Classical example of center versus side territory

    Keywords: Strategy

The following diagram is often used to "show" that sides are more efficient in making territory than the center.

[Diagram]

Center versus side

This diagram is criticized (see Bill's comment below) because Black makes 8 moves more than White.

Bill: I think that Fujisawa Hideyuki was the first to point that out.

Suggestions for improvement include:

[Diagram]

Center versus side

Each side has invested 52 stones. White has 121 points. Black has 361-121-104 = 136 points.

--Dieter


Bill: Like the truly classical example, in which each side had a solid square, this is unfair to White. In the classical example, Black had 8 more stones than White. Here Black has 8 gaps while White has none. Clearly Black's stones are more efficient than White's for that reason, not because of center vs. edge territory.


[Diagram]

Center versus side

As White voluntarily played 4 dame points in the last position, Merlijn Kuin (Spirit) proposed this diagram. He also commented that because of the arbitrary postitions of the white incursions, one may assume that Black will have to add two more moves inside his territory to cover any defects. Making the final balance 130 to 121.


Bill: In this version, Black still has 8 more gaps than White, which makes his stones more efficient.


Spirit?: Why do gaps increase ones efficiency?

Bill: Let's compare the next two diagrams.

[Diagram]

Gaps and efficiency (No gap)

[Diagram]

Gaps and efficiency (Gap)


While in the Gap diagram, B 8 would be better at 9, Black is at least 1 point better off with the gap (the 2 circled points minus the squared point), and actually more, since White does not threaten a hane, as with no gap, while Black threatens at least a magari.

In your example, Black has 8 more gaps than White, and is ahead by 11 points. If we conservatively estimate that each gap was worth only 1 point for Black, Black is only 3 points ahead after adjustment. In the original diagram, with no gaps, let us conservatively estimate that each extra stone is worth only 2 points. After adjustment, that puts White 1 point ahead. That is so close in either case that these diagrams plainly do not show what they propose to show.


Better examples may be at First corners then sides then center.

Authors


[1]: Jan: There is a Dutch Go mailing list? Why do I not know of this? What's the address?

Dieter: The address is [email] mailto://go-nl@listserver.tue.nl I'm not surprised you don't know it: the path from the frontpage of the Dutch Association to the subscription page for the mailinglist is long and strange.


This is a game I have actually played on DGS:

[Diagram]

Quicksilvre vs. BruiserPM, Game ID 67060

Black wins by 4.5

Quicksilvre


This is a copy of the living page "Classical example of center versus side territory" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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