Hello Everyone

General Go Discussion
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I love to play Go. Go is a Chinese game (do with that what you will. I hope you didn’t catch Covid, but it’s not related with Go). I love to play with the black stones because then you can go first. I like to do serious thinking, so I play the first game with a timer (if possible). Every time the first game goes soooo slow. Why? There is always a chance to lose. Therefore, if I can, I will avoid the first game. I will opt to play second game, knowing that at least I can win that one. But I love to play all five games, because at least I am challenging my opponent to a five game series. There are pros and cons in both games, but in the end, it’s still game to me.

As you can imagine, this is what happens when I play black stone. There is a need to finish this game before the next comes on. Therefore, sometimes I can play the very short game for a while before the next game comes on.

This usually happens on Jinteki: Replicating Perfection because at the beginning of the game, there are 2 more rounds. So it’s probably necessary to at least finish the first round before the next one comes on.

As you can see, I usually make my move on the bottom right. If I take it from the left, I can bet on better chance to win next round. If I choose to go to the right, it’s almost impossible to win first game. If I do that, I won’t be able to play all 5 games. So I’d rather play this option. However, sometimes I feel it’s too risky to play the short move because then I may be a real ko 2 or 3 points. If that happens, then there is no point in playing at all. So then I have to play the long game. If the first game isn’t won, then there is still a chance to win next one. So then I’ll go for the long game. But if the second game is a hard match, then I’d rather just go for the short move again. If I choose to do that, then I’ll lose. So I prefer the long game again.

So, in other words, my long game is not really a strategy. It’s more like instinct.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Hope this helps!

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Welcome in the forum!
Can you tell us more about what you call short and long ? Is it a special choice of move or just if you will play quicker?
If you need you can can link a demo board or give us a screenshot!

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Long and short is all about how you place the stones. Long ones are going to be closer to the center of the board, short ones will be farther out. That’s what I mean by the center.

In every game, what can I do to maximize my chances of winning? The truth is that in all games, there are a small set of moves that gives you a great chance to win. If you know those moves, you have a huge advantage. Of course, there are some exceptions, but most games have these small sets of moves that really, really matter. The key is to figure out how to win with them.

Don’t stop there though. I will give you a few more examples of things that should be considered before you start playing a game, so that you can come up with a good plan of action before you sit down. In most cases, it’s not much, but over time you’ll find that this tiny bit of preparation helps you win more games. So here are a few things that you can take into consideration:

Start simple. Don’t go into a game thinking you are going to lose. Instead, think that you will win.

Don’t just have long positions. Instead, keep a few small short positions.

Start with a long position. When you get into the second or third move, you might have a good idea of how it will play out.

Do not commit until you know that you have a good chance of winning.

Do not commit unless you know the specific move that will guarantee that you will win.

If you’re not convinced that this makes a difference, go and play and see what happens. If you had gone in thinking that you were going to lose, you might have played even worse. Playing smart can definitely make the difference between a good game and a bad game.

Have fun. If you are having fun while playing, you will want to keep playing. That’s the best way to get good at something.

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So I think long = high and short = low. 4th line and further in towards the centre is usually called high, while 3rd line or further out towards the edge is usually called low.

I especially like your game psychology:

Reminds me of this proverb (source):

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Welcome to the forums!

Are you a Netrunner player? I’m not sure what else this could be a reference to although I don’t understand the connection.

Netrunner is the only other game to give Go serious competition for my long term attention.