How to win with a 9-stone handicap

    Keywords: Strategy

Now, some people would say that this needs no explanations, but in my humble opinion, the only people who receive these handicaps are weak, or weaker than the likes of Bill, Dieter, and unkx80; so maybe a view from you guys how to play it?

Offhand, I was thinking, mirror Go isn't ideal, but how about Partial Mirror Go? I don't know if someone else has already thought of this, but, here's my views on the subject.

-- Jasonred


Charles Matthews: Like it says in the book, Black must attack.

Not for too long, though: Black's initial position makes it safe to attack, but as White settles groups it becomes more dangerous for Black's own weak groups. And not too hard, either: that leads into the amarigatachi mistake of playing out 'over the top' attacks to the bitter end. No, attack to make territory: to build frameworks and later to consolidate them.

Jan: I find it very useful to try to separate White in order to get targets to attack. Also when I think I am about to be surrounded by White, I don't try to live, but I always try (and usually succeed) to escape into the center. In a nine-stone handicap game, Black will usually have something to escape to.


Bill: First, why?

As White I regard a high-handicap game as a teaching game. Why shouldn't Black do the same? Just make what you think are the best moves, and learn something when they are not the best. :-)

The standard advice for high handicap games is to balance attack and defense 30-70, the reverse of the mix for even games. There is something to that, but I always attacked like hell with high handicaps, and, looking back, have no regrets. Besides, and more importantly, that advice says nothing about dual-purpose moves. You should always look for dual-purpose moves.

The advice of chess master E. A. Znosko-Borovsky is good: It is not a move that you seek, not even the best move, but a realizable plan.

Here is an example to illustrate these ideas.


Darron Shaffer: I'm only an AGA 6 kyu, but do play above my strength at high handicaps, so:

A few rules for Black in nine-stone games:


Cazort: Stronger players often beat weaker players by keeping sente and dictating the direction of play. If you connect your stones and play simple solid moves, you will still lose if white controls the direction of play.

I find that weaker players start beating stronger players at handicap games when they are able to understand sente, even if they only seize it occasionally. There are two sides to this--seeing how to respond to a threat in a way that presents a counter-threat, and also, being able to recognize when white should not have ignored your move--and then act on it to exploit the weakness.


Adamzero: I think it should be noted that while a lot of these bits of advice will increase your winning percentage as Black in nine-stone games, I do not believe they will increase your strength particularly well or quickly. I think that the best thing one can do is play your hardest, and try to play as though you were White's equal (not as though he were yours, there is a big difference). If you think your move would be passive, but you know it is safe and could help you win, play the move you think is correct and severe. Instead of letting White settle in order to take profit and win by attrition, attack White and punish her for playing too deeply in your sphere of influence.

All this may cause you to lose more games, as White's tactical superiority is so great, but you'll be forming good habits, even game habits, not huge handicap habits. And you'll be forcing White to play reasonable moves, for fear that you'll punish her for playing too ambitiously or disrespectfully. All of this will help you get stronger, though it might be disheartening to lose so much. But if you're taking nine stones, the goal should not be winning, but learning. (Just my two cents.)

Bildstein: I think it's worth considering two strong players playing against each other, who know each other well have have different strengths and weaknesses. The would tend to play timidly when they they were approaching the other's strength. I think it's only reasonable for weaker players to do the same against much stronger players, except then almost every severe move would be approaching the opponents strength. That's certainly how I feel when I play a safe move in a situation where in an even game I would play a more severe move.


Jan: Here's an interesting idea I heard from a fellow Go player who is about my level: play as if the handicap stones weren't there. I was confused at first, but as he explained, it started to make sense.

Just pretend you're playing white in an even game and play your stones wherever you'd want them to be during the first moves: on the 3-4 point or on the 3-3 point or wherever. If you want to play on a 4-4 point - hey presto! - it's already there, you can take another corner (if you like to play nirensei you'll bump into this 'problem' quite early)! When the time to extend to the sides comes and you think playing hoshi there is best - another bonus move! If you want to play on the third line instead, do so.

I think you need to be slightly arrogant to play this way (as if you don't need those handicap stones) and you have to count your liberties more often, but I think it could help you learn to play on an even footing. Maybe I will paint 9 of my black stones grey to illustrate the difference :-)

Charles I think this advice is potentially misleading. Be kind to your handicap stones. They should be brought into the game with some definite role, not just used as cannon-fodder. This is an accordance with the general principle: play taking into account your existing stones.

unkx80: Sorry I commented so late.

Like Charles, my advice would be to make the handicap stones useful.

[Diagram]

In one of the recent handicap games I played, the Black player did not know how to make use of his existing stones. W1 attached at the tengen stone. It was answered at B2, but the hane at B3 made the situation pretty even, making the tengen stone losing much of its lusture. Later W7 was played, Black thought that the stone was small, and allowed the ponnuki at a. So effectively, the potential usefulness of the given handicap stone was never utilized. It is a game which I won easily.

ferdi: How to win with a 9-stone handicap? Don't get nervous...

Floris?: What i also see played a lot in handicap games are moves such as the marked stone in the diagram. This move is not nessecarily bad, but it basically ignored the features of the 4-4 and side hoshi stone. The move itself does not protect the corner at all (W can still live with ease at a), and in exchange makes a little bit of side territory. On the other hand, a black move at b works together nicely with the other black stones. White can still live in the corner at a, but black builds more influence than with the marked move, and is making territory on the side as well (territory is a big word, but black can expect at least some points there).

[Diagram]

19x19 diagram


See also: How to win against 9 stone handicap


This is a copy of the living page "How to win with a 9-stone handicap" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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