Minimum rank difference to teach someone?

I want to start asking for teaching games, but I know that means I should also be giving them to other people. If I’m 13/14k, what ranks could I be teaching? Pretty much absolute beginners only, right?

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While I think I can learn some things even from a player who is one or two stones below me, I think that for teaching something like seven to ten stones difference should be fine at our strength (I’m oscillating between 13 and 10k, perhaps ~11k).

I also think that at higher levels the necessary (or recommendable) difference may be lower, so a 4d might be a good teacher for a 1k. and a 9d a good teacher for a 7d, but what do I know, being a lowly DDK? :joy:

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Common advice I’ve heard is 5 stones. The differences between 5 stones is sufficient to teach, but less than that, and it becomes harder to differentiate. There’s certainly some lessons to be had by anyone stronger than you, but the difference becomes remarkably less.

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You don’t need to be a lot more strong, because the more near you are the more you may understand the question someone is asking himself at that level too.
It s just some kind of different level of teaching with different focuses.
A much stronger can point you on what he would think essential but miss a direct answer on some lower level you would have expected

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You can always post an open offer and simply let people decide for themselves if they want a teaching game from you!

If you do wind up in a “teaching game” with someone of a similar rank, try turning it into more of a discussion game. Both players can talk about their moves, ask questions, compare ideas, etc. I’ve done that a few times with good results.

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