Zelda's Alternative Go Theory

Throughout my short period of learning in go, I have come to believe there is a whole other level of factors that are played in the game of go than mere black and white stones.

First of all I would like to thank the following people for marking my playing in go:

LadyKaterina from Flyordie go server who was the first person I played on a 15 x 15 board and won my first game back in January 2007.

Summergenius from Floyrdie server for being the first in teaching me how go was played and what josekis and fusekis are ^^.

Sakae from KGS go server for being my best friend and being a reliable friend (although considered an "outlaw" in the ethics of modern go philosophy) who helped me out improve back when I needed support and was down emotionally and was about to quit go following the death of someone I knew and was like an idol for me. (of course he doesn't know that yet, since it's probably the first time I talk about it)

Zureiyaa from KGS go server for teaching me go is not about luck but about solid play. Thanks "zure" :D (not zuzu jon! :p)

Of course to all my friends that I chat with regularly I think you all contributed to me writing this too, yes jon6660, yes honagan, yes my rengo partners and company etc :D

So here we go:

THE ALTERNATIVE GO THEORY, BY MITSUOMI

How to explain this in a nutshell, well, there are several factors in go which decide a game, which we will here discuss, but there are also other factors related to the outside world and energies which account in the game.

There are however a few basic factors:

1/ ACTIVE THINKING, one may not think away or play at random in hopes of sucess.

2/ KNOWLEDGE, not only joseki knowledge is essential, you also should check as many games of the other player you are playing the game, if possibly before the actual game.

3/ DETERMINATION, you will not win in hopes of losing or thinking of failing; having low spirits is a key factor in losing and winning.

Those factors are factors which other people will list. Now let's actually see the real factors people omit listing.

Part 1 This will have to be divided in six main factors and an abstract factor:

• 1/ The Supra factor
• 2/ The Human factor
• 3/ The Personality/Aura factor
• 4/ The Win/Loss factor
• 5/ The Domination factor
• 6/ The Opposing Energies vs. Harmony factor
• 7/ The Divine factor

Part 2: This is just about specific case examples and how to use these factors in application.

PART 1: THE 7 FACTORS

1. The Supra Factor

This factor in the game of go first came to my mind when my friend Sakae told very boldy that his wins are based on luck°. This followed was followed by a series of lol's and disregards by other players whom thought that skill was the only factor in deciing the game. Sakae did however hold a certain degree of truth in his point. There are factors other than the main 3 factors that decide a win. I took this example as he has one of the most random win/loss records, defeating 2-4dans and losing to 3 or 4 kyus sometimes. His wins and losses do prove something ( he must study go more ;) but! ) he has another skill that some 4 dans do not have. I style that skill: The Supra Factor.

This factor is often decisive in games. As the human is not a computer. This can be labeled as a type of surprise effect, but the brain doesn't have a ful control of it.

How does this happen? For example, you play a game and the position lists you losing in all odds, all of a sudden after a sequence high level players label as overplay, you somehow pull through and gain the upper hand for the rest of the game allowing you to mysteriously pull a small margin win.

This factor I believe is based on many things, like the physical energy, the mental/emotional feeling, the time and space, and it is closely connected with the determination one has. Players that can use this gain a certain momentum that is decisive. Also I heard from several people that music helped them develop a certain strenght at this by listening to music which made them go into some heart burning/ dazzling emotion or something like that which I believe does make some sense on the determination scale. I also heard scientists regarded the music you listen to, to have an effect on your heartbeat, and this whole sense of rhythm adds a lot of logic as the timing is one crucial point of this supra factor, meaning that if you play your moves at a certain moment you simply will have a better outcome than playing them earlier or later, and I do not mean you could naturally develop this since it would mean being able to read the other player's mind and soul...

2. The Human Factor

This is a bit less important I believe but this factor is your capacity to judge, make decisions that are liable to yourself. Basically this factor is about keeping your plans set, and not account for every variable change which will come through the game. Like, you won't be changing your hope to make a group live just because its 1pts less than one other move. So unlike computer, people should rely on planning humanly instead, because you will feel much more satisfied playing the moves you want to play.

3. The Personality/Aura Factor

This is the part where you might start believing I am some kind of spiritual mojo but oh well, I believe this is a factor too and it's very important in my opinion to distinguish this.

Have you ever noticed people are different? No matter what they do they just won't do things the ways others do? Alternative studies on human character discuss an abstract concept of aura, it is not recognized by psychologues often but it does make a lot of sense.

First of all, people all have an elemental color base in the energy they reflect. There is ways to find it even by the internet, without looking at the person, but just knowing them well enough.

Here are the main characteristics for various colors;

Red: A person with red aura may be strong willed , have a shorter temper, may be more warfaring than peaceful and may like to start provoking when feeling weak. Often, red aura people are full with pride and egocentrism; and this is in a large number of cases. The good aspect is they are often friendly people when their aura shine to pure red. They are compatible with yellow and white aura This is the highest probablity of people in our world. ^^

Blue: A person with a blue aura may be peaceful and like compromises, it epitomizes spirituality and freshness of spirit. Although peaceful, they prove to be incredible opponents when trifled with. In bad cases, they are people with simple and irrational moods, often critical but never mean. They are compatible with green and white aura. This is the second most likely aura on earth.

Green: A person with green aura loves is caring and very natural, simple in action, rational and interested in others. They are good friends, but can be cynical and ironical in bad cases. The green aura is hard to mix with red and it often provides a strange feeling when green and red combine. The green aura people are compatible with blue.

Yellow: A person with a yellow aura is rather fast paced and has a strong will but is not as warfaring as red aura, and not a peaceful a blue aura. Providing a mix of both, it is still closer to the red aura and can be a good friend with green too, provided the yellow doesn't reflect unruliness and lack of understanding.

Orange: A person with this aura will have an original character and will be a moderate blend between a person having a red and a person having a yellow aura.

Purple/Violet: A color which blends blue and red at and equlibrium point. This kind of person may change their mind easily, but will provide a wide range of solutions in their analysis of any situation. Compatible with any of it's base colors.

Pink: A rather feminine color, a person with a pink aura reflects elegance and style. In go I believe that type of player will tend to chose eloquent and original moves.

Brown: The aura of strenght and nature, a person with a brown aura will be calm and certain of their actions. In bad cases they will be mean but not evil. Compatible with any of the color auras except blue and red.

Black: A negative aura, it may symbolise stenght in a brutal way, it may be a sly aura, it may be a weak willed-yet a villain's aura. The aura of people who destroy is black. Although by this means the attitude will also be repugnant as the person's soul and actions, it is hard to notice because everyone has a dark side inside them.

White: Anyone who attains the divine knowledge about any subject is said to have reached the perfection state of white color, although I believe this is an overrated concept. A white aura person is the antithesis of the black aura person and will reflect in clash of will. The white aura might not win but the attitude it has towards the loss or victory is more reasonable than the black aura person.

Again these two are both part of people, like are light and darkness.

Special Auras:

Silver: A person who aims at being with justice is often associated with silver and is usually a good person, although the silver aura falls under influence of the gold aura rather easily.

Gold: This aura is the aura of kings, the aura of a person who dominates in something will be of gold. But this may also be the the color of a mean dominator. Such as a bully or a high autority. (like our dear kgs moderators! :D bwahah had to put it, since the can't do much about it here :p)

4. The Win/Loss Factor

This factor is simple people that lose will be angry and sad in most cases. People that win will be happy and laid back, while gaining confidence, which is never too good. Thence, what a person should do is keep a reasonable and serious attitude about this and not be at the extase of joy and happiness following a victory. I admit though that it is not an easy thing to do, but it is a way to show respect.

5. The Domination Factor

Very short, this is just keeping yourself at bay of domination. Do not let anything influence you, search for solutions, if in danger, retreat is never too bad, but a hero fights on, so do not lose hope, if dominated or dominating always account for variable change.

6. The Opposing Energies vs. Harmony Factor

My last serious factor, this is about you keeping in knowledge that everything has two faces, and maybe even many more.

Some people will provide you with happiness and some people will hurt you with their actions. In go, a person seeking a clash will make you want to defeat him, a person seeking harmony will create a balance and understanding. Often playing with blue aura people creates this harmony to a certain degree, but again it all depends of compatibility. People should never look too far to find solutions. They all are in front of us. All you have to do to become a better person is to react in the most reasonable and friendly way as possible and a whole world will open up.

7. The Divine Factor

Well if you have this in you then you are a great person, it's simply something that is reserved to a moment a space in time. This is the least likely factor to establish in life. It comes from very specific moments. You will realise it when it happens.

PART 2: BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS

Basic Pattern for Endgame #1  

Often I've seen this happen and it is a rather normal case of a "second line dangerous move". Basically, you should lose no time and find another shape similar to it, where you can play a move like 1 yourself, notice that there is a big chance that he will play 3 no matter what you do, so make sure you find some other bigger move on board, and gain all possible attack moves, because if they are larger than this then defending here will not be ass important, since the other player will likely defend the bigger move himself. Like that you might gain what I call a "short upper hand"

Basic Pattern for Endgame #2  

If this corner was the last place to play on and you had to reduce, you might play a move like 1 thinking it is the best move so far, however.it is no different than a. As a matter of fact, a is better, as that move builds the shape and doesnt simply reduce. This shows that the human being is destructive by nature, yes as one should focus more on gain than simple destruction.

Basic Endgame Pattern #3  

I see this happen a lot in low kyu games, in fact this is a disastrous way to manage defense as the stones will die if you simply fall for the dominating behavior of the other player. (This is for low kyus)

Basic Endgame Pattern #3  

Instead you should focus on what is defendable.

Basic Endgame Pattern #3  

It goes a bit like the chaos theory :), most problems come to the same answers when played nicely with.

tapir: Hi Zelda, you're of course correct that the first variant for pattern #3 is bad for white and this is the type of trouble happening to beginners, but the better way you give for white are still not optimal. Look at in the last diagram. It doesn't achieve anything. So white gains sente to play somewhere else by playing tenuki. If there is no other move White can as well play directly. If White plays tenuki , W at a, is a small 1 point gote play/sequence later in the endgame.