Hi all,

I have just registered for my very first tournament. (Nottingham, UK)
My current rank (on KGS) is 8k and I suspect I will be one of the weakest players there, so is there anything I can do to prepare for my games?

Obviously, I can only play within the limits of my strength and knowledge but I often hear people talking about a strategy (or going into the match with a "game plan")
Could anyone here elaborate on the concept of a pre-planned strategy?

I would assume that you would make general statements to yourself such as: "play calm and don't get into unnecessary fights" ...for example. Or is this an over-simplistic view?

I am INCREDIBLY nervous about this tournament but if I don't bite the bullet, I probably never will. So, I don't care if I lose all 3 of my matches as long as it isn't embarrassing and hopefully I will learn something.

Anyway, any general advice for my first tournament would be appreciated!

Go with the intention of making friends with other Go players and being sociable and friendly with your opponents, rather than focusing on winning the games. I know that sounds like perverse advice, but it will a) relax you more for the games themselves, which makes the experience more enjoyable, and b) gives you lots of chance to discuss and review in the breaks between games.

Tournaments are more fun when you're looking forward to meeting people there each time, and the more relaxed you are, the better you'll play anyway

Not much to add to what topazg has already said. When you're 8k on KGS you should register as 11k, because KGS-8k translates to EGF-11k according to the rank comparison list. You'll not be the weakest player there. If you have a look at the outcome of last year's tournament, you can see that about a fourth of the players is weaker.

If you are too nervous, you can prepare a strategy. When I was around your strength, I started with 3-4/3-4 as black and 4-4/3-3 as white. Nowadays I prefer the Chinese opening. A good general advice is: read. Even if you think you cannot read very well, just try to read out the situaion every move (you will notice that you have improved a stone after the tournament), And try to evaluate your adjacent groups after each move of the opponent.

Enjoy your tournament!

Check out http://www.britgo.org/tournaments/1st.

As topazg says, try to relax and have fun.

On a more practical note you could practice playing with a clock if you've not done so before to get into the habit of 'play move - press clock' (says someone who lost a game at the British Candidates Tournament because he forgot to press his clock!).

P.S Hi Graham

Hi Andrew

There are lots of peripheral issues that can undermine you, and you can plan ahead so that they don't.

1) Do you know when the rounds are? Write them down, and keep it with you.
2) Do you know where the closest bathroom is? If the need strikes in mid game, you should be able to get there and back without losing your concentration. ( Ok, I'm sounding like an old man on this one )
3) Do you know where you can get lunch and/or dinner? And how fast can you do it if one of your games goes for a long time?
4) Do you know which rule set you are playing with? How do they handle dame?

Good luck, and let us know how you did. -JB

_________________
Help make L19 more organized. Make an index: https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5207

My advice would be to make the other player work for it. A game of go is a protracted episode, with chapters and turning points. As long as there is any legitimate chance of turning it around, keep trying to win. Not silly or time-wasting moves, but cuts and attachments and invasions that you have some reason to think may work, that are part of a plan to put together points you would need to win. Resign if it's properly, conclusively hopeless. You're liable to be playing another player somewhere in your skill level, and players at that level make mistakes that you can take advantage of. You may lose all three games, but putting in that kind of effort is rewarding. Did you ever watch "Casino Royale" the James Bond movie with Daniel Craig? In the opening scene he confronts a traitorous British diplomat (before killing him.) When the traitor asks what happened to his confederate, Bond flashes back on a horrific, long-drawn-out brawl with the man in a grimy restroom where mirrors and toilets are smashed, ribs broken and blood smeared all over before Bond finally slowly and laboriously throttles the guy. Seeing Bond's expression as he remembers the fight, the traitor comments "Made you feel it, did he?" That's what a tournament go game should be like. Best is winning, but next best is, when you resign, seeing the other guy sigh with relief and still look a little gaunt and worried.

Your healthy attitude about losing is good, but don't be afraid to feel a little disappointment if you lose a game. It is an indication you care about what you are doing.

Also, study endgame.

Keep telling yourself that "second place is the first loser," and stay up all night before the tournament replaying pro games and doing problems. Drink lots of coffee before your first game.


...or just do what everyone else said.

No.

Now that we have got that out of the way, as topazg says, play go, have fun, make friends, learn something.

Really, what do you have to prove?




I do understand. When I went to play my first duplicate bridge game, not even a tournament, I was nervous. I reviewed a couple of bridge books before going.

Here is an idea that may help. During a game, pretend that you are actually two stones stronger than your rank.

Good luck!

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

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Also, chant this:

I will lose.
As much as I hate losing
As much as I seek to win,
I will lose,
Losing is my path, my gateway.
It is my method, my clothing, my skin.
I will drink my losses like coffee.
I will eat my losses like peas and carrots.
I cannot win without losing first, and after I win, I'll lose again as sure as night follows day,
And still, no matter how much I play, I cannot lose as much as the world’s best players have lost.
Perhaps I lose because my opponents are better.
Perhaps I lose because there is more to learn.
Perhaps I lose because I am human…
But most of all, I lose because I choose to play.
I have chosen my path.
I cannot lose.

I don't think there is much to be nervous about. Tournament games aren't very different from online games. You get handicap, so you can't expect to get crushed in your games. My advice:

1. Talk to people
2. Get used to the time limits
3. Do life and death before the tournament

_________________
North Lecale

if you care about winning (and who doesn't want to win), try to be respectful against weaker players and confident against stronger ones. even if someone is weaker than you, he can still beat you if you give him a chance, and on the other hand, even stronger player has to prove his superiority to win from the even starting position.

sometimes i see an uneven game and the weaker player doesn't try to fight at all. he just starts enclosing his part of the board and his opponent does the same and though it is painfully obvious that his half is larger, the weaker player just tries nothing to counter it. then the stronger player wins by several dozens of points without having to show his strength. such games always makes me feel sorry for the weaker player and i consider them almost pointless for either one.

i have no idea if this applies to you, just another tip

_________________
Spilling gasoline feels good.

I might be wrong, but probably not.

The best preparation is probably having a good night sleep the night before, be rested and refreshed. Have something to drink and a snack with you.

Get lots of sleep, and act like you've done it 1000 times before.

_________________
That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.
--
My (sadly neglected, but not forgotten) project: http://dailyjoseki.com

Tell us how it goes!

Excellent advice.

"O sleep, it is a gentle thing,
beloved from pole to pole.
To Mary, Queen, the praise be giv'n,
she sent the gentle sleep of heav'n
that slid into my soul."

Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner

"Sleep is a weapon. Use it."

Robert Ludlum, the Bourne Identity

"Snx. Snnnnnnnxx. nX."

Ferris Bueller

thank you ALL for the variety of advice!!!
Just reading your responses has calmed me down about the tournament... perhaps my best preparation is to come and re-read this thread before I set off!!

You've convinced me that I have nothing to worry about, I will be calm and collected, play my best, and most importantly, I will enjoy myself!
(Some of your more in-depth advice will be taken.. In addition to my ongoing study of the game, I will make sure I solve a few problems and review a couple of pro games the night before...)

Thanks again, and I'll be sure to let you know how it went.

Well, what a horrible experience!
I played all 3 of my games as white (after extensive study of possible black openings) and lost them all.

Game 1 - Was fairly even, but my opponent successfully kept sente and reduced my territory bit-by-bit. Lost by 18.5 moku.

Game 2 - I killed a huge group of his stones (actually, he self-atari'd his stones) and then I played a stupid invasion which lost me the game. Lost by 5.5 moku.

Game 3 - (The worst) Made a stupid mistake near the end and allowed his dead group to live. You should've seen the look on his face when I resigned because he was huffing and puffing like a little child when he thought he was losing the game, blowing his bad breath straight into my face. Very annoying opponent. Made me want to resign before middle-game even started. Maybe it's a tactic he uses. Maybe I should man up.

I'm not going to let this experience put me off playing go altogether, but I will definitely think twice about tournaments. The games were very long, and I could feel my attention disappearing towards the end of my games.

It happens. I entered my last tournament as 2k for the first time since I was 2k online, lost all three of my games too. Use it to motivate you though, especially the final guy you played. Are you really going to give up and let people like him stop you from enjoying yourself? People with an attitude like that are never going to improve much because they spend too much time on intimidation and anger than productively channelling their energy. He didn't win because he won that game. He would win if he managed to intimidate you and make you feel bad enough not to want to play in a situation like that again. Get stronger from it and don't let assholes put you down!

I also lost all three of my games in the tournament the week before, all from winning positions. Maybe we should play each other so one of us is guaranteed to win!