Real Life Rank

Weekly Go Wednesday, Issue #9

For those who have never played in a in-person tournament before, the idea of a “real life rank” may seem foreign. I assure you, however, that this is something you’ll want to give some thought to before you enter your first tournament.

As most of us know, a majority of go players have gained their strength through online play. As a result, common sense would dictate that their rank online would be what their rank should be when they enter a tournament. While some may disagree with me, personal experience has taught me that this is not the case for the following reasons:

#1. Your online rank is generally a representation of you on your best days.

Yes. I realize that your rank includes your losing streaks and bad days as well. Ultimately however, people play go online when they feel like playing. It’s a voluntary choice and they can voluntarily choose to stop if they feel that they are having a bad day. Tournament play is completely different in this regard. Unless you plan on leaving early, you are going to have to play every round regardless whether you’re feeling off or not.

#2. Online ranks are inflated.

Think about it for a moment. How many times have you played games where opponents resigned after the first fifty moves because they lost a group? In fact, I would say that a large number of ranked games online are won by resignation. This means that there are many times where the game may have been reversed if the opponent was willing to try harder and finish the game in its entirety.

#3. Tournament games and online ranked games are on completely different levels.

Two reasons: attitude and stamina.

A. Your opponents will be on a completely different level than before they are here to stay. They are here for the long haul and want to have the best record possible, so don’t even think for a moment that you can just kill a group and get an early resignation. In other words, every victory you have will be a proof of “winning a won game” or “reversing a lost game.” There will be no easy victory.

B. Unless you happen to be one of those players who plays games that are on average of 45 minutes long and multiple games in a row, I would honestly question your ability to handle multiple rounds where both players will most likely be using all of their time and then some. On top of that, you will need to be able to play multiple rounds of this intensity regardless of whether you’re having a good or bad day.

While Sensei’s Library has a table (which can be found here) that seems to argue that AGA ranking and KGS ranking are identical, I have found that you are generally one stone weaker than your KGS rank in AGA tournaments. The only exception to this rule however, is for seasoned tournament veterans who are accustomed to the environment and have consistent play regardless of whether it is online or tournament. Most of the time however, I believe most players will fall into the first category.

As a final word of caution, do not forget that the combination of the pressure of the tournament, the need to actually keep track of your time, and the unknown true strengths of your opponents make for an intense battleground. It would be wise not to be to think too highly of yourself.