In my game against topazg, I didn't read carefully enough. I must not let that happen this time. This game I will try to concentrate on two things:

1.) Reading - I must not be lazy.
2.) Flow - As Magicwand says, I can get it if I can expose his weakness. I will lose it when my own weakness is exposed.

My plan is to play an overwhelmingly boring game and see how it goes.

I play orthogonally to starting 4-4s so I have options considering the bottom right in fuseki. I don't mind diagonal fuseki.

This may result in a difficult, tedious, and tiring end-game starting at move 40. Have fun!

This should be an interesting match. I see 3-3 played periodically, but not as often as 4-4 and 3-4. I don't have much else to say at this point, except that it's a pity to see the coordinates leave.

I think if black encloses, I'll enclose too. Kobayashi not conventionally possible, Chinese -> harder to develop bottom side. is normal.

More tangentially, Marcus does bring up a relevant point. While I plan to play boringly, I believe Kirby and I share a propensity for fighting, so I am going to err on the side of thickness rather than speed.

Maybe I should rather say "While I plan..."

Let's jump in immediately, and see how he responds.

My 3-3 doesn't ask for a pincer like a 4-4 would here. So, the territorial move.

Bap-bap-shoo-dap!

Sort of tempted to play Kitani's joseki here... But, it passes. What variation is kirby playing with regards to me 3-3 ?

Bip-bap-dab-wap?

I guess I should think about whether I should respond or not. One possible continuation is this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Prisoner Count: B-0 W-0
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . a . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 7 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 8 , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . O . 0 . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

If he does this, I should probably play high at 'a', above (since the stones he's played are territorial so far).

But should I respond? Maybe he won't play . If he doesn't, I can press down, and it still will be fine, probably.

Or should I play somewhere else on the board?

There are a lot of options here, and it's starting to get to the point where the paths I choose will make more of a difference.

Ba-da-ba-da-bo.

I think I'll go with what I mentioned earlier. I like the result.

Joseki-joseki. Next, I approach low on right, as nothing of mine is asking for height. Ishida Yoshio, one of my favourite players, has played this-ish opening. Look at his games if you want to see someone good doing it.