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How many games do you have within yourself?
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Author:  SpongeBob [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:52 am ]
Post subject:  How many games do you have within yourself?
This occurred to me when I had a vacation recently. I had the time and so I logged onto KGS and played a bunch of games. I realized that my 'move quality' deteriorated after a few games very rapidly and when playing the 5th game or so, I was playing like 4 stones weaker than usual.

So despite having the time to play plenty, it was no fun to do so. Then I was wondering about how many games I could play at 'maximum strength' and I found that it is only two games per day maximum, mostly only one game per day. If I restrict myself to only that many games, I have enough energy and motivation to take me through the whole game and I really enjoy playing like that. If I have more time to devote to Go, I will watch or read some lectures, or just browse the forums and follow the Malkovich games.

So my question is: How about you? You got more games within yourself? Or less?
Author:  antispin [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I also find I can only play one or two games per day at maximum strength. Perhaps three if I have the whole day to devote to go. Any more than that and my concentration and reading deteriorates.

I sometimes play many games in a row (especially over a board) but I don't really enjoy games when one or both sides are making lots of mistakes below their level due to tiredness and / or getting drunk.

Not sure how to answer the poll - does it mean how many games you can play at full strength, or how many games you can enjoying playing?
Author:  Phelan [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I don't think I've ever reached a daily limit. I usually take a break after each game, though.
Author:  freegame [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I can play loads of online games at relatively constant strength, but I don't consider internet games to be very serious.

real life weekend tournaments usually have 5 rounds, Therefore I know know I can play 3 serious games a day. After those three i'm fine with playing a whole bunch of less serious games.

voted for 3 since I'm sure that is fine. never tried 4 though
Author:  Kirby [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
This seems difficult for me to assess of myself.
Author:  SpongeBob [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
antispin wrote:
Not sure how to answer the poll - does it mean how many games you can play at full strength, or how many games you can enjoying playing?

I meant how many games do you enjoy playing.
Author:  Phelan [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
freegame makes a good point. I'm usually pretty tired after 3 tournament games.
Author:  jts [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
Two games normally just gets me warmed up for more, but these days I don't really have the time for more than one a day.
Author:  snorri [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I'm saying three for the same reason freegame did.

I'm wondering what people who are saying less than 1 per day are thinking. Is it being too tired to play go every day or just the lack of desire? I can understand the latter. One thing I discovered a few years ago is that I can't play turn-based go. I would actually lose such games in byoyomi because there would be some days I just didn't want to play a single move.
Author:  gowan [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I get tired after a couple of games if I'm playing at full strength and have less ability to focus and concentrate so I'd say two serious games per day.
Author:  Mark356 [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I can't answer this. There are some days when I just don't feel like playing, or where my brain just isn't operating on all cylinders. Some days I wake up and do tsumego and go over a couple of pro games, then play a few games, then go over some more pro games, then play some more, and never reach a limit.

I've found, though, that my attention span is about 40 minutes at once. This can be a couple of blitzes, or only half of one really serious game (in which case I would lose in the yose).
Author:  Marcus [ Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
Ok, SpongeBob indicated that he wanted to know how many games I could enjoy, so I answered the poll in that vein:

I always enjoy playing ... ALWAYS. If I could play 20 games every day, I would.

However, I don't think I often play at my full strength, as some people have discussed. In fact, my play varies up to about 4 stones either way, depending on whether I'm sick/tired or rested/healthy, or somewhere in between.

Being sick or tired never stops me from trying to play "one more game" on KGS. I've recently dropped to 3k again on KGS because of this. ;)

By the way, what's a "serious" game of Go? I personally think I take every game of Go I play seriously, but by that I mean I'm constantly evaluating my own games to try and get better in every aspect of my game. Just because I'm not playing at my best doesn't mean I can't learn from the games I do play.

On the other hand, losing streaks don't really ruffle my feathers. If I lose, I lose. On to the next game. I enjoy my losses as much as my wins, for the most part. A few of my Go playing friends think this is odd.
Author:  PROVOK3 [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
I actually realized a few weeks ago that I can only play 2 games per day at maximum strength. I noticed that when I play more than that I become 2 or 3 stones weaker. I thought previously that to improve my game I should play as much as humanly possible with my free time, but I now just go with quality over quantity and try to win 2 games every day. This is extremely interesting.

I am curious as to how players are capable of more than 3 or 4 games at maximum strength. It might have something to do with the brain and your diet. I heard that your diet influences concentration a lot.
Author:  Sverre [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
There is no option for 4-5 games per year :(
Author:  karaklis [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
Sverre wrote:
There is no option for 4-5 games per year :(

There is also no option for "none" :batman:
Author:  HermanHiddema [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
From experience, I can reach a consistent playing level for about 6-8 hours per day, with a few breaks in between. The number of games therefore depends on the thinking time.

On one-day tournaments with 30-40 minutes p.p.p.g, I can play 5 good games.

On weekend tournaments with 60m + 20s byoyomi, I can play 3 good games in one day.

At the Dutch Championship with 90m + 30s byoyomi, I can play 2 good games in one day.

Given that I also think during my opponent's time, and that I tend to walk around to relax during longer games, I think 6-8 hours is a fair estimate.
Author:  kgsbaduk [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 4:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
90 per game ... and what about 90 min per 1 move ? moves like this happens
Author:  HermanHiddema [ Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How many games do you have within yourself?
kgsbaduk wrote:
90 per game ... and what about 90 min per 1 move ? moves like this happens


The longest I've ever thought about a single move was probably about 30 minutes. And that would have been at the EGC, where time limits for 4d and up are 150m + 1m byoyomi :)
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