Analyze your games #

Just like playing games, getting feedback from a stronger player on your game is a crucial element for progress. We can call them a mentor, coach, or more experienced player; we will call them a teacher for simplicity. Game review, game commentary, and game analysis are the same thing: spending time with a teacher who looks at the game and gives you their perspective.

Why have your Games Reviewed? #

Humans are not very good at self-analyzing and finding their own strengths and weaknesses; and a player who cannot understand their own mistakes is doomed to repeat them. That’s why reviewing your games is crucial: you will then know what to focus on for your training. Maybe you need to improve your reading? Or perhaps you’re not aggressive enough in the mid-game? Adjusting your own game is a permanent quest, regardless of your level. Furthermore, discussing with a teacher can open up new perspectives: there are moves one might never think of on their own.

Using this learning loop will allow you, among other things, to:

• correct your bad habits
• implement new strategies
• know your strengths
• know your weaknesses to work on

Finding the Right Teacher #

If you have joined a club, maybe someone will be willing to help you. Otherwise, if you are willing to spend money, there are many very strong or professional players who offer their services. You can inquire on online Go teaching platforms, dedicated forums, or by asking for recommendations within your communities. In any case, your teacher should be significantly stronger than you, with a minimum of five stones difference between you and them. For example, if you are 6 kyu, your teacher should be at least 1 kyu, and ideally even stronger. If your level approaches 3 or 4 dan or beyond, your teacher should be of professional level.

You will sometimes see two types of reviews offered: live and offline. For the offline game review, you send a file with your game to the teacher, who returns it annotated with their comments. If you have difficulty communicating, offline reviews might be simpler for you. Live reviews are generally done via voice chat. The advantage of live reviews is that you can ask questions as they arise. Feel free to experiment with both types to find what suits you best! A good teacher will strive to adapt to your needs and offer personalized advice. Maybe not after the first review, but you should quickly know what you need to train on and what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Finally, don’t get overly attached to your teacher. Changing teachers can help you overcome a plateau or open up new horizons.

The Recipe for a Successful Commentary #

Before the Commentary #

First, choose a quality game. Tournament games are often the best to analyze, but a slow game, even online, can be just as valuable. Avoid analyzing a fast game; the quality will likely not be there. People generally tend to analyze lost games. This is not an absolute rule; it is sometimes possible to analyze a won game, for example, if you turned around a disadvantageous situation and would like to understand how you ended up in that situation. But you will learn less from a game you easily won than from a difficult loss.

Whenever possible, try to review the game shortly after playing it. Also, don’t hesitate to review the game alone before the commentary with your teacher, so you have the key points in mind when you arrive. This will allow you to prepare your questions and identify the moments you think were key.

During the Commentary #

Remember that you are here to progress, and everyone makes mistakes in Go. It is therefore very important to come to the game review with an open and receptive mindset, and not to take criticism personally.

After the Commentary #

Try to briefly note down the points to work on. If the review is recorded on video, don’t hesitate to watch it again a few days later. Now you must try to apply what you saw in the commentary in your games!

Using Artificial Intelligence? #

Your use of AI should depend on your level:

• You should not use AI below 10 kyu,
• Between 10 and 5 kyu, AI can be useful for getting an overview and identifying major mistakes, but without delving too deep, as filtering through different variations can be difficult,
• From 5 to 1 kyu, AI starts to become truly relevant, as you will be better able to interpret its suggestions,
• For dan players, AI becomes a valuable tool, as your solid foundations allow you to sort through and better understand its advice.

Don’t run your AI right after the game! Take the time to do a personal analysis first, even if it only lasts a few minutes. Mentally note the important moments of the game, what you think were the good and bad moves, and the questions you asked yourself during the game. This will allow you to better compare your thoughts about the game with the AI’s teachings, thus improving your learning.

Artificial intelligence can propose an almost infinite number of variations, so don’t get so absorbed that you lose sight of the essential points of the analysis. Try to understand the AI’s suggestions in a simple and direct way. Sometimes, it will suggest moves that are beyond your comprehension. This happens even at very high levels. In these cases, there is no point in spending too much time trying to understand these moves, or even worse, learning them by heart. You have to accept that sometimes, the AI will play good but incomprehensible moves. You should not be inspired by them, because it is not good to play moves that you do not understand.

Finally, while AI is an incredible tool, it does not replace a human teacher who will better understand your needs and be able to advise you personally. The two are complementary.

Key Takeaways

• Reviewing your games with a significantly stronger teacher is crucial
• You must remember the points to correct and take them into account in subsequent games
• Prioritize analyzing quality games: tournaments, slow games
• Using AI can be interesting depending on your level, but does not replace a human teacher