JG

My name is John Green.

I learnt go at work in 1973 and reached 1 to 2 kyu at the London Go Centre.

In 2001, I wrote the customary incredibly weak go program (in C++). I got far enough to realise I should have researched the field first and then to realise I'd never understand the field.

Update in April 2013

I mostly stopped playing in 1979 after the London Go Centre closed, mainly because of sleepless nights obsessing over defeats.

I started playing again at the 2012 Trigantius tournament. I entered at 2kyu but after 11 over-the-board tournaments, my rating has settled down at 4kyu (EGF). I also play at the Leamington Go Club, where most other players are stronger.

Defeats still cause sleepless nights, but now that I am retired and the kids have left home that does not matter so much.

Despite advancing years (64 in March 2013), there are some some signs of improvement recently. How does it feel to improve at Go? In my case, it means that when a particular shape or situation occurs, an inner voice says "I've seen this before and know what to do." Of course, this inner voice is often wrong... Improvement also means managing to think at a larger scale, even during local fights. The necessary cost is that one's reading must also be correct (or at least, better than the opponent's) over that same larger scale.

My ambition is to get back to 2kyu. Dan levels are out of reach because of lack of talent, failing memory and difficulty in maintaining concentration at the end of a long day travelling to a tournament and playing.