The Effects of Time Pressure on Skill

[Mef]

We are not measuring decision making, we are measuring game outcomes and using that as a proxy for measuring decision quality.

All fine and well, but I was talking about the (strong) players' own perspective. In the paper, also both perspectives are used. The studies study the results but the speculation / general discussion is about how the players think.

Fair enough, even from the player's perspective, I would say that if you make a poor move that you do not realize is a poor move at the time, and your opponent fails to punish it, you should think of yourself as lucky.

[gowan]

Fifteen or twenty years ago at a US Go Congress I was playing blitz (5 minute absolute time) games with a Japanese pro. He said that pros generally feel that in blitz go between pros and amateurs the amateurs need at least two handicap stones more than in slow time limits. Doesn't that seem to contradict the results of the paper since pros are stronger but amateur strength drops more?

[RobertJasiek]

Taking dynamic handicap against Saijo, then 8p, in 1999 he beat me down from H3 to H9 in 10' lightning, when I finally won. In 2002, we played a similar number of lightning games of which he won all H3 while I won all H4 games. Slow games I won most H3 games. - So I'd say it depends. If Black does not know how to win, then any handicap is necessary, quite like in amateur-amateur lightning games. If Black knows how to win, then one stone more than in slow games can suffice.