Beginner's Mind

by Aria von Elbe

August 2, 2004

Exhaustion is a terrible thing, but when brought on by go it’s alright. Well, maybe not alright, but somehow an energizing kind of tiredness. Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up until one in the morning taking nine stones against an 8k. And perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to then head up to my room and review Shusaku games until 3 a.m on my brand-new goban. That could be why I slept through my alarm this morning and certainly helps explain why I’m now 0-2 in the US Open, continuing the track record I started in Seattle back in January: all losses, all the time.

Despite my dismal results, I still feel as if I’m getting better. Maybe it’s just the caffeine talking, but I think I’m starting to understand concepts I didn’t before, beginning to finally grasp some comprehension of the game’s inner workings, even if only dimly.
Surrounded by so many people with such dedication to this game, I realize I’m not all that different. Sure, we’re all different ranks, with different experience and different style of play, but we’re all just as addicted to the game. Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, here at the Congress everyone’s just a person who loves go, and that’s the best feeling of all: to know that I have over 400 friends who I don’t even know yet, just waiting to share their intensity for our shared interest. And there’s still five go-filled days to go!

-16-year-old Aria von Elbe

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