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Clock play at Bg Live in London 2008
Posted By: Matt Cohn-Geier In Response To: Clock play at Bg Live in London 2008 (Coolrey)
Date: Monday, 1 December 2008, at 11:44 p.m.
It is kind of sad to think that a player of Katja's caliber might not participate again due to the slow play of a player who favors clocks!
Katja is very strong, but like me, she is an awfully slow player. Honestly I look slower on camera than I do in my mind, I would say I am one of the slower players out there. OTOH, I am rarely responsible for tournament delays, although I may be at least partly responsible for long matches. I'm almost always aware of when my bracket is ahead or behind and available & willing to play matches. I rarely take breaks--I think I took 2 breaks during Vegas, in seven rounds of 15 pointers. Not that I'm opposed to breaks, I am just focused on the match, and it usually interrupts my focus--unless I am unfocused, it generally doesn't occur to me to take a break. I have played several clocked matches and have usually used more time than my opponents but never gotten into time trouble. OTOH, I probably play faster on a clock...
I brought a clock to Vegas, although I didn't ask people. I had intended to ask for clock use, but I don't know, maybe I was having enough trouble with the camera setup that I forgot. I also didn't bring a board to Vegas and for some reason I probably feel more comfortable with equipment adjustments when using my board...don't know why. I would have gladly played with a clock if any of my opponents asked, none did. I saw about 5 analog clocks in use over the weekend, no digital.
This is not to say that MCG did anything wrong in Vegas, I never watched him play there... But I did watch him go into the think tank a few times in Wisconsin I think it was. So, I apologize in advance if he was playing fast in Vegas, but I imagine that with the pressure, the level of his opposition [all great players generally], and the atmosphere as he approached the money rounds.... He probably was quite deliberate.
I would say that I played at about my usual pace in Vegas. I did not play the slowest matches ever, but in general, I was pretty deliberate. If anyone has cause to complain, it's Neil, I started playing way slower against him than I usually do near the end of the match in Madison. I got nervous, I guess. To his credit Neil has never complained about my slow play.
After Kit lost to MCG, I asked him if he had played well and he said generally yes... but he thought sometimes he overthought some things, when the "normal" play would have been best.
Kit is probably right here, I am the least natural BG player ever. My training has been has consisted of memorizing reference positions, rollouts, opening moves, match equities, imitating GNU, etc. I also like to know the race a lot. I sometimes overthink things and invent plays, but it works out, for the most part. Eventually you begin to develop a sense of judgment. I have been playing this game about 2.5-3 years, hoping I can develop a more natural feel for what's right without going into deep thought. But I played like a 2.5 ER against Kit, I can't really complain with that.
Anyway, yes, clocks.
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