Re: An argument against randomized sections
Posted:
Oct 1, 2026, 11:15 PM
6 players is a very nice idea, it eliminates a lot of problems of the current system. 6 rating-best players theoretically may stimulate somebody to build some false rating but seems for this community seemingly it isn't an issue.
Nevertheless, I agree with bej's words about qualifying through preliminary tournaments. Maybe: winners of 2 regular tournaments just before this elite + winner of the last masters + winner of the last elite + 2 top rated players (for the first elite tournament, 3 top rated). So top players still don't need to waste their time and those who are active and strong (like Mumix) are able to secure their place no matter how many old whales with 2800+ will come to participate.
And still I vote to switch time control from 2 days/move to smth like 30 days/game and 7 days/move. It will limit the tournament with approx the same duration but give players some freedom to live their lives and possibility to analyze all 10 ongoing games. With 2 days/move it is barely possible.
> For players who deep study, its too many hours per day.
I totally agree, this masters (and theoretical preparation for it) took so much time... If I knew it before the tournament, I'd reject my participation with no doubt.
Also I support biennale, imho it's the best frequency for an elite tournament. Once per two years.
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Re: An argument against randomized sections
Posted:
Oct 2, 2026, 8:30 AM
Having it be winners of tourneys. That would mean i dont qualify. Im strong enough to qualify. But I havnt the time to devote to long tounreys. The point of the super tourney, is to make a format for players like me who are strong but cant do long drawn out sessions. But requiring me to do long drawn out sessions to qualify, defeats the point of it.
So perhaps do it how super tournaments were always done. Nosovs invited who he determined as top players. Nosovs is not here. So perhaos karl determines. In the past jayhawklov made a annual list of top players. Published in the forum. Then Karl had taken over that job. Perhaps karl can start that list again. Karl understands people's skill levels. Based on several factors. I rarely play, have little to no data to prove, but karl knows my history very well. He knows my level. When I apply my self. And I think he knows others players too. Karl has been around for a long time.
If there needs to be some qualifier, to test a person's current skill level to qualify, i would hope its in a format where I do not need to dedicate half a year to a year in order to do it. There needs to be a faster way to qualify for a super tourney. Others wise you will not end up with highest skilled players. Just my opinion.
Scire hostis animum - Intelligere ludum - Nosce te ipsum - Prima moventur conciliat - Nolite errare
Of course, pentegon and ned would probably decline to play. So that leaves us with 6. Ned is very strong. But hes slow to move. And pentegon just likes to spectate lately. Richardiii used to be the #2 spot on this list, when he was younger. Brf is on leave. The polish players are MIA. Watsu is inactive. And so forth. Noah, would need to tighten his p1 game style to deal with when p2 goes N8. I may offer to help tutor Noah on live tables. And a couple of players, I would want to go over, how to identify P1 false wins in the data base. Mumix Noah Mike. Mike is actually a strong player, but here is his current weakness that I can tell. He struggles to select correct 3rd moves, both as p1 and p2. But after that he plays decently. This would be easy for me to help on.
So perhaps IF players are interested, we can arrange times to meet on live tables. Or perhaps I can come out with a video tutorial segment at some point.
To point out some weakness of me and karl to be fair. Me, I sometimes look so deep, so creatively, that i miss the obvious which is like a snake about to bite me.
Karl, in complex end games, it can take him a second to identify cap issues. Where I tend to see them faster. This tho, in my theory, is simply because, karls 1st goal is to win by pente. And me, I grew up playing boat pente, with Jay E Hoff, and my 1st goal was to win by crafty captures. As to time management, calculation speed. Karl is an absolute monster, and i am a Koala hanging in a tree high on eucalyptus. But over all, we are about equal in skill and how we see the game. Weve worked closely enough over the years, that we match each other's thinking styles. Altho, when deep study over time, while im slow, I have the patients to dig a tad deeper than karl. Karls impatience can get him. A draw back of having a brain that calculates at light speed.
Rating is not everything. In live pente, I am ranked #2 in world right below nosovs. Karl is 128 points lower. But, in live, karl will always be better over time. Due to his calculation speed. To beat him in live, I must have a ocean of mental prep memorized to not time out.
Even if I surpass karl, I will always consider him above me, due to my deep appreciation for his inhuman calculation speed. Unless one day his brain slows. That could be exception.
Owen, is interesting to me actually. He's too new here to make a full assessment. He comes from renju? So translating over to pente his renju style. I do find this fascinating. He is able to identify less used P1 solutions. He is able to identify false p1 wins in the data base. Recently I predicted a fukumi set up idea, which He ended up seeing vs mumix. So, he has vision. It will be interesting to see how his style develops. I will say I wish he would challenge top players in tb more often, as I think just challenging low players is stifling his growth and my ability to read what he is capable of. One weakness of Owen. Even before this tourney, I noticed a hole in his Armor is draw moves. Pairs attacking. Owen should put focus to this.
Noah and Mike. You guys rely too heavily on old data base info for your p1 offense. Without the knowledge of history of bk games and why masters moved away from certain popular p1 moves. I can help you guys on that, if you ask. I did help on this for mumix and ned at one point, which helped to tighten their p1 style.
Tempest. Karls student. You have much promise. One weakness which you admitted. You struggle to visualize, you require playable board to click through and see. This is direct result of never playing rated sets LIVE on tables. Born into turn based. Like the new generations born into smart phones using GPS, and never acquiring the skills to navigate if the phone dies. I grew up on live boards in real life. Then spent whole career here at live tables. Live is harder than turn based, by miles. And when me and you play at live tables, you can feel difference. Brute forcing a tree by clicking on data base, does not help you to obtain skills of identifying mechanical shapes for example. Or to feel the flow of adzi. Or when to chase, and when to ignore. Im unsure of solution. Ill ponder it.
Where is gamo467 and be_water??? And note I did not list mad hippo. Due to my detest of alts with hidden data in top play tourneys. But yes, certainly he could make the list if the guy could be more consistent. Despite my prejudice.
Karl feel free to rewrite something such as this in your own version of how you see things. See top players list. Skill strengths and weaknesses.
Scire hostis animum - Intelligere ludum - Nosce te ipsum - Prima moventur conciliat - Nolite errare
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Re: An argument against randomized sections
Posted:
Oct 2, 2026, 2:36 PM
Fascinating writeup. I agree with most all of that. I'll add that one of my weaknesses is stubbornness--if I'm fond of a particular line, I'll keep playing it even after people figure it out. Sometimes this is a strength though, as I can occasionally revive a line others have given up on.
Tempest and Noah both appear to be extremely fast learners. Tempest's achilles heel is refusing to play N10. Both of them are new enough that they don't know all the ancient opening traps hidden deep in the db (some of them intentionally diluted by games showing false wins! The old masters worked to protect their secrets). That's where Zoey and I have the field beat. Owen fits in this category, but his renju experience sets him apart.
Madmike is an excellent student of the db. He played strong openings in round 3. Unfortunately, those openings required extremely careful navigation of the middlegame, and his opponents presented too many problems for him to solve.
Mumix is solid, but I have now developed technology specifically to immobilize him. He is no longer a threat.
It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
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Re: An argument against randomized sections
Posted:
Oct 2, 2026, 2:49 PM
Ive created a new thread, Pente Masters Official Skill Test thread. a project (test) to help add to the determination of who should make it into the Super Pente tourney. Karl and Pente_gon feel free to add challenges to it.
Scire hostis animum - Intelligere ludum - Nosce te ipsum - Prima moventur conciliat - Nolite errare
