Ilan

Hello there, I am ilanpi AKA Ilan Vardi. You can find out more about me on my websites http://cf.geocities.com/ilanpi and http://www.lix.polytechnique.fr/Labo/Ilan.Vardi/ My e-mail is ilanpi@yahoo.com

As far as go is concerned, I started playing in February 2003.

I play almost all my games on wBaduk, which is my favourite server. Since 2004, I have played almost all my games on Korean servers, the other being Dashn. The reason I play in Korea is that the servers do no allow Undo or Escaping, and I also I prefer their board graphics, especially on wBaduk.

I also watch games and play 9x9 on KGS, whenever I manage not to get banned, that is.

April 2007, I finally made it to 1d on KGS, almost exactly 4 years after starting Go. It was 3 days after I turned 50 (gasp!) which, I hope, will be an inspiration for all those old guys out there.

Amazingly, I improved by forgetting everything I ever read, I haven't looked at a book in a year. I have absolutely no idea why I improved, except that I am a little more calm when I play.

Bill: Congratulations, Ilan! :-) I have noticed how important non-intellectual qualities are to skill at go. Steve: Yeah, congratulations!

The only aspect that I somewhat understand is minigo, that is, 7x7 and 9x9 go. If you have any questions about that, I may be able to help you. I have also written some 9x9 reviews on the Go Teaching Ladder, see http://gtl.xmp.net/members/info?p_key=1027&pseudo=ilanpi Recently, I have become reticent due to Review / Ilan's Dreaded Analysis.

My go equipment wish list is one of those kaya boards with legs, but in 9x9 size.

Aldlob in KGS?: You can ask Mr Kuroki ( http://www.kurokigoishi.co.jp). They sell nice kaya 9x9 goban (with and without legs), though are not listed in the web.

Niklaus: You mean something like this? It's not really kaya, but at least 9x9 with legs.

Yes!! Thank you for pointing it out, who cares about kaya anyway?

I continue to have deep thoughts about the game of Go, and I publish these regularly on my website.

• Linux and Go: http://cf.geocities.com/ilanpi/linuxgo.html

• Dirty Go Books: http://cf.geocities.com/ilanpi/dirty.html

• Review of La Joueuse de Go: http://cf.geocities.com/ilanpi/joueuse.html

I used to be pretty good at chess (2340 in the US) and I will write up a comparison of chess and go, if I ever get to an equivalent level in go. My fundamental opinion can be summarized in this way: "Chess is pop music and go a symphony." Oh, and I should specify that I don't particularly believe that either form of musical expression is superior to the other.

PLung: Interesting, I used to play a bit (1700 in CAN), and I know quite a few players that play both. Lasker is a pretty good example (I have one of his books!).

I have also written a website about Dots and Boxes, a game which is somewhat similar to Go, and which shares Go's mathematical foundations, see http://cf.geocities.com/ilanpi/dots.html

I have made a list of my book recommendations: /Book Recommendations

See also Period of Transition.

ptolemy: thanks for your post, I should have said more about the equant. Although, you say that the constants were not rationally related. I wonder, even with an equant, if, given the degree of accuracy of Ptolemy's system, they must be. Might it be possible to use an analog of an equant to simplify various series?

I have to go back and look up how the equant works exactly...