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Star Point

Star Point is a podcast all about the game of Go (aka baduk or weiqi)! When you're away from the board, you can listen to Star Point for weekly discussions about how to improve, personal anecdotes, and general appreciation for the beauty of the game. Hosted and produced by Justin Oh.
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Episodes

34: Tips for Using AI, Lee Sedol's Google Interview

Don't try to make AI do all the work for you! It's just a tool like any other and you need to learn to use it effectively. Here are some of my personal tips for making the best of the powerful technology that would make Honinbo Shusaku shake in his boots. Links Lee Sedol's Google Interview Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠⁠⁠⁠GoMagic.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout....

Apr 08, 202448 minSeason 1Ep. 34

33: How My Friend Got to 1 Dan, Big Ideas vs. Experience, Switching Gears

This past weekend, I took a trip up to San Jose and had an opportunity to ask my friend about his path to 1 dan. What he said inspired me to rethink my own studies and consider "switching gears." Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠⁠⁠ GoMagic.org⁠⁠⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout.

Apr 01, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 33

32: Diagnosing Your Go Condition

You can't fix your mistakes if you aren't aware of them. Let's talk about how we can increase our awareness of the issues in our game so we can properly diagnose and treat them. Links: Go Pro Yeonwoo's 3-3 Invasion Lecture Deep Blue Documentary Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠⁠⁠GoMagic.org⁠⁠⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout....

Mar 25, 202447 minSeason 1Ep. 32

31: Practicing Go Like a Musician, Being Patient with Ourselves

What parallels can we draw between the elements of musical training and Go? Let's talk about what we can learn from this cross-disciplinary reflection and how it might teach us something about what we should expect of ourselves while learning new abstract concepts. Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠⁠⁠GoMagic.org⁠⁠⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout.

Mar 18, 20241 hr 15 minSeason 1Ep. 31

30: Man vs. Machine, AI's Impact on Go

Before ChatGPT, there was AlphaGo. Before AlphaGo, there was Deep Blue. Before Deep Blue, there was... the Turk? Follow me on a journey through man's struggle with his own creations as we explore AI's profound impact on our game. https://www.eurogofed.org/seygo/index.html?id=1 Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠⁠GoMagic.org⁠⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout....

Mar 11, 202451 minSeason 1Ep. 30

29: How to Teach Go to a Complete Beginner

Have you ever taught anyone how to play this beautiful game? It is more challenging than you might think! Let's talk about the dos and don'ts of teaching complete beginners. Get 25% off your very first purchase on ⁠GoMagic.org⁠ by using the code STARPOINT at checkout.

Mar 04, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 29

28: Following Principles to True Understanding

Do you ever wish you could follow a simple set of rules and win every game of Go? Unfortunately, that's now how it works. How do we convert our following of basic principles into true understanding of the game? Ryan Li vs. Alex Qi Misclick Game: https://online-go.com/game/61717943 Get 25% off your very first purchase on GoMagic.org by using the code STARPOINT at checkout....

Feb 26, 202443 minSeason 1Ep. 28

27: Kyu Epiphanies, Basic Opening Principles, My Middlegame Weakness

Have you ever experienced a Go epiphany or realization? This week, I share with you the various paradigm shifts and eureka moments that I experienced on my Go journey. Get 25% off your very first purchase on GoMagic.org by using the code STARPOINT at checkout.

Feb 19, 202454 minSeason 1Ep. 27

26: Shell, Slate, Yunzi, Melamine, Glass, Stones, Stones, Stones!

Go is a game we play with little pieces that we call stones, but they are not all made of actual stone and they come in different shapes and sizes. Let's talk about the differences, pros, and cons! Links: Yellow Mountain Imports Kurokigoishiten Shell Stone Manufacturing Slate Stone Manufacturing Benkyo League Use code STARPOINT to get 25% off your first purchase on ⁠ GoMagic.org⁠ !...

Feb 12, 202455 minSeason 1Ep. 26

25: Playing Lots of Games, The 10,000 Hour Rule

One of the most common pieces of improvement advice in Go is to play lots of games! Is there any truth to this idea? Do you play enough games? Let's talk about overcoming our fear of plateau and how to maximize our Go gains while we put in the reps. Info about the Obama Go board: https://trianglegoclub.org/theboard.htm Use code STARPOINT to get 25% off your first purchase on ⁠ ⁠GoMagic.org⁠⁠ !...

Feb 05, 202445 minSeason 1Ep. 25

24: Playing Dirty, False Gote, Trick Plays, Booby traps!

Go is as pure of a game that one can find, but some moves in Go might be considered by some to be dirty. Let's dig into the dirt underneath the go board as I share with you some ways you can get an annoying edge over your opponent. North American Kyu Championships: https://www.usgo.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=454497&item_id=96948 European Youth Go Championship+ Camp: https://www.dgob.de/wettbewerbe/meisterschaften/eygc2024/ Internet Go School: https://internetgoschool.com Buzzsaw'...

Jan 29, 202446 minSeason 1Ep. 24

23: Go in Pop Culture, Celebrities Who Play Go

Did you know that Bill Gates wanted to become a professional Go player? In this week's episode of Star Point, let's talk about all sorts of unlikely places where you'll find the influence of our beloved game, including QR codes, TV shows, and more!

Jan 22, 202438 minSeason 1Ep. 23

21: The Zen Mind of a Beginner

Sometimes we need to hit the reset button and consider what kind of Go players we were when we first started out. We get bogged down with our own ideas and thoughts and it might be preventing us from truly learning. How do we maintain a sense of childlike wonder when we play this game?

Jan 08, 202433 minSeason 1Ep. 21

20: What if you never reach 1 dan?

Many Go players put a lot of importance in achieving that ever so elusive shodan title. But the fact is that many Go players will never reach this goal. Is that okay? What reasons could we find to play the game outside of climbing the ranks?

Jan 01, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 20

19: The Mental & Psychological Dimension of Go, End-of-Year Review & Reflection

To be a Go player, you need to be more than just a Go player. Let's talk about some of the "soft" skills of Go. How is your confidence? How is your resilience? Do you get discouraged easily? Can you get under your opponent's skin? Correction to this episode, Shin Jinseo played against Ke Jie, not Gu Zihao in the LG Cup Semi-finals. Michael Redmond's Review of Shin Jinseo vs. Ke Jie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2hEURa-eDI

Dec 26, 202354 minSeason 1Ep. 19

18: Do Go books make you stronger? My Go Book Reviews & Recommendations

If you're like me, you're addicted to buying Go books. But does reading a Go book actually help you improve? This week, I share some thoughts about Go books and give mini reviews of all the Go books that I own. Books mentioned in this episode: Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go - Toshiro Kageyama The Fundamental Principles of Go - Yilun Yang 7 Dan The Workshop Lectures - Yilun Yang Go! More Than a Game - Peter Shotwell Winning Go - Richard Bozulich, Peter Shotwell Cho Hun-heyon’s Lectures on Go T...

Dec 18, 202355 minSeason 1Ep. 18

17: Strategy vs. Tactics

Come gather 'round and hear the tale of the two brothers; one called Strategy and one called Tactics. Let's not mistake them as one person. In Go news, I cover the final result of the Samsung Cup, round 2 of the Nongshim Cup, and an update regardingthe latest AGA board meeting.

Dec 11, 202343 minSeason 1Ep. 17

16: Training Your Reading Ability and the Nature of Reading

This week on Star Point, I uncover the mystery of reading in Go! More specifically, I’ll go over some of the subtleties involved in the thinking process of reading, how to train your reading ability, and touch on a relevant study that may reveal some insights about what reading really is. Special thanks to plixik716 for the episode idea! Baduk Doctor's "Road to Be Dan Player": https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdgGayi8IloIQ6jbY4pXIMzcE081vwfxN&si=qfYTkZaHrtkwglCm Clossius (Shawn Ray) https:...

Dec 04, 202340 minSeason 1Ep. 16

15: Go Technology of Today and Tomorrow, SGF Editors, Samsung Cup Round 1

Go is a game of wood and stones but it’s not immune to the influence of technology. This week, I talk about some of the existing technology in the Go world today, SGF and envision what could be coming to us in the future. Also, an update on the results of the round of 32 in the Samsung Cup. J’s IZIS AI Go Board Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KPGqKJYcZY goban.co: https://goban.co/ AI SGF Analyzer: http://gostyle.j2m.cz/webapp.html Baduk Cap: https://apps.apple.com/uy/app/baduk-cap/id896...

Nov 27, 202355 minSeason 1Ep. 12

14: The Science of Learning, The State of Go Content

This week on Star Point, I go over an interesting study I found on how we learn. I also touch on Nick Sibicky's retirement and discuss the state of Go content today. Benjamin Keep, PhD, JD: A Simple Way to Learn Complex Skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_3bQ-EWSI Nick's Goodbye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmycG_KWlWs Creators mentioned in this episode (and few more!): Go Inside: https://www.youtube.com/@eunkyodo Triton Baduk: https://www.youtube.com/@TritonBaduk Contraband Go: https:...

Nov 20, 202347 minSeason 1Ep. 14

13: How to Review Your Own Games

Everyone says it's important to review your games. But how exactly should you go about doing that? This week, I share my 4-step process for a good self-review. Links mentioned in this episode: https://ai-sensei.com/ https://gokibitz.com/ http://ps.waltheri.net/

Nov 13, 202345 minSeason 1Ep. 13

12: My Go Autobiography

This week on Star Point, I tell you all about my Go origin story and the on-and-off relationship I had with the game to get to where I am today.

Nov 06, 202337 minSeason 1Ep. 12

11: Go in "Knives Out," Challenging the Handicap System

I finally watched Knives Out! This week, I talk about the handicap system and my amateur data analysis attempt at 27 million OGS game records. Source of OGS game record data: https://forums.online-go.com/t/can-we-get-an-sgf-database-dump/38837 https://za3k.com/ogs/

Oct 30, 202337 minSeason 1Ep. 11

9: Are Fast Games Bad for You?

This week on Star Point, I try to answer the question of whether playing faster games can have a positive or negative impact on your Go improvement.

Oct 16, 202333 minSeason 1Ep. 9

6: I Met Nick Sibicky

This week, I talk about my visit to the Seattle Go Center and about the local Go club scene in Southern California. I also respond to some of your comments/messages in our first listener mail section!

Sep 25, 202328 minSeason 1Ep. 6

5: Ladder Anxiety & Training Mentality

Sometimes, when you're playing to win, it can stop you from playing because you care too much about the result. Listen to this week's episode of Star Point for one weird trick to motivate yourself to play more games!

Sep 18, 202326 minSeason 1Ep. 5
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