Keep It Simple / Old Page

The game of Go, we all agree I guess, is rather complicated. We, humans rely on a good deal of intuition and a bit of calculation - I believe amateurs overestimate the share of calculation in their analysis.

Our intuition in its turn relies on a couple of guidelines, such as general opening principles, proverbs or basic instinct. One learns to look for the correct direction of play and to sacrifice useless stones.

However, in our ambition to overwhelm our opponent, we often, very very often, diverge from simple, good, honest moves in order to play what we think is an exquisite move. This "exquisite move" will turn out to be clearly inferior to the simple move in a high number of cases.

Of course we can never improve if we never try out something new. Of course many fixed patterns have stuck in our head which are actually bad habits and how do we know what is an overplay if we never try out an aggressive move (or the other way around). But why try running before we can walk ?

Hm, sounds like a sermon. So be it. --Dieter

Charles Matthews Sleep with a tesuji dictionary under your pillow.

lavalyn: Wouldn't it be better to read it?

Stefan: Definitely not. Reading it in the dark is hardly possible, you'd ruin your eyes in the process, and on top you won't get your sleep and lose your mental sharpness.

Charles Matthews Two useful quotes from the Cat in the Hat: "I can read with my eyes closed, but my eyebrows catch fire"; and "it's fun to have fun but you have to know how".

Dr. Seuss Stickler -- Actually, the Cat said: " I can read with my eyes shut! That is very hard to do! But it's bad for my hat and makes my eyebrows get red hot."