BQM 260

My initial attempt at it:

And... I'm not sure I like where this is going already, even keeping in mind that I'm down two handicap stones. Is there a decent way to "punish" these loose enclosures? It feels like black is playing too fast and loose here.

Bill: First, a word about this enclosure. By itself it is weak and slow at the same time, which seems pretty bad, but Black can shore up the weakness with , and now Black's position is just slow. In addition, if White were to invade at a it would be like a severe one-space pincer followed by tenuki -- not a good idea for White, as a rule.

Therefore, thoughts of punishing this enclosure directly may become a trap. For instance, in the First attempt diagram it looks like White is shoring up Black's weakness while making a weak, attackable group. This enclosure is already weak and slow. Patience is the right attitude.

looks like a good play, developing White's framework while further weakening Black's bottom left corner. There is still room for a wedge on the bottom side.

As usual with questions on the opening, I have some critique of /earlier play.

Charles Against my natural style, I begin to think would be interesting. The area with the circles seems currently not to hold any good play for White.

dnerra: That is an imaginative move! I like it, however to me it feels like an admission that the marked black stone took a pretty good point. In fact, I think should rather have been played on the right side.

Charles Bear in mind that this isn't an even game! White has a long way to make up, still. There are miai of the invasions at the square-marked points. These are easier with central influence, (there are ladders). It is true that at would have been good play.

Velobici: at does not appear standard. It is neither a five space extension on a open side of the board nor a proper corner approach to the Black star point in the lower right corner. Is at a good play due to this being a 2 stone handicap game?

Bill: at is standard with a star point vs. a facing enclosure. It leaves a two space extension towards the enclosure, and is close enough to the star point to prevent an ideal base for Black. See /earlier play.

Velobici: Thanks, Bill. Seems that I am misapplying BQM259. In BQM259, there is also a six space extension as there is here, but there is not enough space for the two space extension due the earlier moves in BQM259.

Charles Another aspect. These are reasonable plays; I don't know if they're best. But now we can see that White's formation on the right side is really good (efficient). The extension - is good and if White plays a it seems even better. (Is this a tsume?) In any case White should be happy.