Woman professional Go players will answer your questions in turn.
question2
Hello. At present I play as a 1-kyu. My games are rarely counted – usually either my opponent or I resign. I myself realize that I have a tendency to make overplays, but I can’t do anything about this when I’m actually playing. I really want to play long games. Do you have any advice for me?

Consultation Two: by Mr. Ebi
answer
Hello, Mr. Ebi.

Actually, I also often make overplays and also want to play long games. So rather than giving you advice, I’ll just tell you what I aim at myself. When the game looks like getting into a perilous position, I pause and take a deep breath. If you build up momentum, playing immediately, overplays inevitably become more common.

During this pause, I take a look at the whole board. If the place where I am fighting is an area when I have a lot of allies, then it’s OK to keep on fighting. But if it’s an area where the opponent is stronger, I assess the territorial balance. Just a rough calculation is good enough. If I find that the game is unfavourable for me, then I plunge ahead with the fight. But if the position is even or I think that I am ahead, then for the first time I try thinking about playing a leisurely move.

In the kind of positions where you are liable to make overplays —
• stop and look at the whole board
• assess the territorial balance.

If you get into this habit, it should make a big difference.
I hope that we can both play long, drawn-out games, instead of relying on fighting strength.
Let’s both do our best.
Consultation 01