BQM 170

    Keywords: Strategy, Question
[Diagram]
Next move for white?  




[Diagram]
Attack heavy stones  

Bill: This is a busy board. Several places look attractive.

Black is secure in the bottom right. white+circle there can be treated lightly as a kikashi stone. It is not urgent to protect it. The white+square stones there really want to extend on the right side, but are OK for now.

W a looks attractive, as pushing through a small opening is strong. That is a dual purpose move, attacking the black+circle stones while aiming at invading Black's moyo on the top right. However, the black+circle stones are easy to throw away.

The black+square stones, however, are heavy and without a base. So I think that W1, attacking them, is good. Once Black extends from them it is too late.

I prefer a as well, I am interested by the immediate move 1 though, I think I might choose to play at b instead of this, hoping then to follow up at 1. Is this woolly thinking on my part?



[Diagram]
Pincer response B2  

Charles If you mean this W1, I don't suppose Black would hesitate to play a pincer, such as B2.


[Diagram]
What next?  

Charles If B1 in answer, W2 and W4 seem promising for White; and not easy to omit.

On the other hand if B5 comes, I'd start worrying, as White, about my aji in the upper left. Black at a seems to set up threats in two directions.



Bill: B1 is an interesting reply. I am not sure how to respond. It is early yet, so there is an argument for White's taking credit for preventing Black's extension and switching to d. However, keeping up the attack seems like a good idea. W2 - W4 is large scale, but looks thin to me. Maybe W b.

After B5 or the like, W c looks good.

Charles Yes, I think many good players would feel that White should add one more stone in the upper left, in order to have done something definite there. Then I believe Black d is big.

Bill: Agreed. :-) Hmmm. I see that there are two ds. Both big, though. ;-)

Reuven: Black shouldn't try to first get out or something, perhaps?

Bill: Running early with heavy stones is a quick way to get a difficult game. It's asking for trouble.

Charles You have to assume Black has some sort of sacrificial strategy here. Anyway, the position is playable for Black, even giving up some stones. Put it another way, grabbing a few stones, early in the game, is not a panacea.

Reuven: I see, thanks guys! :)


Submitted by Reuven.


BQM 170 last edited by Reuven on June 29, 2004 - 22:06
RecentChanges · StartingPoints · About
Edit page ·Search · Related · Page info · Latest diff
[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]
RecentChanges
StartingPoints
About
RandomPage
Search position
Page history
Latest page diff
Partner sites:
Go Teaching Ladder
Goproblems.com
Login / Prefs
Tools
Sensei's Library