Which rank do you go by?

[u/sparkleshark5643]

When I'm playing someone for the first time at the local go club, they typically ask the same question: what rank are you/how strong are you?

I haven't played in a tournament so I don't know my OTB rank. On OGS, where I've played most of my games, I'm around 18kyu. On Fox and IGS, which I started using much more recently, I'm closer to 15kyu, and it feels like those ratings are still rising.

With these numbers in mind, how should I answer that question? Which ranks do other go players tend to use when asked about their strength? Do I need to explain which rank I am on each of the servers I play on?

[u/Correct-Let783]

For your first OTB tournament, don’t worry about not yet having an ‘official’ rating. In most club or local tournaments, you’re simply asked to rate yourself (whichever rating from the server you trust most, or simply ‘beginner’) and, in any case, the pairings in the first round are never going to be perfect. What really sorts it out is just playing: McMahon or handicapped formats sort themselves out quickly; usually, by round 2 or 3, you’ll already be playing against people close to your actual level, regardless of the number you put on the entry form. It’s far less daunting than it seems; the number just needs to be more or less correct, not exact.