Losing the unplayed game

Take a look at the rank conversion table for Argentina's 2006 Iwamoto Tournament.


This table suggests that, as a 17-kyu KGS player, I should be equivalent to a 12-kyu IGS player. For this tournament, IGS players from 17k to 11K will be matched-up in the same class as KGS players from 20k to 16k.

There are a lot of different opinions out there as to how IGS ranks correspond to KGS ranks. For all I know, this table could be grossly incorrect. For this sake of self-analysis, let's assume that it isn't. The conclusion that would be drawn from it is that I am playing well below my capabilities on IGS.

Even recently, on IGS, I haven't been able to push my rank above 20k. That could be due to two reasons.

• I don't play as frequently on IGS.
• I treat my IGS account as a "leisurely play" and "light practice" account.

Now, let's do a segue to Toshiro Kageyama's book, Lessons in The Fundamentals of Go. On page 37, he writes this (italic emphases are mine):

In the world of Go also, a long tradition of intellectual combat has distilled the professional into something that an amateur can never hope to become. A professional has undergone elite training in competition from childhood; he has learned to view every other person as an opponent to be beaten down and crushed. His mental, physical, and emotional strength all have to be fully developed. If he lets up anywhere, it will show in his performance on the board and he will fail the professional test. The realm of competition is stark.

This is no different from the mental attitude training that I received from my college fencing coach and the head of my kendo dojo. Many matches are lost in the mind before you even face your opponent. One has to muster a calm, confident, and indomitable spirit and sustain it throughout. Achieving this mental state may not guarantee a victory; but not achieving it can almost guarantee a loss.

It's still unlikely that I'll play as many games on IGS as I do on KGS; but I'd like to see what will happen if I start taking my games there as seriously.


Fuseki Quiz 5/20

One line can make a difference. Black to play.
I chose "A" because of the menacing White kosumi in the upper left.

Scoring of Last Weekend's Fuseki Quiz 4/20

• A = 8
• B = 6
• C = 10, Extending to J17 assists the two stranded White stones. If Black plays K15, White jumps to N13; putting the Black stones under attack.
• D = 2
• E = 4