The implicit assumption I'm making behind this thread is that a study strategy for getting stronger may be different in the long term than in the short term. For example, if studying joseki is a good way to get stronger, it may require a significant time investment before you see results (e.g. you may have to study a lot of joseki).

If that assumption holds, what's your ideal study plan if you have, say, two weeks before a tournament. How would you optimize your study time across those two weeks to get the best tournament results?

It's probably no secret: go problems, playing and reviewing games, etc.

But I'm curious if people have different thoughts if they are on a time crunch.

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be immersed

I would take at least one weak break from studying.
I would play around 2 games every day.
I would decide on my opening strategys for black and white.
...

It's an interesting question.

I think I would change up my usual strategy a bit:
Lots and lots of easy tsumego/tesuji problems, so that my reading feels sharp, and I feel encouraged by being able to read out all the variations in the positions. Usually I do a mixture of hard/easy problems, but the easier ones are the things I'm more likely to spot in a game, and hard problems can be discouraging.

Play games, at least some of them with the time settings that I would be using in the tournament. Already I play a lot of games, but always quick-ish, 10 mins plus byo-yomi. This has become a sort of natural rhythm for me, so I would want to reset that somewhat. I would play the openings that I expect to use in the tournament. I'm more likely to play unrated games, to lessen the disappointment of losses. Probably spend more time than usual reviewing my games, particularly ones played at tournament tine settings. Usually I don't spend a great deal of time on this, as I just don't really enjoy it, and would rather play more games instead, but I do recognise it's value.

Usually the rest of my study is to pick up new ideas, primarily from lectures, but also from pro games and books. I would likely drop that completely, two weeks is not enough to learn anything significant. Maybe I would play quickly through some pro games featuring my preferred openings, but only if I had been doing so as part of my regular study beforehand.

Besides the usual, I would exercise a lot, and for the last two days before the tournament get plenty of sleep and not drink alcohol.

This was a question I faced as a bridge player.

Spend one hour each morning in a warm bath doing four difficult problems. (Number of problems adapted for a go dan player.)

Physical exercise.

Relaxation.

On tournament mornings do two easy problems.

Between tournament sessions, relax.

On tournament evenings review.

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

I am not so good at this. I have done at best 2 of the 5 things below:

1. Play games with the time control used in the tournament, especially if it is much faster or slower than your usual play. There are stories of players showing up at the KPMC not prepared for the 30+5x:30 time control because the tournaments in their home countries have longer limits.

2. Try to make sure that home and work crises are managed as best as possible beforehand. It's hard to play well when distracted. This is also easier said than done, but I feel it is still important. Even if it's just making sure the laundry is done.

3. What dfan said.

4. Try to find a cue to get into the zone. What have I done right before good games? Walk? Listen to specific music? Play a bunch of blitz? There is a lot of personal variation, but the idea is to get some repeatable ritual that works and doesn't take too long. There is a bit in Josh Waitzkin's 'The Art of Learning' on strategies he used and helped others develop.

5. Figure out how caffeinated you are going to be. Deciding to quit two days before is probably not wise.

...

and if I have not 2 weeks but 3 months:



cu in pisa