Playing 19x19, should I still play 9x9?

[Longshanks]

Here I am again :)

I've been playing at least one 19x19 (real) game a week against someone
stronger than me since the last time I posted.

I've thus far managed to go from getting annihilated with a six stone
handicap, to winning one game! I guess this tells me my relative but
not absolute strength? I also don't think the handicap should be changed
unless I win more games... ?

The question is, should I still play 9x9 games if my aim is to improve?
I've found if I go from 19x19 to 9x9 I find 9x9 easy... if I go the
other way I find 19x19 hard. Because of this I'm wondering if I should
ditch 9x9 entirely?

So far my studying attempts have been limited to 'play as often as
possible'. And also solving life and death problems (I can get 75% of
20kyu problems correct on SmartGo Kifu). Should I try and get 100%
before moving to a harder set of problems?

My ability to read several moves ahead is coming to me instinctively,
rather than analytically (that is I have no idea why certain moves work,
but I've learnt (somehow) that they do, and that others lead to death).
But I guess that's Go!?

Shanks

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Post by Longshanks
I've been playing at least one 19x19 (real) game a week against someone
stronger than me since the last time I posted.
I've thus far managed to go from getting annihilated with a six stone
handicap, to winning one game! I guess this tells me my relative but
not absolute strength? I also don't think the handicap should be changed
unless I win more games... ?
The question is, should I still play 9x9 games if my aim is to improve?
I've found if I go from 19x19 to 9x9 I find 9x9 easy... if I go the
other way I find 19x19 hard. Because of this I'm wondering if I should
ditch 9x9 entirely?
So far my studying attempts have been limited to 'play as often as
possible'. And also solving life and death problems (I can get 75% of
20kyu problems correct on SmartGo Kifu). Should I try and get 100%
before moving to a harder set of problems?
My ability to read several moves ahead is coming to me instinctively,
rather than analytically (that is I have no idea why certain moves work,
but I've learnt (somehow) that they do, and that others lead to death).
But I guess that's Go!?

Have you tried 13 x 13 yet? That is a good compromise.

9 x 9 is limiting, because many of the strategic aspects of Go
are simply not present on such a small board. As soon as you are
tactically strong enough, in my opinion stronger than 20-kyu, I
think you should play 13 x 13 or 19 x 19. After all, 19 x 19 is
the real thing. That is the game of Go.

Hans-Georg

[Longshanks]

Post by Hans-Georg Michna
Have you tried 13 x 13 yet? That is a good compromise.

To be honest, I said yesterday to a friend (I'm encouraging a few Chess
friends to learn Go at the moment) that I'm not sure if 9x9. He said why
not try 13x13. Obvious when you think about it but it just hadn't dawned
on me. Also from a time point of view it probably fits in better with my
work as I usually use my lunchbreaks to play and 19x19 takes about 1.5
hours.

Post by Hans-Georg Michna
9 x 9 is limiting, because many of the strategic aspects of Go
are simply not present on such a small board. As soon as you are
tactically strong enough, in my opinion stronger than 20-kyu, I
think you should play 13 x 13 or 19 x 19. After all, 19 x 19 is
the real thing. That is the game of Go.

I found I got annihilated at 9x9 yesterday (three times) by the same guy
I played today at 19x19 and "only" lost this game 49-45 (quite proud at
the fact that I did much better). This guy is quite good so I think I
should stick at a six stone handicap. It might be an indication that my
strategy is OK, but I need to practice more at tactics.

The problem I've found with 9x9 is that if you make a mistake you may as
well abandon the game as there is no room for compromise. I had to
abandon an edge of the board in 19x19 but was able to make significant
gains elsewhere. You just don't get this luxury in a smaller format.
Maybe I need to improve at tactics but I think I should practice my
tactics on a larger board or by solving problems; not by playing 9x9.

Thanks you for the advice.

Shanks

[Detlef Müller]

Post by Longshanks

Post by Hans-Georg Michna
Have you tried 13 x 13 yet? That is a good compromise.

To be honest, I said yesterday to a friend (I'm encouraging a few Chess
friends to learn Go at the moment) that I'm not sure if 9x9. He said why
not try 13x13. Obvious when you think about it but it just hadn't dawned
on me. Also from a time point of view it probably fits in better with my
work as I usually use my lunchbreaks to play and 19x19 takes about 1.5
hours.

Post by Hans-Georg Michna
9 x 9 is limiting, because many of the strategic aspects of Go
are simply not present on such a small board. As soon as you are
tactically strong enough, in my opinion stronger than 20-kyu, I
think you should play 13 x 13 or 19 x 19. After all, 19 x 19 is
the real thing. That is the game of Go.

I found I got annihilated at 9x9 yesterday (three times) by the same guy
I played today at 19x19 and "only" lost this game 49-45 (quite proud at
the fact that I did much better). This guy is quite good so I think I
should stick at a six stone handicap. It might be an indication that my
strategy is OK, but I need to practice more at tactics.

As Go is about having more (and not having much more). A really
strong player will not maximize his points but make a sure win.

And the stronger the player, the lesser the amount of points
he is ahead will be for him or her to judge it as "sure win".

Post by Longshanks
The problem I've found with 9x9 is that if you make a mistake you may as
well abandon the game as there is no room for compromise.

Well, thats no bug, its a feature :)

On the small board you see that there is no way to win.
So you have the chance to resign and make a new game: more
games in the same time and you know what went wrong.

On the big board you probably often dont know, why you
have lost (in the sense of: "it was this move").

Post by Longshanks
I had to
abandon an edge of the board in 19x19 but was able to make significant
gains elsewhere. You just don't get this luxury in a smaller format.
Maybe I need to improve at tactics but I think I should practice my
tactics on a larger board or by solving problems; not by playing 9x9.

On 9x9 you can concentrate on making plans work ...

On the big board ist about having the right plans and
fitting them all together - and of course making all of
theese work.

I dont think, playing 9x9-Go would hurt the 19x19-abilities.
Just fitting the board-size to your time-constraints seems
a good idea.

Detlef

Post by Longshanks
Thanks you for the advice.
Shanks