derp posted:

hello i am playing go again after stopping for 5+ years
pretty wild that absolutely nothing has changed on any of these sites since then and the same number of people if not less are playing. crazy

Scythe posted:

How long have you been playing?

4 stones is a decent size handicap, especially on the 13x13 board, but handicaps go up to 9 stones for a reason, and even with a 9-stone handicap, even advanced amateurs who have been playing for years and years cannot beat pro players. The skill differences between a pro and an advanced amateur, between them and an intermediate, between them and a beginner, and between them and someone who has literally never played are around 9 stones each. Go has massive depth.

If you've been playing for less than a few months, and you understand the rules, IMO you should read less (or not at all, for now) and play more. And you should play all 3 standard board sizes, to get a feel for how they're different (9x9 is all about close fighting tactics, 19x19 is where long-term strategy comes in). You'll start to see the patterns the more you play, and if you're the type to be interested in the game in the first place, you'll start to get it soon.

There is a proverb (there are always proverbs in this poo poo): "Get your first 100 losses as soon as possible." One of the best things that playing go taught me was how to lose more gracefully.

VictualSquid posted:

One of your problems is probably that the computer doesn't play in a way that is fun and educational to lose against.
If you just make a online ranked account on a normal go server you can instead play against people at your level, and win approximately half of your games. Which will teach you a lot more.
And as they say, after 100 losses (in normal games), you will understand enough of the game that you can learn more effectively.

PerniciousKnid posted:

Just beat my 6yo on 13x13 with a 5 stone handicap, I still got it.

Borachon posted:

PerniciousKnid posted: