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dashn style
Keywords: Clubs & Places
Tristan: I have been playing mostly on KGS for the last 6 months, but more recently I have felt the need for a change of scenery, and so I have been plying my trade at dashn. The majority of players on dashn are Koreans and, what's more, anywhere from 5k* to 1k* there they play in a recognisable style. There are five main features to this style: 1) Highly territorial. They will invade anything that looks like territory early and they will choose territory-oriented joseki. They tend to cling to territory even if it means making considerable concessions in thickness or influence. 2) Power in fighting. You may find yourself ahead in thickness, but you will not find it easy to attack the opponent. These players show considerable knowledge of tesuji and prowess in reading. 3) Alertness. If you neglect a shape point or make an overly large extension then you will be punished. If you try to attack in too focussed a fashion, they will often set up a favourable furikawari. The only way to stay ahead is to keep an eye on the whole board and not to get sidetracked by local matters. 4) Tenacious. Your opponents won't give in until every conceivable means of turning a lost game around has been tried. They keep trying right through the endgame, and more than once I have had a sizeable lead converted into a narrow defeat because I have not kept my foot on the gas throughout the endgame. 5) Unconventional. Your opponents will come up with some strange opening play, often trying very hard to "have their cake and eat it too" by attempting to get good positions on both sides of a local area (e.g., they might invade a corner and try immediately to live on the outside as well). Some of these ideas probably come from the latest Korean jeongsuk research and are therefore well worth encountering and learning from; others are undoubtedly home-brewed, but since these players show considerable tactical skill anyway it all makes for a real challenge.
Here is an example:
Play might continue like this:
Please post your comments and own experiences below. I am particularly interested to know if these observations reflect the Korean pro style of go or any kind of "national Korean style" in any ways. I did play with some frighteningly good Korean players in Flushing, NYC earlier this year and I got absolutely whipped. Their approach seemed similar to the outline given above, but since I was much weaker than all of them I feel unable to make any confident statements about their style.
Charles Matthews Black's plays so far seem to be clumsy double contact. Giving White the
Wouldn't
It turns out that in one of Shusaku's games, this was tried:
and Thanks for the example, Tristan. It belongs with the diagonal plays as non-standard page, and I have promised myself to write up these points more fully. This is a copy of the living page "dashn style" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |