Hacker News Reader

>I dont think he wants to play alphago again. Go is a game that relies a lot on confidence: professional players almost never play amateur players casually, for example. Thats because if they lose to an amateur player, it will affect their mindset, their confidence, and they could then perform worse in the real professional tournament.

Sheesh, are their ego's really so brittle?

View on HN

Theres a famous anecdote by Kitani Minoru, a famous Go player from the early 1900's that made a go school where every major 70's japanese player came from.

He would scout talent in the country and once found a couple of brothers that played go. He played a game with the eldest, and he beat the eldest. He accepted his defeat quickly and offered Kitani to play again, that he wanted revenge.

Kitani politely refused and played his younger brother. Kitan wins again, but the youngest bursts into crying. He was deeply upset at the loss and could not play another game even if he wanted to.

Who do you think Kitani recommended to follow the path of a professional Go Player?

Confidence and ego are different things. Self-doubt can affect your play, as in any sport. Doesn't mean that you're butthurt.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com