My name is Robert Jasiek.
On KGS I am known as "sum".
I started playing in 1991, am a German 5 dan since 1998, and live in
Berlin. Go is so fascinating that I am not just a player but also a
researcher in go theory and writing strategy books (my first on josekis
are in work again and might be finished this year).
The motto of my work is: quality
of contents.
Therefore in personal teaching, I spot and concentrate on the student's
weaknesses so that he knows where and what to study next for improving
as quickly as possible. The standard go teacher teaches by examples:
He points out particular, wrong moves and shows particular
variations. I go far beyond that by teaching general principles and concepts
so that one learns to apply newly acquired knowledge to many
shapes and positions.
Each teaching method has its advantages and disadvantages. In teaching
by examples, each piece of information is small and so can be grasped
lightly but one needs 100,000 pieces. In teaching by principles, each
piece is mighty and therefore requires more intense thinking
immediately for the advantage that just 1,000 pieces yield the same.
Neither method is necessarily better per se. Some find it easier to
learn killing a nakade by being shown 100 examples while some prefer
the general principle "Start at the vital point, i.e., the intersection
on that the defender could cut the eye space into two or more separate
eyes!". A student should first identify his preferred way of learning
and then take a teacher suitable for it.
I am often asked why an amateur dares to teach for an honorarium. Let
me return a question: How many professional go players in front of a
demonstration board have you seen that would have been able to teach by
principles systematically? I have seen many professionals but only a
tiny number of them could answer whichever question
about generalized thinking I posed. Why then do all those
professional players dare to teach? Answer: Their teaching is helpful
for those preferring to learn only by examples.
Why choose me as a teacher? Because I meet the needs of your
learning style that asks for generalization, principles, concepts, and
efficiency!
What do my pupils say about me? "Crystal clear!" "Profoundly useful!"
"Strict teacher who does not let the pupils circumvent their mistakes."
Lessons
and Samples
You can choose between online teaching on KGS and written teaching in
English or German. The options below are standard offers (the thinking
time is the total for both players together) but, of course, the
customer is the king: Other combinations, thinking times, discussion
times, structures of written material, etc. can be negotiated. Needless
to say, more time and greater quality of contents relate to higher
fees. In particular, played games can be even or handicap. You might
get the same or a greater portion of our total thinking time. You can
ask me to use or avoid a particular playing style. Accept all your
mistakes or allow me to undo your worst blunders. Etc. Teaching can be
as flexible as strategic choices.
1 hour game with comments during the game and 3 minutes
summarizing comments = EUR 8*
1 hour game with comments during the game and 30 minutes
analysis afterwards = EUR 16*
1 hour game with comments during the game and 1 hour
analysis afterwards = EUR 24*
Written generalized advice on your major general weaknesses
with move references, judging from 1, 2, or
3 game records = EUR 16, 24, or 32.*Sample: a commentary and its game.
Detailed written commentary on 1, 2, or 3 game
records incl.
20+ SGF variations per game, short list of simple move comments (i.e.,
the typical journal style review), and generalized advice on your major
general weaknesses = EUR 60, 80, or 100.*Sample: a commentary and its
three games 1,
2, 3.
As before, but text and diagrams are combined in one PDF
file = EUR 80, 120, or 160.*
Written commentary on 1, 2, or 3 game records
incl. 10+ SGF
variations per game and generalized advice on your major general
weaknesses = EUR 44, 62, or 80.*
Written commentary on 1 game with 10 SGF variations and
short
list of simple move comments = EUR 16.* (This teaching by examples is
offered more for your reference. You can find many teachers with
similar offers. Some Chinese amateurs can offer you a EUR 5 bargain
while some professional players charge EUR 10 roughly multiplied by
their rank.)
For 10 lessons of the same type, there is a 20% discount.
Contact and Payment
Please write me an email to <jasiek@snafu.de>.
After agreement on a teaching format, advance payment
can be made by PayPal or International Money Order.
* = These are the endconsumer prices in EUR according to UStG
§19 (small business exempted from VAT).