While no one wants to have a low rank in Baduk, it’s not the end of the world. There are many reasons for having a low rank, including inexperience and lack of time. With that in mind, we will cover some ways you can raise your rank without much difficulty or extra time investment. We’ll start with an overview of how ranks work before going on to give some specific strategies and advice that can be used to improve your rank quickly.This is especially true if you think your ranking is a result of a lack of intuitive understanding of the game itself.
What is the difference between a baduk player and a low-rank baduk player?
A good Baduk player has an intuition for how to play the game. A low rank Baduk player does not have that intuition, but may be well versed in game theory. A Low baduk player may have a reasonable understanding of some other aspects of the game, such as opening/closing/Ko fights and endgame tactics (think about when you want to strengthen your group or expand).
How do I improve my intuition?
It’s not easy to develop your intuition, especially if you’ve been playing for a long time. It’s possible to ‘train’ your intuition by playing Baduk in different ways. Try playing fast games with little time, or slow games where you have a lot of time on each turn. You might also try playing only 1 point (or 3, or 5) and seeing how well you do.
What if I want to invest some time to improve and need a plan?
The following idea may appeal to you. Play games on Tygem (or KGS or whatever) with very short time limits, and focus exclusively on capturing as many stones as possible. If your opponent passes (or resigns) before the game ends, don’t claim the points! Your aim is for points only–play for a single point or two if necessary. You can also try playing fast games without any time limits! When your intuition improves, you’ll feel like you have more time than you actually do, which is useful in real games.
I’m a beginner and I want to become very strong. What should I do?
In the beginning, you don’t need to worry about learning everything about Low Baduk. Your goal should be to improve your intuition. Play games with time limits that make it obvious when your opponent’s stones are weak or dangerous. Like the first part of this guide mentioned above, playing fast(er) games against weaker players can help you develop intuition faster.
What are good Baduk books to read?
Baduk is a hard game to summarize because there is no one correct style of play. There are lots of different methods and many different styles that can all be considered ‘good’, but you are unlikely to learn from a book in the traditional sense if you’re new to Baduk.
