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Hu's Messages
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Q: Hi Hu. I read the part of your page regarding time settings and the golden ratio. I assume this is maximizing something, but could you explain the reasoning behind your calculations? I'm pretty good at math, but never got into stuff like the golden ratio.

Thanks! JasonD

A: Howdy. I wanted the 19x19 games to be 24:00 minutes. Any constant factor in the exponent makes for a smooth transition between sizes. When I started playing with some times, they came out near the Golden Ratio, so I adjusted them to be closer. The Golden Ratio turns up in many places in nature. Hu

Icepick: Phi (aka The Golden Ratio) is approximately 1.618. Lots of information out there about it.


Hey Hu, this is Paganini (paganini@madisontelco.com) from KGS.

This question came up in a discussion in the English Room over on KGS this evening. The guys said I should post it to you in case you wanted it for your FAQ.

Q: I've noticed an odd tendency for fairly low-ranked players to beat up rather higher-ranked players on 9 x 9 boards. Why is this?

A: New players tend to be better at tactics than strategy. Life and death problems are often the first thing that a beginner learns after the basic rules. In the small confines of the 9 x 9 board there is little besides life and death tactics.

It's easy for a strong player to get a bit sloppy when facing a weak opponent on a small board. The strong player may not expect much from the weak player. He may make intuitive moves that emphasize shape and influence - moves that work well in large spaces, but not so well on the cowded 9 x 9 board. By contrast, the weaker opponent is fired up to do his best against his worthy adversary, with all the life and death problems fresh in his mind.

Hu: Thanks Paganini!


mAsterdam: Hi Hu. Thank you for your comment (and edit - J ... ai! :-) on board geography.

Hu: Welcome!



This is a copy of the living page "Hu's Messages" at Sensei's Library.
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