The Phoenix Go Club

Today, Holly and I went out to the Phoenix Go Club's Saturday meeting. With my schedule, I will be able to go every other Saturday, which I am excited about. There were a few members there: Bill, Richard [5k], Kyle [10k], Michael, and Wes [4k]. Those are their American Go Association rankings. All the people were very nice. I played a nine-stone game with Richard, and lost roughly eighty to six moku. I then played a nine-stone game with Wes, and lost about sixty to twenty-five moku. Holly watched my first game, and then played a teaching game with Kyle with a nine-stone handicap. We both had a lot of fun, and are excited about going back!

One important thing that West taught me was the way to prioritize my thinking. He said, and I am paraphrasing, "Before each move, think: one, do I have weak stones, if so, make them stronger; two, does my opponent have weak stones, if so, attack them; three, if there are no weak areas, then secure more territory." This was a great piece of advice, as I often have a hard time wondering what is most important.