Samson

Samson: I hate Go.

(Originally posted in late 2006) Played Go heavily under the handle OGSamson on KGS about a year or so back, and then stopped. I was around 11k when that happened. Came back to the game after I found a small Go club in my town. I am unsatisfied with only playing there once a week, so I came back to KGS as a budding 15k, but I am apparently now 6k. Not sure how that happened.

Go takes up a lot of time. I am way too emotional about the game. I will sacrifice just about everything else in my life to play a game. I bring Go-books with me to read at parties and dinners. I hate to lose, but I hate winning even more. Go is just a game, and I should see it that way.

(Update for late 2008) I still hate Go.

(Update for early-mid 2009) Go is now like a marriage I've been in for too long: ambiguous feelings about waking up next to the same person every day, but I know I'm too old to find someone new. Best to get to know her as well as I can.

Progress:

Oct-6: 10k

Sept-20: 8k

Nov-5: 7k

(Sometime before Jan '07): 6k

Feb 28: 5k (after not playing for more than a month?)

Early Sept: 4k Sigh...only 4 stones in a year...

Dec 1 08: 2k...2 stones in a few months, but not so bad as progress is getting slower and harder. However, something 'clicked' for me in November. After losing all passion in Go for almost 2 months, I come back back to it and find that my 'knife had grown dull.' Odd thing is, after sharpening it I feel that the blade is now honed and razor-sharp. Although my tactics have waned somewhat, I can now see the bigger picture much more clearly. I have turned massive opening mistakes into game winning strategies, I have grown unafraid of losing territory, there is little greed left in my moves (I generally ask for what is only fair), the fog around thickness has somewhat lifted and I can see that vast, vast prairie of study and practice that is there. This is an exciting time for my Go; perhaps this is my chance to finally make that break for 1D!

May 09: Fell back to 4k after reaching 2k. Idled at 3k for awhile, but now I'm back to 2k. This time, oh yes this time, is my chance for 1d. Additionally, my last update was overly romantic; I still hate Go.