Go with the Flow

by Cho Hunhyun

  There were times, however, when I regretted not accepting the invitations to make a fortune or fame. They were very tempting and I am only human with many flaws. But I always looked back and told myself that I had done the right thing. No economic benefit could replace my love for Go. My gut feeling tells me that if I had those offers, I could have become disconnected from Go.

  The game of Go is played between the Black and the White, each with about 180 stones, confined to a space specifically made for the game, with a time limit. Players are conditioned to place their stones in the most effective and efficient ways within the restrictions while looking at the big picture and estimating the end result. As such, the ability to prioritize is critical. One has to be wise to give up what is not within reach and brave to sacrifice one stone for a bigger return.

  This is more than mere a game tip. It can be applied to real life. A choice has an impact on what follows. Every temptation, no matter how small, comes with a price. Resist giving into a small temptation for a bigger opportunity to be successful. Take a step back and get a larger view to see what the priority in one’s life is. The hint is in every single corner of the board.

  Release oneself from the things that tie one down. Shrug it off. Lighten the body and the mind to travel faster, longer, and further.

  Chapter 5

  Look Far Ahead into the Future

  Go players are trained to never make a bad move, which is almost impossible in real life. Sometimes one is forced to place a stone on the wrong place knowing very well that it was going to be the wrong move.

  The Price of Speed

  The standard time limit in Go used to be long hours in the past. Nowadays, the time limit is reduced to 2 to 3 hours, not exceeding 4 to 7 hours at most. Two decades ago, the time limit for each player was 5 hours. Combined with hours of overtime counting, total number of hours easily surpassed 11 hours. I still vividly remember the 1993 final game in the Kisung Title Match that I played against my student, Changho. We played 7 rounds and every one of them ended 11 o’clock at night. Those were probably the longest Go games ever played in the history of Korea.

  Even today, the Japanese are famous for playing long hours. The time limit for all three major title matches, the Kisei, the Meijin, and the Japanese Honinbo, is eight hours per player, which adds up to 16 hours of game time all together. To accommodate the time limit, it was decided to extend the duration of one round to two days. For the Japanese, it was a substantial cutback on game time considering they had long found aesthetic pleasure in slow-paced games. Back in the 1930s, one round easily lasted for three days as each player were given 13 hours.

  What is the significance of time limit in Go? Longer time limit allows the player to gain deeper understanding of the situation on the Go board. There is more time to anticipate how a move would playout to effect change in the game. Players can benefit from long time limit by coming up with more efficient moves that can later spin off more strategically favorable moves. In Japan, Go was embraced as a form of art, a self-cultivating journey, and the beauty of it lied in hours of intense thinking to reach ‘enlightenment’- or the most effective and the perfect move. This tradition of playing Go for long hours has been preserved in Japan, where it is played for 8 hours long when everything else in today’s life moves apace.

  By contrast, players depend on their experiences and intuition when playing quick games where the time limit is shorter. Despite years of training and experience, the probability of making mistakes is higher in quick games, hence the quality of the moves is more likely to be disappointing than games played over long hours.

  I cannot say which is better because it is a matter of format. Competing with one’s most meticulously thought moves over long hours is meaningful in its own way while playing by intuition is also meaningful in another way. A professional Go player must be well trained for both types of games.

  One cannot rely on intuition alone, or skill to play Go. I encourage beginning or intermediate level players to play quick games because spending a lot of time on the moves do not necessarily guarantee optimal moves at those levels. I believe beginners should experiment with the first idea that comes to their mind. They may like it or regret it, but they will gradually get the feel of it and begin to read the implications of each move, and become more comfortable and familiar with the game. It is important to strike the balance between quick and slow games because they require skills that reinforce each other.

  Recently, however, quick games have become the trend. The standard time limit in most local matches is 1 hour per player. There are also ultra-quick games that allow 20, 10 or even 5 minutes to each player. On the other hand, slow Go games played for 2-3 hours are harder to find these days. In the past, the ratio of slow games to quick ones used to be 4 to 1; this ratio has been reversed over the years.

  I understand that quick games may be the inevitable trend. For those who are used to the head-spinning speed of computer games and the smartphones will find Go games that takes as long as 5 to 6 hours an unbearable drag. With the number of Go population on the decline, insisting to play only slow games may not be the wisest idea. Quick Go games can offer the same level of, or even more thrill and excitement than computer games. In this sense, there is a pull factor that can attract the younger generation to cultivate an interest in Go. Making quick games the mainstream, however, would be too risky because a sharp cut in the time limit is prone to compromised game quality. I will be blunt. Short games train the mind to develop depthless moves and shallow tricks. There is very little ‘enlightenment’ involved.

  Underused skills are bound to degenerate. For the past decades, the game of Go has evolved through long hours of fierce thinking that gave birth to extraordinary styles; Go Seigen redefined the framework and the level of modern Go; Minoru Kitani created a new opening theory; Cho Chikun became the name for sharp and fierce moves; Lee Changho is indomitable in any crisis. It was those deep thought games that trained top-ranking players to perform at their best despite the time limit.

  The reality is quite different today. Young professional players, conditioned to play quick games, cannot help themselves but collapse when engaged in long games. They have very little clue about how to maximize the time given to them as they have never spent so much time to mull over a move.

  Dr. Bai Taeil at the Korea Baduk Association provides an explanation with his research. Dr. Bai, a physicist, tested the correlation between a player’s skill and the length of games. He divided young professional players into two groups; one was good at quick games and the other in slow games. When the ranking of the two groups were compared against each other, results revealed that players with higher ranking in quick games peaked out in performance between the ages of 20 to 22. In contrast, the other group, who played longer games, showed slow progress in their early 20s but their breakthrough comes after the age of 25, as evident in their remarkable performance in international tournaments.

  Dr. Bai believes the results of his study provide an explanation as to why Korean players have done poorly in recent international championships. Some international competitions have introduced the 1-hour time limit to keep up with the changes of the times. But the more prestigious international tournaments like the Ing Cup, the Chunlan Cup, and the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Masters Baduk still apply the 2-3 hour time limit. Korean players used to win every championship cup until the early 2000s but that is not the case anymore. Players from China or Japan have performed far more remarkably. I am afraid Korean players also fall behind in terms of the quality of the game.

  The pursuit of speed came with a price. Speed gives the pleasure, the thrill, and the excitement. But quick games have no place for vigilance and foresight. The habit of playing speedy games does not prepare one to think it through when caution is required. Instead, the disposition to rush through making a decision kicks in.

  People have become too spontaneous often these days. They put feelings before reason and allo
w their emotions to be in charge of their behavior. They act on impulse and make mistakes they regret afterwards; for example, submitting their resignation at work immediately after criticized by their manager, saying harsh words to family and friends that hurt their feelings, lying to keep themselves out of trouble and getting caught lying. It is too late when damage is done. Even if one can undo it, it may take a long time and a lot of effort.

  We live in the age of quick changes. I believe this is all the more reason to take things seriously and think thoroughly. Troubles and conflicts that happen around us could have been avoided if more thought was given before taking action. Time and again, individuals have lost candidacy for public office because of plagiarizing someone else’s dissertation, politicians have made promises that cannot be fulfilled just to win the election, and celebrates have become the center of gossip because of careless comments made in public.

  Masaki Takemiya 9P, who is famous for his ‘cosmic style’ of building houses in the center of the board, once spent as long as 5 hours and 7 minutes out of the 8-hour time limit given to him for a single move. Masaki stared at the board with a serious expression for 5 hours and 7 minutes. But why? Why did it take him 5 hours to place a single stone on the board?

  Masaki knew that the position of a single stone could decide the outcome of the game. One careless move can cause strangulation or come back as a stab in the back when the game reaches the tipping point. On the other hand, one good move can make one the winner of the game.

  How should we choose where to play in our lives? Life is long and to be successful in life, much thought has to be given to each move. Over time, one will be in control of one’s thoughts and become capable of making optimal decisions even at the face of pressing issues. Those who play with fast hands have been incubated for tens of thousands of hours, training to think through their moves. Likewise, our mind can be turned into a faster powerful thinking tool with training.

  Go Gods Can’t Have Too Much Fun

  In the game of Go, overtime counting begins when the main time is exhausted. For time control, tournaments use different overtime systems. For example, some give 5 overtime periods of 30 seconds each, some 1 period of 1 minute each. The overtime rules vary even more in international competitions, from no overtime period to 5 overtime periods of 40 minutes. The Ing Cup gives an extension of 35 minutes instead of an overtime and penalizes 2 points when the player has maxed out on the extra time. Every Go player has to play under the pressure of time.

  A player must make a move before the overtime counting ends during each overtime period. When all of the allowable overtime periods are used up, the player can lose on time. In my heydays, I rarely played under time pressure because I always managed to make quick moves. I had so much left over time that some teased I could make a lot of money from selling it. But I myself had the experience of suffering a loss on time. By the mid-2000s, the Korea Baduk Association had replaced the timekeeper with a Go timer that was to be self-operated by the player. On several occasions, I forgot to press the button right after making my move, which resulted in my defeat on time. Unlike the younger players, older players like me embarrassed ourselves by making unbelievably ridiculous mistakes before we became comfortable using the timer clock.

  I recall humiliating myself by losing on time. It happened twice in my entire career. I was mortified not because I was clumsy with the timer clock, but because I had used up all of my overtime chances and still clueless about what to do. It was bizarre. I remember hearing the timekeeper saying, “This is the last overtime counting. One, two, three….” I was supposed to put my stone when I heard the voice counting “… eight, nine, and ten”, but I froze – I could not think nor even lift a finger and I could not explain why. The press blamed my age but inside, I knew that I had just given up the game then. There was no way a professional player could justify it.

  Sometimes I wonder what it would be like playing Go without a time limit or overtime counting. But I shake my head sideways without giving it a second thought. A match must be fought within the given time. Without a time limit, no one would make a move until the best move comes to one’s mind. It would literally take dozens of days to finish a game, turning it into a never-ending pastime of the immortal Gods and Goddesses. In fact, there was a time when the time limit was overgenerous in Japan. Until the 1930s, Go was an extremely slow-paced game. A case in point was the 1938 Honinbo Shusai versus Minoru Kitani game. Shusai was the 21st and the last heir to inherit the ‘Honinbo’ title of the Honinbo House, one of the major Go houses in Japan that survived until 1940. Shusai and Kitani were each given 40 hours but it took 158 days to finish one round as it was frequently disturbed by Shusai’s poor health condition.

  In Japan, a sealed move was used whenever the game went into recess. The next move to be made would be sealed in an envelope and played when the game resumes. The purpose of the sealed envelope is to ensure none of the players know the board position when it is their turn to make the next move. In this way, no one could take advantage of the adjournment. The Shusai vs Kitani match went on for 158 days during which the game adjourned for 15 times, hence 15 envelops sealed. Showing enormous amount of patience to the duration of the game is typical of Japan. The rationale for the tolerance was that Go was more than a strategic board game. It was a form of art and a way of seeking truth. But, Go Seigen, who also studied under Master Segoe and was a long-time Go companion of mine, thought otherwise. He had a visionary idea which was ahead of his time. Go Seigen believed in a drastic cutback in the time limit and prudence in practicing sealed envelope to ensure a fair level playing field.

  The Shusai vs Kitani 158-day match, needless to say, was recorded as one of the most inspiring games in the history of Go in Japan. Shusai and Kitani had days to think of the next best moves whenever there was a call for a sealed envelope, on top of the generous default time limit. The Go board must have been embroidered with moves akin to the graceful works of the Gods. However, sometimes, as the proverb says, “a bad move is born from too much contemplation,” awkward moves were made throwing the board position into disarray. Strokes of genius can also be observed in shorter games with 1 to 2 hours of time limit. However, the reasonable assumption is that it was the culmination of a long-term training and experience.

  Time limit is necessary. Deadlines serve as a strong motivation for players to completely immerse themselves in the game. Besides, we only get to live for a finite period of life. In order to live a desirable life, the prerequisite is to make efficient use of the limited time one is granted.

  Deadlines are also set up as a way of making a commitment. They must be kept for the society to function smoothly as a whole. An architect has to complete the construction within the period of contract, a factory owner must supply on the agreed date, and managers of an organization must put together a report or a plan by the deadline. Missed deadlines can trigger a chain of chaos on the part of various stakeholders. Anyone who aspires to become an expert must train and practice to complete tasks on time. On-time completion is a key part of professionalism.

  To become a professional in the area of one’s interest, one must experience the very important sense of achievement of meeting deadlines. In a way, schools prepare us for a fair play. One could perhaps take the classroom experience and apply it elsewhere, challenge oneself by personal goals. There is no need to be too tough on the deadlines in the beginning. Work around what works and take it from there. Goals can be stretched gradually depending on the type and nature of the projects one wishes to accomplish. Train oneself to manage time efficiently by taking on long-term and short-term assignments.

  What is worse than exceeding the overtime is not being able to make up one’s mind about the next move. A mediocre alternative is better than being hand-tied because the game must go on. Professional Go players have made a name of themselves with extraordinary game records which was only possible because they withstood the harsh training under the pressure of time.
This is the essence of professionalism. Racing against time is the fate of every professional player. And to become a true professional, one must win the race.

  Foresight

  Professional Go players attempt to anticipate as much as possible. Some can even read 50 or 100 moves ahead. They do not guess the position of every move. But they read the positions in a way unimaginable to the ordinary mind.

  Professional Go players see images in their minds. The sequences and the order of the moves that will be played out come very natural to them, almost instantaneously. But it is not the obvious they are worried about. Rather, they are concerned about missing out on the unforeseen variables that could have an impact on their strategy. So they ponder the unexpected until cornered by the overtime counting asking themselves; how would my opponent react to my move and how should I counter back, which positions are worth keeping, and what options are there in the worst case scenario. Professional players compare all the options against every possible odds, visualizing what is yet to come. In this sense, it may be more accurate to refer to ‘reading the moves’ as ‘perceiving the upcoming developments.’

  Professional Go players decide how they wish to play the game in the very beginning. The planning and strategizing are already done in the early phase of the game. The rest of the game is spent on reducing the probability of variables associated with each stone placed on a specific position. The ultimate goal is to lead the flow of the game as planned.

  In real life, we plan our moves. Every conversation, behavior at work, and buying and investing in a property are part of the big plan we have made for our lives. Anticipating is even necessary when one reports to the manager at work. One needs to decide whether to give a written or a verbal report, or present the outcome first, or go through the process first, because the way the reporting is done can affect the manager’s reaction. Familiarizing oneself with the leadership style of the manager or knowing the manager’s preference could be helpful in planning for the optimal way to report.