Comments regarding this and previous moves to appear below shortly.

6-4 was first tried during the Shin Fuseki era (mid-1930s) but is rarely played today. Curiously, Gan Siyang whose game I mentioned in one of the posts above likes playing 6-4 a great deal. 6-4, just like 5-4, emphasizes side territory over corner territory. Yet, 6-4's effect on the corner is very weak, which is why most pros probably don't think of 6-4 (absent other stones in the vicinity) as being the most efficient use of a stone on a board with an empty corner. As far as how to approach a corner with a stone at 6-4, there are multiple ways of doint so. However, by far the most common kakari seen in pro games is the keima at 5-4:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ --------------
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . 1 , . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |[/go]

My first move was in the center because, as explained previously, my intent was to play a center-stone-first-as-White fuseki. I placed the stone at 8-7 because that is the move manhammer uncorked against Uberdude. However, I think that neither playing a stone in the center nor placing it at 8-7, given topazg's first move, were efficient choices. Had topazg played at 4-4, Gan Siyang's move at 8-8 would work well because of the miai of "a" and "b":

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . a . , . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . b . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

A move at 8-7 would lack such a miai. A stone on the top side is easier to coordinate with the central stone than a stone on the right side, as shown below:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . @ . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . W . . 5 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 5 . . 3 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . Q . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

As can be seen, only one stone is needed to link with (via a 3-space extension + a daidaigeima extension) whereas linking with requires two stones.

Similarly, given that topazg played at 6-4, neither 8-8 nor 8-7 would lead to the same type of miai as above (the value of the right side is reduced because there is a Black stone there already). Therefore, had topazg's 3rd move been at the top-left corner, I would have to play at or near the bottom-right corner. It would not be easy to coordinate White's two stones.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc It's not easy to link with a stone at or in the vicinity of
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . 4 , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

At this point, I probably should make a disclaimer that I have little experience with center-stone-first openings, so my analysis above may or may not be complete nonsense.

topazg could not have anticipated . However, that does not mean it was smart for him to make an impulsive response without taking the time to think over his move. I doubt he actually contemplated how he would follow up or how he would coordinate this stone with his other stones. Now, if he isn't careful, could end up being a dame play (i.e. largely useless). We'll see. As explained in my previous post, I believe that topazg should have played somewhere in the top left corner. Then, it is my central stone that would be at risk of becoming a dame move.

It feels to me like Intrepid is massively over-thinking this.

triggering the next grudge match

With my having a stone in the center, a quick opening development is ideal. This means striving to occupy the most open parts of the board first. After the first three moves, it should be visually apparent that the the top-left corner is the most open area on the board (a part of the board farthest from and least influenced by Black or White stones).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1 Top-left is the least occupied part of the board.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

As to why I played at 6-4, there are a few reasons. First, Gan Siyang, whose strategy I sought to employ in this game, likes to play 6-4. Second, 6-4 is also manhammer's move. Third, 6-4 (as well as 5-4) works reasonably well with the White stone in the center as discussed previously. Finally--although I did not think of this at the time--my playing 6-4 might have seem as a further provocation to topazg because he, too, played at 6-4. Thus, my move had a chance of inducing topazg to make another impulsive move. He did not take the (unintentional) bait, however.

topazg's seems strange to me. The most open part of the board is clearly the bottom-right, not the bottom-left, corner.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Bottom-right is the least occupied part of the board.
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Moreover, and are not easy to coordinate with each other. Synergy between them will be hard to achieve. By contrast, if topazg had played 5-4 in the bottom right, he would be establishing contours of a large moyo and would be enabling all of his stones to work together.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Coordination between and is easier to achieve than between and .
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O . . B . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . # , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Because topazg did not play in the bottom-right corner (the most open part of the board), sente is very valuable right now. Getting sente is one of the primary objectives of . The most common continuation is this, after which White can tenuki:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc White can tenuki with
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . 2 O . . . . . . . .
$$ | . 3 1 , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -------------------------[/go]

Another reason why I used the 5-4 kakari is that it works well with my stone in the center. After the moves in the above diagram, the situation can continue as follows:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc White stones are working well together.
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . 3 . . . . . .
$$ | . 1 O O . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X X , . 2 . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -------------------------[/go]

Another joseki continuation is the two-space jump, which again works well with the stone in the center.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O O . . 1 . . . . .
$$ | . X X , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -------------------------[/go]

Of course, topazg may choose to ignore my approach to his corner. However, I would then seek to attack his stone severely. Given that my stone in the center is closer to the corner than the Black central stone, I could expect to obtain a favorable result.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc The exchange of for is good for White.
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . W . . B . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . , . . 2 . . , . .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -------------------------[/go]

Given all this, I like my position, so far. White is poised to take the lead in the game.

Standard stuff ... aiming towards sente for the lower right, and hope he has invested too many stones too soon on left side.

topazg now has the choice between "a" and "b." I should be able to take sente in either case.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . O . . X . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . O O . . . . . . . .
$$ | . a X b . . . . . , . .
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . .
$$ -------------------------[/go]

Descending to leave open the endgame on the left hand side. If the left side is uninteresting, the hoshi is normally better.

I did not think I'd get to play the 3-3 in the "pistol duel" game. However, it is my fault for not thinking it through. I should have anticipated topazg not going for corners like just about anyone else would do and had the pistol duel with EdLee, instead. However, the problem with this is that I could not have a pistol duel without the trash-talk--and I could not talk smack to EdLee, could I? What would I even say? "EdLee has a nice Go board and a nice set of Go stones. Therefore, he belongs to the 1% of the Go elite who oppress the remaining 99% of the common Go folk. Thus, I must duel him to the death so that he may perish in the name of the Occupy Go-street Movement or that I may die as a martyr for the cause of the socialist Go revolution!" Clearly, that would make no sense.

Anyway, I did not want to play an asymmetrical move such as 3-4 because Black would approach from the weaker side of the stone and naturally build a moyo for himself. I did not want to play a high move, either, because I have no White stones in the vicinity, while Black has stones in all directions. Thus, if Black managed to take away the eyespace in the corner at some point (say, via a 3-3 invasion under a 4-4 stone), I could find myself under attack with nowhere to run to. Thus, 3-3 should serve a great role of hampering the development of a Black moyo while also remaining safe from attack. Also, notice how the Black stone in the center is starting to become a bit lonely.

After , I expect Black to invade the left side, given that I tenuki-ed from the bottom-left corner.

Because it's ... different. I'm basing this move around him responding with the 4-4, and if he doesn't, I intend on taking it. Either way, I'm hoping to get either profit (in the corner) or a reasonable position on the left hand side .. we'll see.

I didn't like because it seems hard to use.

I didn't like because wasn't in the least locally sente or especially important, nor is notably well placed.

I liked the idea of tenuki given , but that stone really should have been 4-4, given that this is an influency game.

I like this for black:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc I think looks like a misclick.
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . 6 . . . . . , . . . . . 4 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Still looks good for black.
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . |
$$ | . . . 3 . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 5 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

Point being white must innovate strongly to show wasn't a base error (and I think this would also be the case if was a 4-4 or something). Which seems like pointlessly making it hard for yourself.

*NB This is my opinion about most rogue moves.


Edit stray thought:
Black can to some extent try bold centre/side strategies because at the first move advantage can really be brought to bear. At move can white really already bring komi to bear this way?

Edit PPS:
Fuseki is NOT arbitrary (I'm not accusing The_Intrepid or topazg of thinking this, but I know some people do).

??????????? This idea of miai with strange centre stones is far above my level of understanding.



Yup.

I thought that maybe topazg would invade somewhere closer to the middle of the left side. There'd be the aji of connecting the invading stone with the bottom-left corner. Whether that would have been better than the game is hard to say, though. In any case, I have two possibilities now--defend the corner or pincer. Since my mind is set on offence this game, I'll try to find some continuation such that he has to run out with his group. The idea would be to attack for the purpose of gaining strength (as opposed to gaining territory). That strength could then be used to pressure the Black stone in the center or in the top-right corner. At least that's what my current plan is. This might change as I read deeper into the position.

Be careful, guys - you had better tone down your comments, or else it's going to be pistols at dawn for you, too.