There is not much information about the ladder(s) on OGS, and I was curious if there is any "etiquette" for playing in the ladder.

I bring this up because I recently joined the 19x19 ladder and have wanted to get myself higher up the list. I'm currently listed as a 9k on OGS (though I'm pretty sure this is at least somewhat inflated). Right now the highest person up the list I can challenge is a 22k. Is it bad form to challenge someone with that large a gap? Or is that just part of the ladder?

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KGS: schultz [?].

Challenge him. One should defend one's ladder position by winning, not by having a low rank.

The only thing I consider bad etiquette I came across was a player further down the ladder repeatedly challenging me and always losing with a short gap between games (the server enforces one week which is too short IMO) as this stops other new players from challenging me and it gets boring always beating the same player.

If I see a player far below me in rank, I'll usually choose a different person to challenge, but I don't really think that's a rule. Uberdude is right: it's a ladder--you're there to try and hold your position.

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Occupy Babel!

As I understand it, part of the point of the ladder is that stronger players have an incentive to challenge weaker players to even games, which is a beneficial learning experience for the weaker player.

This is what I was already thinking, and part of being in the ladder for all levels. Speaking of that, looks like I just got challenged by a 2k.


That's kind of what I was thinking hyperpape. There seems to be a large block of 20k players right around the top end of my challenges, though.

Uberdude - I was wondering how that worked, especially for the high dan players near, or at, the top of the ladder. Definitely something I don't want to do. No reason to annoy the people who can teach me a lot!

Thanks guys.

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KGS: schultz [?].

I have to disagree with that. If no players have challenged within that week I don't see why he or she can't challenge again. You might argue that the 1 week limit is too short given how long ladder games take and how infrequently players check availability, but that appear to me more of an inappropriate site setting than an issue of etiquette.

I wasn't referring to you illluck

I know, I think I challenged you fewer than 5 times on ladders :p

I still don't see it as an issue of etiquette though.