Tips to improve at Go (Baduk, Weiqi) – Study Group

Reviewing

Reviewing your games with a group can bring in ideas you may not think of on your own. Learning to discuss your games clearly also helps you improve and consolidate what you are learning. As you and the others in your group learn new things, you can combine those ideas and learn faster than if you were learning alone.

Rivals

Another benefit of being in a group is that you do not want to be left behind. That pressure can motivate you. When you see one person improving, you want to keep learning and keep up. I have long viewed TritonBaduk as a rival, and that motivates me to work harder. If I see him working on something, I want to work on that same thing, but harder, so he does not pass me in that area.

Emotional support

Being in a group can also help when you are feeling down. They can encourage you to keep going and not give up. You need to find a better group if they do not do this. I had times when I felt I could not improve or wanted to take a break or stop playing. Then TritonBaduk told me how much he was improving and how he would be better than me if I stopped. It made me try harder, and I eventually overcame that wall holding me back.

They tell you when you are wrong

The best kind of friend you can have is one who will tell you things you do not want to hear. What you want to avoid hearing is the barrier to the best growth. If you get too comfortable with something and someone in your study group tells you that you need to be doing something different, and this makes you think about it, then that is a good thing. For example, if you have a joseki or a way of thinking about a position that you feel is good, and someone in your study group can challenge that or tell you it is not that good. If you can accept that, think about it, and admit when you are wrong, this is the best way to improve.

Let me know what you think about study groups and whether you are in one. If you are, how has it helped you?