Friday, October 20, 2006

Blitz Go

After thinking about someone's advice for a while ("Play many fast games"), I decided to go ahead and create myself a blitz account. I know I totally suck at blitz, and did not want to taint my NannyOgg account with those games. I mean, we all know that making a bad move signifies we must be horrible persons. Heck, even worse making a bad move when people are watching, they will just loathe me for being so detestable. Go still seems to be way more tied into my self-esteem than I'd like to admit.

During my usual games, the conditions have to be just right. I set up everything so that I can have a long and leisurely game, thinking about every move, wearing the right socks, drinking the proper tea. Yes, a game can be quite a commitment. I have a few screw-up accounts around, but I almost never play them.

Blitz games were an interesting thought, but I decided that this definitely had to be a private account.

I made this new account, put up a game and started playing. I created it six days ago, and have played thirty games so far. Not bad for someone who usually plays one or two games a day. Yes, I suicided quite a few times, and I discovered that I really should get better at killing in a hurry. But I have tremendously enjoyed the variety of opponents I have been playing. I play 25 stones in 3 minutes. Blitzish, but not too badly so. Still, a lot faster than my normal game.

I play whoever challenges me first. I play anyone, question marks, guests, escapers, and worms. This is an account to get experience after all, I want a lot of games in. My guests have ranged from the 30k who just started playing to the dan player intent on killing every single stone on the board.

I have met only one escaper so far, and that was when the server was having problems anyway, so I'd like to think he got disconnected.

Most notable games:

- Playing as W against a B tengen opening and then losing my cutting stones in the following fight. I managed to come back when I killed one of his groups due to time pressure. Glad I am not the only one who messes up when pressured.

- Leaving too much thinness and bad shape against a weaker opponent, and getting punished for it. Yes, that was bad. I knew he wouldn't see it and then he did. Teaches me a lot about my own go and my own attitude.

- Someone getting upset about this being a blitz game.
Me: Thank you
Him: so fast??
Me: blitz
Him: dont say thank to me
Him: i think no fair
Him: if u have not time u can add
Me: it's blitz, it blinks when you join
Me: to show it's a fast game
Him: so u think u can finish it on time?
Me: no, i want to practice making good shape without reading much
Him: u play not good
Him: but u cheat

I usually do a quick review of my game and see where I lost the game or where I could have done better. Not a full blown review, since I don't think that makes much sense for a blitz game. But a 'when did I get myself into this mess????' kind of thing.

I have games to post, but blogger has been a pain all day, so will have to wait to see more serious games. Yesterday, I played a good game at club, experimented with a new followup on mini chinese. I have been looking at that game a lot and figuring out quite a lot of moves to improve upon.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"I mean, we all know that making a bad move signifies we must be horrible persons."

I disagree. If my worth was determined by my standard of go moves, I'd be scum, less than scum, the scum inside the belly of scum...