Reading or In-Game Analysis?

As a beginner, should I rely more on In-game analysis or try to read on my own, not matter how pathetically I lose, and then analyse the game later.
I’ll love your opinions.

Always try to read it yourself in the game. The more you practice the better you’ll get. Also, go problems. The more you do, the better your reading gets.

2 Likes

Thanks for the advice. :smiley:

2 Likes

Do you want to be good at using the analysis tool? Then use that :smile:

I think it has its place, but I try not to use it to determine my next move.

2 Likes

Acording to the page, you’re 23k. I think it’s best at your rank to use the in-game analysis. Reading out is highlly important, but at 23k you can’t know too well the follow-ups, so even if you read out a lot of moves, you probably won’t read propperly. Using analysis, you’ll start getting to know the different kinds of follow-ups that go after some moves, and then, when you get better, you can start reading without the analysis.
That’s only my personal opinion, of course.

2 Likes

Well… when creating a game, you can enable/disable that tool, so why not to use it if it’s enabled. I don’t think there is nothing wrong with using that and playing a different variations, you can do it in your head too, but since you have this easier way, why not to use it.
(Most likely your opponent is using it if it’s enabled, so you not using it is like giving minor handicap to him)

I recommend that you also play with analyze tool disabled, maybe even put little more time to the clock than normally since reading in your mind tends to be slower than with that tool.

And the thing is, even if you read some sequence properly, there is a huge change that your opponent doesn’t and ends up making some big mistake :slight_smile:

My point is that reading ahead is very hard, cause it also requires an opponent who does it, so more you play and stronger you get, reading comes a lot easier. Not just because you yourself get stronger, but cause you can trust that your opponents play decent moves too.

1 Like

It happened to me that I memorized a good secuence, and then, when I had the chance to play it on a game, my oponent wouldn’t know it lol It was funny cause sometimes I didn’t know what to do after his bad reply (this happens when you learn secuences from professional players)

1 Like

Often familiarity with the sequence allows you to cope adequately with unexpected responses even if you don’t end up finding the ‘best’ punishment for a given move.

I don’t think it’s cheating to use the analysis tool if it’s enabled, but it’s only hurting yourself. Reading a sequence correctly can be very rewarding; you don’t get that same sense of achievement from using the analysis tool.

2 Likes

I don’t think it has to do with “sense of achievement”. But reading is important for real life games (and games with no analysis, of course)

Well, the reason I play go is to enjoy myself, and the sense of achievement which results from succeeding in a difficult task such as reading out a sequence is, to me, one of the most enjoyable feelings in existence. I’ve never used any drugs, but I assume it’s similar to that.

1 Like

I agree with you on this one. The reason I created this topic was because I am 23k and I made a 19k resign by using the in-game analysis. It did give a huge boost to my rating, but the sense of achievement just wasn’t there. I didn’t feel like I had taken something valuable from the game…

2 Likes

I didn’t ever say that feeling good with yourself after winning isn’t important. I just said that feeling doesn’t affect your go skills (that was my aiming, it wasn’t clear enough I think), and I thought the topic was meant for knowing what of the two options is best for improving his go skills.

[quote=“Felliver, post:12, topic:4119”]
but the sense of achievement just wasn’t there
[/quote]Why not? You won using the same tool he was able to use, and he was a bigger-rank player, you should feel great!

1 Like

Are you sure most people actually use the analysis tool?

I think of the analyze tool as a step in the process. Most people, when learning to ride a bike for the first time, use training wheels. It’s very difficult to get a feel for the balance and, thereby, to progress to real riding if you can never move forward in the first place. Analysis, in the beginning, can give you a feel for reading sequences out. But like the training wheels, the day comes where it feels more like an encumbrance. Take 'em off and then you can fly. :slight_smile:

4 Likes

It’s great to use analysis tools (or the old-school tool, a physical board) as part of the discovery process, especially when you are trying to think about things such as positional judgement. Putting a variation on the board means you don’t have to hold it in memory, meaning you can do other things with your mind, such as evaluating the position in some way or another. It’s great to help you review your games.

But in playing real live games, you have an opportunity to practice live reading and the ability to synthesize all the different processes that you need in order to play an effective real-time game. This is really your only opportunity to do this. Discard the training wheels and pedal!

In ranked live games, I don’t even think that the analysis tool should be allowed. Will it stop people from analyzing with other tools? No. But it will encourage people to play without it and it will help to make ranks a more consistent measure of strength. In correspondence games, on the other hand, analysis with at least the equivalent of a physical board should be presumed.

3 Likes

I think the best thing is to first read the situation and play the best move you can. Then you might use the analysis tool to check your reading.

The first step builds your reading skills and ensures you have an emotional investment when you use the analysis tool. It is well known that we remember better when we have “skin in the game.”

1 Like

This is where the low tech of other servers (KGS, IGS) actually made me stronger than I would have been with it. (forced me to read out on my own)

I rely on it way too much out of habit in the short time that I’ve been on this server. I disable it whenever I remember to so that the habit doesn’t creep in.

Although, I do wish that the SE worked in the review mode…that would be a lot more useful, IMHO.

=P

1 Like

I think that the analysis tool is a valuable learning tool.

Reading comprises memory and visualisation skills, but also the executive decision where to read. The intuition for the latter skill needs lots of data to develop. The analysis tool enables you to provide this data to your head much more quickly and reliably. The fact that you also need to practice your memory and visualisation skills does not make this less valuable.

Singers will not only practice arias with full text, they will do breathing exercices, speak the text alone, practice a short portion of melody, and so on.

The utility of analysis tool cannot be denied. But I was wondering that should I use it during the game or after it…

1 Like