28: Following Principles to True Understanding

Do you ever wish you could follow a simple set of rules and win every game of Go? Unfortunately, that's now how it works. How do we convert our following of basic principles into true understanding of the game?
Ryan Li vs. Alex Qi Misclick Game: online-go.com/game/61717943
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[@hirohiigo]

Hi, I'm not really an igo player, but a shogi player, but the cultures and attitudes of both games are similar enough that this is still a great podcast to listen to, especially since it doesn't require any technical knowledge of igo or a goban to stare at. Thanks for giving me something to listen to on my commutes every week!
I think the answer to the question of principles vs understanding is universal to all games and skill sets. As a visual artist, it was pounded into my head that you must learn the rules before you can break them. The same is true in shogi, and I must assume it's the same in igo. Before you can really flex your creativity in your moves, you need an understanding of why your creative moves can or will work, otherwise it's no different from just playing without thinking. That being said, there's no one path to understanding those principles. Some people are formally educated and are taught them, and some will throw stones at the board until they learn the principles naturally. I don't think the method for getting there is important as long as you eventually reach an *actual* understanding of the game.
By the way, in a previous episode, you said igo players hold their stones different from checkers because they have softer edges, but we hold shogi pieces the same way as igo stones and they're often even sharper than checkers pieces!
Keep up the good work, I love listening to this podcast every week.

[@marekk3354]

My favorite level of "bad" in review is "such move does not exist" :)

[@starpointbaduk]

That’s true, Go teachers always say that 😂

[@godkingcthulhu138]

🐙