Hello, Ms. Izawa. I have been playing go for two years. I became able to play as 2-dan after a year by studying joseki, fuseki, life and death etc., but I’ve made virtually no progress since. My father plays as a 5-dan, and I’d like to be able to play my aged father on even while he is still healthy. What can I do to get over this barrier? Can you give me any advice? Consultation One: Mr. Ishida Hello, Mr. Ishida. Thank you for your question. You must have fantastic talent to make 2-dan in just a year. It took me about three years. There are cycles in one’s improvement. Sometimes you feel you can’t improve no matter how much you study, and, in contrast, there are times you shoot up quite rapidly. You are probably at a stage where you need to be patient. I don’t think you need worry, but it is true that reaching your father’s level of 5-dan is a formidable target. I gather you are already studying joseki, fuseki and life-and-death, so perhaps I could give you some advice about playing. I recommend playing with players stronger than yourself, and, in particular, having teaching games with professionals. It’s good to review your games after you’ve played them. You’re also bound to get stronger if you play over professional games. The most important thing is to hold on to your ambition: that will be the best shortcut to improvement. Good luck!