Playing in tournaments when you aren't in shape?

Hey, here’s a question. If you haven’t played in a while and go isn’t high on your priority list, should you still play in serious ranked tournaments? Or should you leave games like that for the time when you will train and be good?

Since EGF ranked tournaments are pretty rare, bad tournament can be a significant setback for your rank. And it’ll take a lot of time to fix that.

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Go is a game. ‘Will it be fun playing that tournament?’ is the only question worth asking, if you ask me.

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Well of course! I think tournaments - especially irl tournaments - are more about seeing friends and having fun time rather than about ranks or good results ^___^

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Well, in that case: don’t.

I found out that playing serious tournaments isn’t fun for me. I’m much too ambitious in such settings to enjoy it. So I don’t. Fortunately playing in my local club always is fun and playing online sometimes is. When it isn’t, there’s still tsumego and watching go videos.

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There certainly are lots of people that think go is fun (myself included). Some people may not enjoy it in that way (people are different - there are lots of things in life which most people enjoy that I don’t).

Anyways, I would also recommend focusing on the intrinsic value of the tournament (whatever that may be for you: having fun, challenging yourself, socializing or anything else) and deciding based on that, rather than worrying about rating.

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A tournament is not like casual games. I really push me hard to play well.
It’s nice to be sometimes a bit more focused on it …
Of course when someone wins someone else loses, so you have to relativize.
It’s a bit too stressing if you can play only one a year, more enjoyable and efficient to know your level if more.
It’s a rare opportunity to play face to face not usual players so that diversity gives you more experience. If i am not too tired, i like to play (much) more games as what is scheduled.

Because many go players are nice, i have a lot of enjoyment in the time we pass together, mostly but not exclusively playing go.

To answer more precisely, it’s hard to me to know when i enter the car (i usually share a car) if i will be in shape or not.

Last, if you feel a bit tired or bored going to tournament, did you think to organize one yourself? It’s not that difficult. Find players to organize it with you, a wonderful and free place, good cheap food for groups, sponsors, and a good spot in the calendary. If you focused as well as when you participate, you may end up with a memory for your life.

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:flushed:

Organize one?

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You can offer to ghost at a tourney where there might be an odd number of players

I consider playing to vent valid.

Sometimes I cook to vent. I play AC II to vent. It’s good for the soul.

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Along the lines of vent…

I got a “keep calm and play Go” t-shirt for my birthday. That phrase has really helped me through lockdown. When I feel like it’s all getting too much, I find a bit of Go has a wonderful calming effect.

A Go playing friend of mine agrees. He has high blood pressure and he says the calming effect of Go help to keep his blood pressure down.

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Some places to play encourage fun more than others. For instance I find that GoQuest encourages fun, by design. A lot of it is to do with attitude though. I normally give myself permission to lose without feeling bad about it, especially in tournaments, and then I find it easier to have fun.

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Tournaments require different skills than online games. The less you practice, the less you are good at that.

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AC II? Age of caves II maybe? Tell me more

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Animal Crossing isn’t it iirc… :wink:

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Assassin’s Creed II. It’s good, but old and cumbersome, so I’m hate-playing it sometimes.

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Have a break, i love watching top ama games when my go deprimes me.