[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]

StartingPoints
ReferenceSection
About


Referenced by
LibraryLobby
Handicap

 

Large Handicap Games Discussion
   

Some thoughts on large handicap games

Merits

Between players of large difference in playing skill, large handicap is offered to make the game as close (and therefore interesting) as possible. By no means is it a won game for white: nine stones are A LOT, always. And you can never say whether the opponent will not exceed herself. You must take care and remain concentrated, even when having captured a large group, or when having secured a thick, winning position.

Drawbacks

That's the benificial side of handicap go. Too often however it happens that the weaker player loses all his confidence because he gets crushed even with nine stones. It can also become quite frustrating for White. Games are long lost, but resignation doesn't come. Or sometimes Black is unable to appreciate White's efforts.

After a few years of playing such games, I think they simply should not take place.

Alternatives

What are the alternatives ?

1. Start a game with nine stones. At various occasions, when you feel the player is uninspired, guide him towards positive play asking questions like "If I say you have to cut my groups, where would you play ?" or "Do you think it is necessary to answer my move, or can you play elsewhere ?". In brief, make it a teaching game, but be inspired in your teaching. When the endgame has started rather early (no whole-board fighting has occurred), ask "Do you think the endgame has started ?", and say some words about the endgame.

2. Start a game for real (nine stones), and as soon as you have reached an irrevertible winning position, resume the game, or say : "You should resign, for this or that reason". Forget about Oriental politeness, forbidding you to resign in someone else's place. Rather think of yourself as the karate teacher, who won't fight his pupil until the bitter end.

3. Play 13x13 or 9x9

This avoids whole-board fighting or whole-board decision making, in which you are obviously much stronger. It also avoids hours wasted on long decided games. It enables you to play several games in a row, which increases the probability that your opponent wins by his own good play.

4. Make the handicap vary (called French handicap for some reason). That way, you'll encounter much more variations than with the hoshi stones.

5. Play the shape game, with Black stones on every second edge point and White having to try and make a live group.

6. Play fast games. It is my experience that people who dislike fast games, tend to remain weak.

--DieterVerhofstadt (1k)


lavalyn: When even nine handicap stones is insufficient to cover the difference in skill (think 2d versus 15k), White will be giving Black a teaching game (or just dominate and force the resignation early). Should White play to keep the game close, or just punish every mistake Black makes? We assume that White will review the game afterward.

ChessWhiz: Actually, I suggest a reverse komi, with maybe 10 points for each additional rank difference. It worked well in my game against Dnerra, although we didn't get far enough for it to make a difference. :-)



This is a copy of the living page "Large Handicap Games Discussion" at Sensei's Library.
(C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.