ArticulationProblem/five-point plan

Charles On further consideration, there is a bit more to say about the structure I was using to introduce the articulation problem. Applying the ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny slogan - in other words, looking at how players might improve in terms of the historical process I was trying to describe - makes a fair amount of sense. So, it may be helpful to look at five stages.

• First stage ('comprehension problem') up to EGF 8 kyu: try to understand go as ruled by strategic concepts.
• Second stage ('information problem') 7 - 2 kyu: assimilate standard patterns and shapes including joseki.
• Third stage ('percentage play') 1 kyu - 1 dan: learn to play games that are not decided by middlegame fighting.
• Fourth stage ('combat zone'): 2 dan - 4 dan: improved fighting by understanding of influence, direction of play, haengma and tesuji.
• Fifth stage ('articulation problem'): 5 dan. criteria for sound play, including endgame, life-and-death, positional judgement including exchanges, correct style?, ko fights, exceptions and applications of proverbs and heuristics, etc.

Anyway, I find this helps me with what it is that needs better articulation.

Bob McGuigan: Charles, I don't understand your allocation of topics to the various strength levels. For example, life and death is important at all levels, and it would seem that winning games not decided by middlegame fighting needs some understanding of the endgame.

Charles I know - I was trying to clarify the train of thought to the point of getting something out of it. Of course, if you say '10 kyus should know snapback, and you give them strategic concepts', this looks like it isn't a coaching chart I'm producing. It's taking about 'fundamental concepts'; for example, being able to play territorially in the type of position that requires it, is one thing. I think accurate endgame is probably something else. But that's a hard case.