Shadowkid

My name is Michael Arlain... Im 17 yrs old... blah, blah, blah...

Um... I started playing go because of the lovely Manga, Hikaru no go. I've been playing as of January 2005 (right around my birthday: Januray 4th) and at this point (3-28-07) Im 9k KGS. I plan to start a go club at my school next year, and hopefully enter some tournaments.

Recently, I've been playing for influence rather than territory, and I've been winning much more because of it. Could that be because Im simply better when I play for influence, or because people at my level typically aren't good with fighting against influence.

Plan for making 5k

•Learn more Joseki. As of right now, I only know the Attach and Extend and the 3-3 josekis.

•Do more Life and Death. I haven't done a problem in months...

•Try to play against stronger players, since recently I've been playing mostly against people only one or two stones stronger/weaker than me.

•Get Teaching Games and review my games with (hopefully) stronger players.

Anyways... I'll use this space to put all these nice quotes that happen to be funny enough for me to remember.

Bond?: Do you expect me to speak? TheCaptain: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!!!

Impulse: hmm, 7d teaching a 30k. that's like calling in a bomb strike for a 3 yr old on a tricycle

Renoth: -_- Ruutana will you be my dog? (your better a dog than XY) Ruu: I'm a fish.

Jeff: I just hope one day, I, too, have a daughter who's as smart and wonderful as Hayley. Francine: Aww... isn't he sweet, Stan? Stan: He sure is. Next time I'm out of Jolly Ranchers, I'm just gonna suck on Jeff!

Dr. House: There's a bullet in his head. Dr. Cameron: He was shot? Dr. House: No… somebody threw it at him.

http://kgs.kiseido.com/servlet/graph/shadowkid-en_US.png My rank graph

Imagist: About going pro: you should be really good before going pro. Ability to pass a professional exam isn't necessary ability to actually win any money in professional games, so if you aren't a really phenomenal player, it's really better to go pro later rather than sooner. In any case, my real point here is, isn't it a little early to be thinking about going pro? At 17k KGS, (which is probably about 12k on the new KGS) you have quite a ways to go.

CRIMZ: That's not the only issue even. Passing the pro exam is not soemthing that everyone can do. First off, I think the easiest (HARD) one to pass is the japanese one, but maybe there are European ones... A Canadian 6 dan could win for sure giving you 9 stones, maybe even like 14 stones (no offense, I am not one of those 6dans) and it would be difficult for them to become pro, mainly because of age limits and competition. Inquire more abotu this. I have the same dream, to become pro. I dedicate a lot of my life to Go now, it is of utmost importance to me and I am very serious about it. I have been playing since about April 2006 and am about 1 kyu, but It looks very very grim for me, as I am 17 years old.... Just a little info, but keep at it! Go is awesome.