Omoyo

An omoyo ( Japanese 大模様 ) is a large-scale framework.

Omoyo strategy often leads to very interesting games, but is dangerous if it becomes ippoji, a plan relying on just one ultimate territory.

It is quite possible that in the opening the two players ignore each other's areas, leading to a position in which, with all the obvious big points taken, the board is divided into two rival omoyo. It is then unusual to see those frameworks both consolidate into territory. In high-level games one expects both players to make deep invasions.

When beginners do this, and simply take large uncontested territories, it can be called jidorigo. This is deprecated for a couple of reasons:

• it isn't instructive to avoid fighting;
• to do this properly requires excellent positional judgement.

Charles Matthews