Life In 19x19

So you're playing an even game against someone that's around your rank. You play pretty well to get a good lead. Then you make a mistake and fall behind. You're not too far behind, so you don't resign yet.

You're striving to catch up, and your opponent misses an atari on a large group of stones, which was clearly just something he overlooked by accident. Do you capture the stones, or do you give him mercy?

i take the stone.
if he feels bad and not play me anymore i dont play him anymore.
when i make mistake i never take back even it means i lose the game.
i think it should be same for all go player.

i've usually taken mercy

Magicwand wrote:i take the stone.
if he feels bad and not play me anymore i dont play him anymore.
when i make mistake i never take back even it means i lose the game.
i think it should be same for all go player.

I agree with Magicwand on this.

I admit, I sometimes show mercy, usually against weaker players ... but in an even game there's no reason not to take it. We've all made mistakes, and it happens. Move on to the next game.

I only show mercy if I am clearly ahead when he misses the crucial atari/killing blow. If I'm behind, well...I've lost by mistakes like those, so why not my opponents?

Edit: Misvoted, wanted to pick the first option instead of the second.

This has happened alot to me.

I would be playing a game and i made a few mistakes that cost me 5-15 poinnts.
i do not hit undo. nor even think about it. it was my mistake i need to learn to stop them. undo is a free pass.

So later on in the same game my oppnent makes a mistake. it cost's him the game by 20-30 points.

He spams undo and insults me(yes i had one who did that calling me a $$$$ cheater etc.etc.)
i do not understand why in a ranked match you would hit undo. if you do not see it. it is your own fault. not your opponents.

now in a free game that is another story

When playing casual games, I play to have fun. Winning by such a stupid mistake of my opponent is not fun for both. Mistakes should be meaningful in order to learn something.

Winning is not everything.

If it were a club game or free online game, I'd probably show mercy.
If it's a ranked online game or a tournament game then definitely not.

"Mercy is a sign of weakness"

If it's a game against a friend, someone I play often, I would probably give the person an undo (if it's some sort of dumb self-atari or something). Otherwise, I'd take without hesitation.

Kirby wrote:So you're playing an even game against someone that's around your rank.

In an even game I would almost certainly capture the stones. But most of my club games are handicap games, and I would be more inclined to offer an undo in a high-handi game than in an even game.

Absolutely take the stone. I've never requested an undo online or in person. I've taken back a move only in a teaching game when the stronger player teaching me wanted to correct my mistake (for teaching purposes, obviously).

We all should learn to play carefully.

Yes, if it is the biggest move, irregardless of it being about winning. Go for me is about always trying to find the best move, not win - if that's capturing, I will.

Capture the stones. I think the idea that this is unmerciful comes from a general feeling that losing by a simple mistake somehow invalidates the entire game leading up to it. But this is only true if we perceive winning a game as a justification for the moves made during it. And this is the kind of thinking that makes us too happy when we win and sad when we lose. We need to learn to enjoy the game for the playing, not for the outcome.

I chose the first option, but if I was teaching someone (that would be the first time), I would point out his mistake instead of capture. Other circumstances, capture (well, if it was online and he wanted undo and his move was an obvious misclick, then I would - and have - grant him the undo)