Greetings go gods and goddesses! Weiqi warriors! Baduk badasses!
I am a novice player, but also interested in the game of go on a theoretical / mathematical level. I don’t just play for fun, but I do have fun playing. I have been playing go for a little over 1 year and I would like to start helping absolute beginners improve by reviewing their games if they request it.
I am only ranked 17k ; should I improve my own game before I start helping others? If so, what rank is considered “good enough” to review beginner games (for example 22k vs 24k)? I would hate to give bogus advice, especially to new players.
There is no barrier to helping weaker players. But there’s a certain humility that comes with reviewing. Even at 2d I refrain from making objective pronunciations, eg. This move is wrong, or This idea is bad. I prefer to make subjective observations. I’ll tell them This move is questionable, or This idea is interesting, but did you consider other ideas? How about this variation? You get the idea.
If you apply general principles (so called Go proverbs) you might even review at a higher level than your own play. Concepts like Corners-Sides-Center and Bend at the Head of Two or Three Stones and Play in the Open Areas First and Hane Before Placement are pretty universal and will be dan-level ideas whether you know how to follow up or not. You can also correct joseki and pattern mistakes for the ones you know.
As long as you stay open to the idea that your evaluation could be flawed, you’ll be fine. But that’s true for everyone, you know? Just try to be yourself.
I was 15k when I formed my Go club. Taught somewhere around 100 people the rule of Go and about 1/3 of them are SDK now. Teaching is a good way to improve, and you can always teach and learn from people both stronger & weaker than yourself
To be honest, even reviewing players of your own strength is not a bad thing to do, even higher levels (but now we usually get into, if your thoughts might worse than the moves played)… as long as you don’t claim to be stronger than you are is any review, of any game a source for thought and reflection of the game
