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Analyse The Game
Path: GoodHabits   · Prev: PuttingAwayTheStones   · Next: CallingOutAtari
    Keywords: Culture & History

Although it is bad to ridicule your opponent's moves after the game, it is a good thing to spend a short time discussing what went right and what went wrong - where did your opponent make a move that in your opinion deserves improvement, and where should you better have made another one. As long as such is done in a friendly atmosphere, it helps both players improve.

-- AndreEngels

This is helped by the universal habit of discussing the game in terms of "Black should do this", "White failed here" instead of naming the players or using pronouns. It objectifies the play as distinct from the players, allowing both players to learn without ego getting in the way.

-- BenFinney

Scartol: How often does this happen on IGS? Maybe it's because I'm dealing with the chowderheads in the 25k range, but I very rarely get any kind of discussion when my games are done. My opponent is usually too giddy from the win, too busy immediately starting another game, or too stupid to have a conversation about the game into which we both invested a half hour of our lives. Sad.

Alain:It is much easier to analyse a game when you are face to face than on a Go server. As far as I know, only KGS has a special feature allowing post mortem discussions of the game. It is good, but still not the same than face to face analysis.

IGS is more a "competitive" server where it is not customary to discuss games afterwards.

-- AlainWettach

I have only been playing Go since July 2003 and only on KGS. All games i have had the pleasure of playing were reviewed/discussed afterwards. After games of players around 30-21k, some higher rank player (who was watching the game) will be given control of the board and the more stupid mistakes explained and some joseki will be shown. So far most useful and entertaining.

-- HansWalthaus

I doubt that competition has much to do with it. After all, the pros go over their games immediately afterwards. :-) The software, the language barrier in many cases, and the cost for Japanese are the main factors, I think. Also, perhaps, the fact that going over games is not as customary in the West. -- Bill Spight

Dima Y: I find it hard to analyze the game after the stones have been moved around for scoring. At best, my opponent and I (both beginners) can remember a few moments where we made blatantly obvious mistakes, but this discussion seems pointless without the stones where they were at the end of the game. Any suggestions, other than just trying to remember the final arrangement?

Dieter: If you are still at the point where you can't remember your moves right after the game, obviously analysing it is very difficult. I'd say, keep on playing and try to reason your moves while playing: this will enable you to remember them better. As you become a better player, your memory of a recent game will also improve and reach at least hundred moves.

If you want to exercise remembering a game, then reducing the board to 9x9 or 13x13 will help. Decreasing the board is a humble exercise for all of us.

Dima Y: Thanks, I guess I'll have to work on that. It probably doesn't help that I mostly play online, on turn-based servers and don't finish a whole game in one sitting.

Bill: Actually, Dima, with turn-based servers it's not too hard to keep a record of the game as you go, either with software, on special recording paper, or on graph paper. :-)



Path: GoodHabits   · Prev: PuttingAwayTheStones   · Next: CallingOutAtari
This is a copy of the living page "Analyse The Game" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.