KGS Teaching Ladder
In the distant past this room was called the Straw Hut. The KGS Teaching Ladder's name is also its mission statement. In other words, it's for people who don't only want to be taught but are also willing to return the favor to weaker players. You will find us in the Lessons section of the room list.
Players of all strengths are welcome in the KGS Teaching Ladder. If you are a beginner needing help, please feel free to ask! Don't worry if you think you aren't good enough to teach: even a 25k can help a complete beginner with the basics. For everyone else, the idea is that if you receive a teaching game from a stronger player you should give a teaching game to a weaker player. "The Hut" runs on an honor system but so far it seems to be working really well.
It is also a social room, although we try to keep the emphasis of conversation related to go in some way. We also have simultaneous games a lot and a few other fun things.
Table of contents |
Weekly Schedule
Intro & Info
We are trying to organize a teaching schedule whereby people will teach hopefully once a week if not more. Please check if there is someone who can teach you. Ideally we would like it if someone ranked 5-6 stronger could teach you, and then you teach someone 5-6 ranks weaker, thus making a ladder.
If you would like to add your name to the teaching schedule, please copy the format used in the schedule by other teachers. Short and specific is best and please include the rank level you are targeting.
Note: One time events are also fine. Also note that if you're interested in a teaching game you do not have to wait for any of us lazy folks to pre-schedule - Just get online and ask in the room! ;)
Time Zone Translation
Need to translate your local time to GMT or vice versa? Check out this link.
GMT is Greenwich Mean Time, going back to the days of British exploration and expansion; the baseline was the Royal Observatory, in the London suburb of Greenwich. Some people now consider UCT (Universal Co-ordinated Time) more politically correct and in military parlance GMT is Z or Zulu time.
GMT is the local time for the UK (United Kingdom), Ireland, and Portugal. France, Germany, Italy, and several others use Central European time (CET) which is GMT+1.
The Eastern United States uses Eastern standard time (EST), GMT-5, in the winter and Eastern daylight savings time (EDT), GMT-4, in the summer. Eastern time (ET) is EST in the winter and EDT in the summer. As you move West, each time zone is one hour further behind GMT; Pacific standard time is GMT-8 and Hawaii GMT-10.
The Asian countries where Go is played a lot have GMT+8 (China, Taiwan) or GMT+9 (Korea, Japan).
For Central Time, Mountain Time, Pacific Time, UK time, Central European Time, and most of Japan, during the summer months,
GMT = ET + 4 = CT + 5 = MT + 6 = PT + 7 = UK - 1 = CET - 2 = Japan - 9, and
CT = ET -1, MT = ET - 2, PT = ET - 3, UK = ET + 5, CET = ET + 6, and Japan = ET +13.
Another way is to learn doing the conversion yourself by visiting here.
Daily
Everyday at 5:00 p.m. EST.. umezawayu, gives teaching games for the 19k-30k range,, the games are even games. The discussion after will focus on answering the most important aspects of the game played,dealing with shape,, life and death, and all other topics as needed. umezawayu's other account is ozawagaku. feel free to send a message to that account as well.though If i am in a game.. please wait till the game is over. thank you
05:00 p.m.(US_EST) equals 22:00Z (UTC|GMT) -- Flower, DDK
Monday
No events currently scheduled.
Tuesday
No events currently scheduled.
Wednesday
Scartol (7k) is offering a weekly lesson on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM EST (10:00 PM GMT). I'll focus on tactics for those in the 20-15k range, but all are welcome. See Scartol / School for more information.
Saturday
YouCantWin will be giving lessons every Saturday at 7pm EST. Come to the KGS Teaching Ladder to get your questions answered:)
07:00 p.m.(US_EST) equals 00:00Z (UTC|GMT) -- Flower, DDK
Sunday
OreDa (9k ish) will be doing a Teaching game every Sunday at 10:30 Japan Standard Time (GMT +9) with Futuresai. He will be answering questions during the game, and also giving advice throughout the game to both viewers and Futuresai. Also, after the game, he will be open to play or review games with anyone between 15 and 30 kyu.
10:30 (JST) equals 01:30Z (UTC|GMT) -- Flower, DDK
Random
Derekweiqi - 4D KGS - I'll randomly throw up audio teaching lessons usually geared for single digit kyus when I'm in the mood. Please don't message me asking for reviews or teaching games unless you are one of my students.
Teachers available in the room
Monestri 7k KGS. My time zone is -5 EST. I'm available to teach 22k-30k between 2:00pm and 10:00pm if i'm not playing a game or busy working/studying.
Jared I'm on KGS a lot these days, if I'm not playing a game, talk to me and I'll teach you. My accounts are "Jared" and "meditation"
tomicus? if I'm on, <20k I'll try to help the best I can.
Flight (3k): I'll happily teach anyone 8k or weaker =D Just message me any time I'm not playing a game {which is often}. My KGS username is Flight.
Mef: I tend to give the occasional teaching game, and idle quite frequently, if you catch me during one of these idling sessions feel free to ask for a game or review (though if you are too much stronger than about 10k, I can't guarantee I'll have too much to teach)
excession I'll happily teach what little i know. I'm 7 kyu or thereabouts.
Agilis: Always happy to help any weaker players during my long stints of idling/watching between actual playing. Drop a message if you need me.
Drimgere: give me a yell if you need something, i'm usually good for a review whenever you ask, and sometimes een a full teaching game
BotanyBoy: 14k I feel confident in offering teaching to 22-30k. I'm very happy to do so almost always, since I often discover things as well.
Rykunetsu? (11k) If I'm ever on and am not playing a game, feel free to ask for a teaching game. preferably 15-30k any lower and i might not be able to help you. My alt users are Tek? and Tekunetsu?
Peterium (10k): If I'm not playing a game, talk to me, I may have time for teaching games. I prefer 13 to around 20k but anyone's good. I'll try my best to help you.
germaine (-): I?m around 4 kyu here on kgs - ask for teaching games or reviews if you like. I might also prepare simple "lessons" about topics like "ladders" or "time" - ask me about that as well, if you are interested. -> germaine is out of date. substitute is bigfatcat.
Spectrums (24k): I teach total beginners and review 28-30k games. Will do teaching games with new players. I also do problems as a group.
Passifi? (10k): I'd happily give reviews or teaching games for anyone between 15-30kyu. Just send me a message when I'm online.
Griffin (5k): I sometimes teach in the Teaching room, but I will start teaching in the KTL too. Feel free to ask me for a review or a teaching game.
qian (1d): I'm a newly appointed Teacher on the KTL. Ill be more than happy to play T games ranging from 10-20k. I prefer to use a mic but sometimes I type when I have to be quiet =P.
Karamfil: I like to teach, so if you are polite and at least solid 29k, just message me.
Omnipeon? (2k): I am always happy to teach any players from 6k to 30k if I'm not playing in a game. Whether you need help with your opening (joseki), want a teaching game or need me to look at one of your games. Feel free to msg me.
HamatoYosh : Anytime I'm not playing, send me a message and I'll be glad to play in a teaching game or review a game of yours or just answer questions.
Enz0? (4k) If I'm online you can ask me for some help and I will try to explain has best I can in English.
sjd123 (12k) I'll teach anyone 20-30 kyu, or review one of your games. Just send me a message anytime I'm on and not playing.
Tas (3k) Feel free to ask if I'm online. KGS nick: Tasselhof. Once in a while I offer teaching games actively. Mostly I just join in if a game is being reviewed or requested reviewed in KTL.
Jo55p (11k) I feel confident teaching anybody from 30k to 15k whether it be through playing a game or reviewing one you've already played. Feel free to message me whenever I'm on or drop me an email: raciallyslurred@gmail.com
Rii Namuras (15k) I'll teach anyone who asks. KGS: reenamuras
TheClam (10k) Im always up for a good game review
leviathan (13k) I can offer help for under 17k, english french or german
sjbcastro (5k) I'd be happy to arrange a teaching game or simply review one you've played, in English or Spanish. Feel free to email me at sjbcastro@gmail.com
UTDEspy (1d) I'm happy to offer teaching games to 6-15k when I'm on. I prefer to give audio reviews so please let me know if you don't have speakers.
LordVader (1d) I specialize in joseki. Also I archive all information on the following website: http://www.BruGo.BE . If you've got a joseki problem, just ask.
CGBSpender (4d) I can review games, often play Teaching games, give pointers. PM me if you need help.
HorizonX (12k) Happy to offer teaching games or reviews to 16k and weaker. GMT-6, just msg me when I'm not in a game.
Michael77 (15k) I'm always happy to help those who are new! Those people I've gotten reviews and teaching games from have helped me tremendously, so I'd really enjoy helping the cycle continue
ssgwt? (2k) I am happy to help those 5-10k when I'm avaliable.Please feel free to send messages to me for playing a teaching game or a game review!
Misc
Discussion
Drimgere all right, all the extra stuff is gone. in answer to Reuven's question: i prefer ppl who want to teach post themselves up instead of having ppl request lessons, for one, it's more polite.... and secondly, no one really likes being asked for a lesson when they are tired, working or playing other games.
if ppl would bother to put themselves on the schedule for times they'd like to do reviews and games, then interested parties could show up at those times.
There's no easy way to please everyone, especially with such loose organization, but it seems that to get everyone motivated takes a lot of continued energy, and includes pestering a lot of strong players, I don't have the time to do this. I have noticed a large number of SDKs (3-9 kyu) teaching DDKs (12-19 kyu) and hopefully we can work on that, if the ladder can be a place for intermediate kyus to go learn, it would be a nice niche
Dronak: Out of curiosity, how current is the weekly schedule of events higher up the page? Some of them sound like they may be useful to me as a total newbie, but I'm not sure if people's availability has changed since they added a scheduled event here.
leu: There shouldn't be bots in the KTL.
How to find us?
- Step 1 - Never been on KGS before?
- Visit the KGS website, where you can download a client for KGS.
- If you're new to the KGS, enter a nick (any nick, you would like to log on with) and click on "Guest".
- You will land in the "English Game Room".
- Step 2 - Where's the "KGS Teaching Ladder"?!
- You will find a menu called Rooms at the top, click on Room List under it.
- Open the category called, Lessons and enter the KGS Teaching Ladder!
- Step 3 - Enjoy! ;)
Related links
We need a new monthly event! Have one in mind? Visit the Ideas page to see and/or post new ideas!
Also see the monthly challange game archives.