“Becoming one stone stronger is the supreme enjoyment.” - Go Seigen

I finally properly broke through to KGS 5 kyu! I’d been floating just below for about a week unable to push through. While I was faring OK against KGS 7 kyus and 6 kyus, each reverse komi game against a KGS 5 kyu would push me back down. But yesterday I eked out a 1.5 point win against a 5 kyu in a game that I felt pretty good about and this evening started out with a rude resignation (if I’m playing a 25 minute game I’m gonna use my time, dammit!).

All of sudden I was 5 kyu.

But it didn’t feel proper, so I went ahead and setup another KGS automatch. This time I played a 6 kyu (reverse komi) and won by 13.5 points.

When I joined Yunguseng I was 7 kyu so gaining two stones in two months feels pretty darn good. It also gives me considerable confidence that my current approach to studying Go is really paying off. Besides In-seong’s lectures and reviews, I’ve continued my laser sharp focus on easy tsumego - I’m still working through Jump Level Up Volume 5. Also more recently I’ve come to really like the easy tsumego set in the WBaduk Go client. I find that these problems are a great way to reinforce Jump Level Up! concepts without hints about which technique to apply. Finally, I find myself coming back to Cho Hun-hyun’s Lectures again and again. I’m no longer surprised that I find In-seong’s teachings mirrored in these lectures.

Now I imagine I won’t be able to sustain gaining one stone a month for much longer so Shodan still feels like a good ways off. But no matter, I’m happy to enjoy this moment for now.