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My Favorite Opponents
August 25, 2003
by William Cobb

One of the attractions of playing in lots of tournaments is that you get to play lots of different opponents. It's always intriguing to play someone you've never played before. The chances are very good that you'll get to deal with something new, a different style or an unusual joseki or an idiosyncratic opening. Naturally, you're a little nervous, but it's a pleasant kind of apprehension. Then there are the "baby zoomers" who are blasting up the ranks and sometimes pause to beat you on their way up. I missed the famous Eric Liu, now 6 dan, who jumped over me even though we were frequently playing in the same tournaments. I did get to play Curtis Tang, in his very first game in a US Open, and I almost beat him, too. He was six years old at the time, so I was sixty years his senior, but we had a good game. Of course, three years later he's more than nine stones above me. I suspect most of us older kyu players are startled when we manage to win against a young kid; they are amazing. My favorite opponents, though, are those whom I meet regularly because we occupy the same range of strength. I know surprisingly little about most of these people, but sitting down to play them is like settling down with an old friend for a pleasant chat. These go relationships evolve quite naturally because of the special, cooperative, interactive nature of the game, and they are a major reason why go is so addictive. I suspect this is part of the reason attendance at tournaments has been increasing lately. Tournaments are for having friends.

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