Factors impact on weiqi's performance 影响围棋进行的因素

(1) Aggressive spirit

Without aggressive spirit, just reactive to each move from opponent, the result not need to explain, and you will know the consequence. Weiqi is the game of capturing surround territory more than your opponent. If you just keep reacting and each turn you end as gote without compensate with the territory, and most of the big point and critical point is being capture by your opponent, even how good you are, you are in the under hand. And will have a hard middle game and end game to go.

(2) Practical experience

When you accumulate enough practical game experience, you will start to gain "a feel" on the weiqi flow, your mind and instinct start to able to interpret "the language of weiqi" - in the form of mixed stones. You start to able to know what move is potential good and potential bad. You start to able to appreciate the Pro-game and good move within the game. Even in situation you do not know which is good move, your subconscious mind will guidance you for the better move, as learned from the past which you are not realize at that moment.

(3) weiqi's competencies

It is working knowledge governance how the weiqi game is play, if you did not know it or your opponent know better than you, off course he will have edge over the play. Furthermore, it serve as skill to help you navigate along the weiqi game flow. If you know which move is good, but execution fail, it serve no meaning. So, weiqi's competencies mastery is a must.

(4) Psychological and emotional state of performance during game play

This is also a well know fact. Our psychological and emotional state do impact our performance either above or under our actual level. So, emotional management skills do have role in any kind of game. Able to control own worry and pressure and focus mind energy and able to  concentrate into the game play is worth to build up as well.

(5) Adapting to changing and updating knowledge

World is changing and keep updating. People do learned and improved over time. If just sustain on the same level of knowledge and skill level, over time you are no get better. In fact you are get worst as time passed, since others people are improve and you sustain at the same level. Let said facing a new joseki you do not know and your opponent know, off course he can tap in the know-how for the better local situation over you.

Weiqi's competencies 围棋能力

(1) fuseki - game opening

For the game opening, it already provide varies choice of location for placement of stone and mix with subsequence moves to forming initial disposition of stone/base. The study and research on the fuseki, and prevent opponent successful deployment of intend fuseki form and overcome opponent move in prevent us to forming a good opening shape it really interesting and demand human to really use brain to think.

(2) joseki, established model move sequence

It is established model move sequence accepted by both party mostly occur at corner and side. By study it, we learned the reason for each move, and able us to appreciate the tesuji order, and local position optimization, as well as group's shape and stone efficient. Particular pattern first occur we call it new hand, then accept and start to have people replay it we call it new style. Once it become accept and become norms for particular period of time we call it joseki. So, joseki do have new and old one, as learner our study objective is keep updating our joseki knowledge, and able to deploy the right one to fit the global and local situation, and match with the surrounded stones.

(3) tesuji - skillful and clever moves

When game open mainly will touching on the fuseki and joseki application. But when move into the middle game with closer contact with the opponent stones, then the subject of attack and defense become main concern. Tesuji cover all the move concern during middle game, as well as opening and end game move. It is about fighting and defense skills, you have it or not can not be hide during the game.

(4) life & death

Just imagine, during the game play, you or your opponent have group of stones get died since without enough eye space for get life, it will not doubt have huge impact on the entire game. It is the critical area contribute to you win or loss the game. So, able to turn death situation to life for own group, or kill people life group by turning it become death group is important area to mastery as well. The skill acquired will enhance your accurate calculation on the situation, which useful in other area in your life situation as well.

(5) handicap Go

Play handicap Go with higher or lower player is a true test for the weiqi mastery. Higher player able to give handicap stones up to 25 or more and still won the game, it is true test of how good you are especially as a player who provide the handicap for weaker player. It is also thru the provide of the handicap to close the skill gap between strong and weak player to have a fair play. To offset stronger player skill by provide them with extra burden in the handicap they provided.

How much worth for the 1 handicap stone is provided? I think base on current trend for black provide komi of 6.5 points, it is subjective to said one handicap stone can be estimate worth 6.5 points. So, imagine for 9 stones worth about 58.5 points. If 25 stones worth about 162.5 points.

(6) Ko fight

When start learning weiqi, will try to avoid ko fight situation. But once know how to use the ko fight for some intend objective in mind, it is a useful skill to be mastery as well. This is why most of the Pro game will see the ko fight situation- turn the situation around, or tap in the benefit of able to play elsewhere for additional move.

(7) Yose - end game

The game will only end when both party settled on the territory, and it is done thru the process of yose. Here is about accurate calculation and able to maximize points during each yose move. The yose skill is especially importance for both party who is process equal skill play during opening and middle game, and the skill at yose will influence who won the game.

Factors impact on weiqi's next move decision 影响围棋下一着决策的因素

(1) influence/territory oriented

Player looking for influence will oriented to build up thickness and use it for attack - investment on the influence to build up future advantage. And Territory oriented player will focus on reap the "cash-in-hand" - refer to actual able to surround territory.

(2) situation judgment

of course, if during situation scanning and judge to be favor for, then adapt the defense style. If judge to be favor for opponent, then must play more aggressive in attack or reduce opponent territory able to actual surround (invasion and reduction tactics).

(3) group's shape

strong shape have edge over bad shape. So, bad shape need to spend extra move to make it become better shape, and minimize opponent utilize the bad shape as attack points.

(4) stone efficient analysis

How efficient the particular stone placement will impact on the player choose on particular location for the move. If the stone is over duplicate in particular area, it mean your opponent is split better among the entire board for stone efficient. Over heavy shape is also a waste in stone efficient as well.

(5) attack and defense

Player with upper hand will adapted the defense strategy to actualize the surrounded territory; player with lower hand will aggressive in attack in the hope of turn around the territory behind the opponent; and build the extra territory during attack - or reduce opponent territory.

(6) opponent reaction

During the game we will have few chance to place a stone and asking for opponent reaction, based on opponent reaction, we adjust our strategy either to play reasonable or unreasonable (over play) according to the opponent skills level and style.

(7) "what-if" scenario

During the game we have a lot of situation will using the "what-if" thinking, and choose the one best meet our intend objective. And this "what-if" analysis must be matching and take in your opponent style or likely move in consideration.

(8) global/local focus

Global perspective in balancing local loss and get better lead in elsewhere is important skill. Are the minor loss on local fight will contribute to the overall leading in the entire full board situation? yes or not do have impact on the subsequence move we carry out. Sacrifice stones or manage weak group (sabaki) do have importance application from here.

(9) sente/gote

Players weighting the value for sente and gote, and worth able or not for the exchange also contribute to our decision on choosing the next move (like tesuji, joseki, yose, etc).