who recorded my games. I wanted to show her what games can look like when a person is at least somewhat skilled, and thus motivate her to improve herself.
In the first round of the qualification, you shone by defeating the much stronger Oscar Vazquez from Spain, even though you lost the first game. Did that boost you for the semi-finals and finals?
Definitely. It gave me the confidence that I still have some skills.
Before the semi-finals, there was anticipation for the new ratings for the draw. When you got Benjamin Teuber from Germany, did you believe that you could advance to the final?
During the tournament, I always try to think only about the current match. But we can say that I had quite some faith in myself against Benjamin, but with all due respect.
And then came your famous final. You were losing 0:1 in it, but eventually, you turned the match around. What was the main reason, from your perspective, that you defeated Lukáš Podpěra in the final?
I think Lukáš was under quite a bit of pressure and didn't play his best go. It must be said that I also made many mistakes, and so the last game was decided in the final moves. So luck played a role as well.
Do you plan to make use of the professional class somehow? I ask because you are 37 years old, and by that age, most people usually have their careers well underway.
Currently, I don't have any big plans, but I'll see if any opportunities arise. I already have a stable job as a programmer, which I will continue to pursue, and go remains my main activity in my free time. I would like to use this interview to warmly invite everyone to the Czech go camp, which I am organizing for the first time this year.
The logical question to follow is what young players should do to become professionals. But considering that you may be the oldest new professional in go history, I'll rephrase it a bit – what should all players do to become professionals?
I don't think all players can become professionals. However, if we're talking about what I think is the most effective way to improve in go, it's improving calculation skills, which is the well-known tsumego that I've promoted many times.
And what should they not do? Or is there anything you would have done differently in your career?
I wouldn't say I regret anything outright, but perhaps the biggest enemy for everyone is the fear of losing. I recommend everyone to play for the joy of the game itself and let the result be a byproduct.
And one final question: You've been in the Czech top for about 15 years. As the only Czech, you have the title of European champion and professional class. But unlike your colleagues from the top, you don't have a single title of national champion or Go Baron. Do you plan to do anything in this regard?
I play both of these tournaments regularly every year and plan to continue doing so. Maybe one day I'll succeed .

If you turn professional, then I think you get a rating reset.

This is one example https://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/P ... y=14962706 .

In a more recent case, it is not so obvious : https://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/P ... y=12837594 , but that player was already above 2700.

I wonder if that at some point the pool of priviledged players (EGF professionals) will grow so big, that it will begin to demonstrably disadvantage those trying to join them.

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North Lecale

It could have been "worse" if Rob van Zeijst (61) had become pro. He didn't compete in 2023 but he did in 2021.

Just to be clear, it is not the age of the player that interests me. In choosing the title 37 I was just creating a little understated clickbait. If Rob VJ qualified as a European Pro and spent the rest of his working life in that profession, I'd be happy for him.

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North Lecale

I picked THOSE particular examples for a reason.

It was felt, at the time, that Alexander had the potential to develop into a much stronger player. But clearly his job at Bletchley Park took priority.

It makes sense to me that being a professional go player, in any system, would come with certain obligations. You will participate in some number of tournaments, agree to a certain amount of media access, and provide teaching games/reviews at official events. If a player cannot meet those obligations, they should not try to qualify as a pro.

But on the same token, if the professional organization cannot provide enough events / opportunities with appropriate compensation, the player should be free to maintain another job. Otherwise, with our current system, we are limiting professional opportunities to students (who will age out of the system when they can’t make enough money to live on their own) and the independently wealthy. Besides, I’d feel the same way about *any* job—when I was adjunct faculty at a community college, it was very common for teachers to have multiple jobs in order to make enough money to live. Can you imagine any other career that would only offer part time hours (and pay) and tell you you couldn’t work elsewhere? If the organization grows to where it is able to offer a decent full time salary, then it should be free to make exclusive focus on go a requirement for participation in the professional system.