catch22

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catch22 is the pseudonym of Erwin Bonsma. I started playing Go in Ipswich, sometime in 2000 when there was still a Go club. Unfortunately it dissolved after a while, but by then I was already hooked. Since then I was forced to play most of my games online.

I am playing most of my online games at IGS. Here catch22 is my main account, although I also play as catchy22. I created the latter for playing quicker games, but after a while, for no good reason, I ended up playing 1/10 games with both accounts. The end result is that my rating increases a bit more slowly than it otherwise would, but nevermind.

After reading an article in the BritishGoJournal I started playing turn-based Go on the DragonGoServer, also as catch22. I can recommend playing on a turn-based Go server to everyone that has not yet done so. Because you can practically take as long as you want for each move, there is never the need to just follow your instincts. As a result, I played some moves that were better than those I would play normally. Discovering these areas of weakness in my game definitely made me stronger.

Of course, another way to become stronger is to have your games reviewed by stronger players. The GoTeachingLadder is great for this. I have only had a few of my games reviewed there. I would like to have more of my games reviewed, but find that most of my games are in my eyes unsuitable. A quick post-mortem analysis of my lost games usually quickly reveals to me where I went wrong. I have also reviewed a couple of games at GTL, once again as catch22.

February 22, 2005

The only real-life games I have played over the last couple of years have been at various Go tournaments in the UK. My BGA rating is currently 4 kyu, but in my wholly unbiased opinion, I think that I am slightly stronger. I think I played under-par in the last couple of tournaments. I blame this on the poor public transport overhere. Getting up before 6 am, as is required for me to get to most tournaments, just does not suit me very well. ;-(

May 3, 2005

Anyway, after having spent six years in England, I am now back in the Netherlands. I am now living in Eindhoven, where I can frequently be found at the Eindhovense Go Club.

August 15, 2006

Hurray, I've finally gone up to 2k on both my accounts on IGS. The final game was a silly one, where at move 26 I started a Ladder, which my opponent apparently did not believe in. So there it went, all over the board. Thirty-eight moves later I was proven right. This should not really happen at the 3k level you would think, but well, there you go. At the ladder competition of my local club I have also been playing well, winning seventeen of my last twenty games, so it looks like I have indeed gotten stronger.

August 4, 2007

Still getting stronger, slowly but surely. This has reflected itself in my online ratings. I played again at the DragonGoServer for the first time in ages, and moved up to 1 kyu there. I had not played at IGS for quite some time either, but did again so today, won, and found myself rated 1k afterwards. Happy days. ;-)

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catch22 last edited by catch22 on August 4, 2007 - 22:14
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