time-tesuji
Time Tesuji is a colloquial expression for this technique/effect not only Blitz games:
- in normal time games with byoyomi you avoid using up one byoyomi innstalment (you buy time by losing some aji, e.g. playing an atari)
- in Blitz games it describes playful moves which have the effect - intended or not - that the opponent suddenly sinks into deep ponderations and uses up much time.
Zarlan: Ah yes. The time-stealing tesuji (which is what it should be named. Time tesuji sounds a bit lame. Time-stealing tesuji on the other hand, does not).
tderz: done
Alex Weldon: Sounds to me like they are two different things entirely. A time tesuji is a kikashi used to avoid spending a byo-yomi period. A time-stealing tesuji is a move with a complicated continuation, requiring the opponent to spend extra time thinking. The former is played when you are short of time, the latter is played when the opponent is short of time. They should not be treated as synonymous.
Zarlan: So basicly, your saying that the first meaning should be kept here and the second one in time-stealing tesuji (which, at the moment, is basicly like a carbon copy of this page, sans some comments)
George Caplan: Actually, a move that causes your opponent to lapse into deep thought is useful both when he is in time trouble, or when you are in time trouble because you can think on his time.
While we are organizing clock management ideas, I have a couple of others.
If your opponent is in time trouble, slowing down will not help. On the other hand, keeping him in a rhythym of playing fast is not good either, mix your speed up a little, if you have time to do so.
Also, obvious and good moves are not going to make him use time. Sometimes bad moves, that he can not help but spend time thinking about punishing are just the trick.
I am not speaking to the morality of such tactics. They certainly have little to do with improving your go, they are merely about winning. Obviously, if you are ahead on time and ahead on the board, take you time and simply win. But if an opponent builds a lead by taking too much time, I do not believe it is innappropriate to attempt to punish him with time pressure.
ilan: Actually, you can also rattle your opponent by putting yourself in time pressure, the idea being that he might start playing more quickly himself in a belief that this will upset you, and he will end up making mistakes. I have actually used this strategy successfully (and yes, I only care about winning).
During lightning games the time-(stealing)-tesuji is more the funny description of the effect which a certain (otherwise normal) move might have. It was not meant - and usually it is not possible - to plan a move as such.tderz