So I just won my first game as a 3d, but I really should have lost. My opponent mishandled the fighting and I got a big kill where I shouldn't have. I had no idea where to play in the opening- after my 2-space pincer on his approach. Comments on better ways to attack his group would be appreciated, as would be tips about playing against this particular kind of chinese opening.

You played better that your opponent. You earned it. You don't have to play perfect go, just better than the other guy.


I disagree. You had two ideas about where to play. Unfortunately, you tried to play both of them.

The general strategic concept guiding the Chinese is that black stakes out more territory than he can reasonably expect to get, and white is left with the choice of invasion or reduction. If white invades, black attacks the invaders and tries to make profit while chasing. If White does not invade, black attemps to secure his large territory while white reduces from the outside.

You can try invading directly with Q5, in which case an attack on the pincer stone looks better when done with a counter-pincer around O4 or N3 because it will also support the invasion.

Or you can try to reduce from the outside with L6 followed by a hane and moves like P8.

But L6 and Q5 seem to be parts of different strategies, as if you can't decide whether to reduce or invade, and his M6 reply to L6 endangers your Q5 stone.


BTW, congrats on becoming 3D.

EDIT: I'm amazed that he did not hane at L8.

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thanks, joaz! Actually, the q5 stone is not supposed to be an invasion- it's supposed to give me the aji to live in the corner like I did during the game. It's an idea from old japanese games, back before the high approach to komoku was popular. I'm fairly sure I burned the aji too soon to live in the corner, it felt like a bad time to take gote - but I wasn't sure when the best time was.

I should lose my games, too, but my opponents don't always cooperate.



My general impression is that you are not a shape player. In this game you let your group become heavy and allowed the defender to turn the tables and become the attacker.

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The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Thanks a ton, Bill! That answers pretty much all of my questions about the game.