What strength were you when you started to take lessons?

[zizicu]

Hi all,

I am 8k KGS and 12-13k IGS and I am wondering if I should invest in some lessons,
or it would be better to keep playing for a while and gain some more strength.
And what kind of lessons should I try?
Something like Internet Go School, or ask a strong player for regular lessons?
What was your experience? When did you started to take lessons?

Thank you.

[Knotwilg]

Post your games here: plenty of helpful people here with great advice. I would start taking personal lessons when you are approaching dan level. If you're serious about it, like becoming insei or European pro or something of the kind, then take lessons now and go to Chinese boot camp. If you have a strong player in your physical proximity, then maximize your time with them.

[Bill Spight]

The most difficult part of learning is unlearning your misconceptions and bad habits. Better not to form bad habits or ideas in the first place.

So if you want to take lessons, the sooner the better. Spend more time studying than playing, and play stronger opponents. They will punish many of your errors and you will pick up fewer bad habits from them.

Good luck!

[zizicu]

What I am trying to do is to get to 1 dan, nothing more.
Once there, if I get further fine, if not, I will play for pure pleasure.

[EdLee]

I will play for pure pleasure

to get to 1 dan, nothing more.

Pros work to put food on the table. Most amateurs play for 'fun' (or for pain, for some) as a hobby.

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -- F. Douglass.

Not all 1d's are the same; some have (much) better foundation than others; some have almost no bad habits, while some have significant bad habits -- this is true for most levels (even pros have different foundations, depending on their training).

( Even pros who grew up and were trained before AlphaGo have 'fixed, human' ideas and 'misconceptions' they may have to unlearn, compared to younger generations who grow up after AlphaZero... )

Bad habits are like a shaky foundation; eventually they must be addressed before further construction can proceed. The more bad habits, the longer it takes to undo them. And (in general), the longer someone goes without 'good guidance', the more bad habits and ideas they accrue (there are exceptions, of course). Thus Bill's advice. Good luck.

[zizicu]

Thank you for the answer, I get the part with the basics that must be mastered to go further.
I should do something in this direction, indeed.
Just to clarify, I meant 1 Dan amateur, not Pro.

[EdLee]

Just to clarify, I meant 1 Dan amateur, not Pro.

You're welcome. ( And yes; we knew. )

[Bill Spight]

What I am trying to do is to get to 1 dan, nothing more.
Once there, if I get further fine, if not, I will play for pure pleasure.

Please consider that playing for pure pleasure is no hindrance to improvement, as long as it is for pleasure in the game itself. As you take pleasure in the game, you will get to know the game better, and you will improve.

[zac]

My personal experience;
I wish I could have found a professional teacher to give me 1 on 1 lessons, however it proved either too difficult (with time zones) or too expensive.
I "settled" instead for internetgoschool, at around your current level. I wish that I had started much earlier. I worked my way through the step-by-step course and related problems, and feel I have a much better grasp of some fundamentals. I also worked through a lot of well structured problem books and feel that they have helped immensely. I particularly recommend Jump Level Up.
Having a professional not just show individual moves/techniques but teach the correct way to think about the game has been fantastic. I highly recommend it.
The only thing really missing has been game reviews; but now we have high dan/pro level AI at home, this can help. And there are always stronger players here to look over games as well.

Zac

[zizicu]

Thank you for the answer

[Elfpin]

Trust me, when you reach 1d you will surely strive to increase in strength--it's just human nature.

I started lessons when I was 5k and now I'm 1d KGS and IGS. It took about half a year to get to 1d, and without taking lessons in abundance. Essentially, one will implement a strategem and tenderly apply their new-found knowledge in their games. Go books do something very similar, but a teacher is definitely better.

[hailthorn011]

I had informal lessons at 14k

[Abyssinica]

Everyone is my teacher.

Jk I'm not that wise.