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Playing The First Move In The Upper Right Corner
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[Diagram]
Diag.: Traditional points to play the first move

It is custom for Black to play in the upper right corner first, on one of the marked points in the diagram. The rationale behind this gesture seems to be that White doesn't need to stretch her hand to the opposite side of the goban in order to either occupy an empty corner or directly answer to the first black move. (She has to stretch if she wants to force Black into a parallel fuseki, but that's another matter.) In professional games it is very unusual for a game not to start in the top right corner. However it happens, like in a big title match in Japan a few years ago. Yoda Norimoto opened in the top left against Cho Chikun to demonstrate his determination to take the title from the title holder.

From a more pragmatic and modern point of view, there is another, albeit small, advantage to this habit: it facilitates classification and analysis of different lines of play, e.g. by a computer program searching game trees. This doesn't limit Black's opening options, as the board is symmetrical around tengen for the very first move.

--Stefan

I used to think that the first move is played under the heart of the opponent.

--HolIgor

I feel that the very corner spot is the most vulnerable one there is. Near it is all well and good, but if your oponent plays next to you your piece is doomed, and trying to save simply means they take more later on.

I agree that you should play near your opponent, it's just that I was a little shocked by the title of this page.

- Anonymous go newbie who has made this mistake all too often

A good problem for this topic over at goproblems.com is [ext] here.

--unkx80

AFAIK, this is a traditional japanese etiquette: In the times of old, the Master would hold the white stones, and sit at the Goban in the place of honour, with his back to the "Toko-no-ma", the ornamental alcova very often graced with a calligraphy scroll and a flower arrangement. The disciple, starting the game playing black, would bow to the Master, and in doing so would place the first stone with the right hand in his farthest corner, i.e. the upper right one. Playing there is therefore a ritual bow to your Master, or, in our more trivial times, to the stronger player

--AvatarDJFlux


[Diagram]
Diag.: The right way

Stefan mentioned that the circled points are the correct points to play. Just one thing to add is that I was also told that for example, black 1, not a, is the correct way of starting the game because when white plays at 2 or b to attack the corner, his/her hand will not have to cover black 1.

--unkx80



Is there any such etiquette in China and Korea? DaveSigaty


Can you extend this princible to other symetric positions? For example, in the following position, would it be politer for Black to approach at 'a' rather then 'b' assuming that 'a' is closer to the White player? --BlueWyvern

[Diagram]
Diag.: Symetric opening

I don't think there's such an etiquette rule, just like it seems OK to play SanRenSei either on the top or on the right (from black's perspective). --unkx80

I think AvatarDJFlux's comment makes more sense than the "closest to opponent" argument. I think that the issue disappears right after the first move. --Dieter

Correct. Once black has played his first move in one of the points indicated by Stefan, white is free to play wherever she chooses, and so is black for the third move.
The etiquette of playing first in the UR corner is quite strong in Japan, due to its origin of a bow to the Master: I am not sure, but I believe to remember a game where Kobayashi played somewhere else and his opponent (and fierce rival) Takemiya criticised him strongly.
OTOH in other cases players who didn't follow the etiquette (e.g. Yoda recently) weren't criticised as much.
I have no idea whether in China or Korea there is the same etiquette.
Finally, if black plays in the UR corner, but in the symmetrical area with respect to Stefan's diagram (i.e. in the US of the UR...) it is not exactly considered a breach of the etiquette, but sure it is considered unusual, almost disturbing for white...

--AvatarDJFlux

In Game Two of the 47th Honinbo in May 1992, Cho Chikun played in the upper right corner but on the untraditional side of the diagonal. Otake: "From Kobayashi's point of view, it must have felt like a spear point thrust in front of his eyes. (laughter)" (from John Power's translation of the Igo Club commentary)

-- WilliamNewman

Assuming White is sitting opposite from Black, and most players are right-handed - wouldn't the "nearest to opponent" principle dictate playing in the upper-left corner? Then it would be on White's right, more conveniently placed. I imagine the bow-to-master explanation is more accurate.

-- KarlKnechtel



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