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Aliases (info)
Consistency
Consistent
Inconsistency
Inconsistent

Paths
Mistake
GeneralOpeningPri...

Referenced by
LessonsInTheFunda...
BQM73
Move31Game1
BQM49
NYR2002W84Variation
OngoingGame2Moves...
WhyIsThisNotAStar...
BiggestProblemFor...
BQM168
BQM37
BQM70
OngoingGame1Moves...
TG53UpperLeft

 

Stick to Your Strategy
Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: TightLooseAndDestructive   · Next: NoPlanInTheOpening
Path: Mistake   · Prev: HomeAdvantage   · Next: Inefficient

    Keywords: Strategy

It is a common mistake to change your mind halfway through a game or once you see that the results of your initial play were not as expected. In the opening, this often translates to defending a 'territory' based on the fourth line (open skirt), attacking a weak group in such a way that you end up with no gain and/or a weak group yourself, etc.


Often this means that you find yourself responding to your opponent's play more than you play what you want to play.

Games like these are very frustrating.


During the opening the rest of the game is outlined, and you should spend more effort defining a clear strategy than actually defining territory. Hence, you should expect a certain kind of response from your opponent to your plays. If that is not the kind of response you want, then you should not play that way.

This may sound obvious to some or quite harsh to others, but in Go you cannot 'have your cake and eat it'. You must assume that your opponent will exploit your position just like you would his.

You should therefore choose your position carefully, in the knowledge of the implications of it. (Relying on trick plays is one of the bad habits.)


However, as with so many snippets of Go 'knowledge', this should not be taken as eternally rigorous. Any good plan is also flexible enough to cope with unexpected responses and situations. Some would even go so far as to say that you should have No Plan In The Opening.


I often phrase this as "It's better to make one error consistently than a different one on each move." - Andre Engels

Dave I have always liked Jane Austen's view on this, expressed in the 19th century British novel Pride and Prejudice,

"Would Mr Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intention as atoned for by your obstinacy in adhering to it?" (Elizabeth to Bingley)


Path: GeneralOpeningPrinciples   · Prev: TightLooseAndDestructive   · Next: NoPlanInTheOpening
Path: Mistake   · Prev: HomeAdvantage   · Next: Inefficient

This is a copy of the living page "Stick to Your Strategy" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.