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Do Not Defend Territories Open At Two Sides
Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: CornersThenSidesThenCenter   · Next: YourOpponentSGoodMoveIsYourGoodMove
Path: GoProverbs   · Prev: MakeAFistBeforeStriking   · Next: AttachToTheStrongerStoneInAPincer

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Opening, Proverb

[Diagram]
Diag.: Open on two sides

Territories which are open for attack at two sides are not territory. Therefore they should not be defended as such. Imagine defending first one side of your 'territory', then the other. There will not be many points left inside, and in the meantime your opponent has solidified on the outside and will gain more than your points inside.

Territories which are open for attack from both sides are in practice those which are based on the fourth line. Remember that these stones are there because you chose to play for influence rather than territory in the first place. If such a territory is under attack, you should accept the fact and use your influence either to counterattack, or to press the invader into a low position.



[Diagram]
Diag.: premature enclosing play

From a nine-stone game in which I was White. In a position like this Black played 1 and announced 'a nice bit of territory'. Perhaps Black 1 isn't so bad, but after White 2 there isn't much edge territory to be proud of.


[Diagram]
Diag.: take care of the open skirt

I would have been more impressed if Black had played 1 and 3 first. These have an effect on the corner, threatening a. Black has an open skirt here on the right. Good sense in go means not playing for territory where your opponent can immediately jump into it.


[Diagram]
Diag.: continuation

White at 4 is natural to settle the corner. The good feeling for Black now is to play 7 as an attacking play, before coming back to deal with the cutting point at b. Again, Black shouldn't try to complete the territory on one side when White can simply slide in on the other side. White is likely to start the ko with 8. Black has three ko threats starting at c. In any case Black is taking aggressive action to deal with the open skirts. This should be much better than trying to complete the open-skirted territory.

Charles Matthews



Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: CornersThenSidesThenCenter   · Next: YourOpponentSGoodMoveIsYourGoodMove
Path: GoProverbs   · Prev: MakeAFistBeforeStriking   · Next: AttachToTheStrongerStoneInAPincer

This is a copy of the living page "Do Not Defend Territories Open At Two Sides" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.