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Take the last big point
Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: PlayUrgentMovesBeforeBigMoves   · Next: PlayAwayFromThickness
    Keywords: Strategy

The strategic idea that it may be better to take the final point on the board that is demonstrably large in terms of taking territory, rather than start the middle game fighting, usually by a deep invasion.[1] The reasoning behind this idea is usually like this:

  • after an invasion it may be unpredictable when one next gains sente;
  • it needn't be wrong to put your opponent in the position of having to invade.

It is probably also the case that adding a big point to one's own formation adds to its defensive strength in the case of large-scale fighting. Taking the last big point rather than invading would tend to increase the scale of the game.

Against formations such as sanrensei and the Chinese such an attitude may appear to be something of a luxury, since they are fairly much designed to make the opponent rush into an invasion. One can probably trace the development of counter-strategies in terms of postponing the inevitable invasions, on the basis of overall positional judgement.

See also discussion under oba (big point); also tedomari.


[1]

Or, in the case of amashi strategy, leaving one of your groups visibly weak.

Charles Matthews



Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: PlayUrgentMovesBeforeBigMoves   · Next: PlayAwayFromThickness
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