I definitely think disrespect has its place in handicap games, but it has to be the right kind of disrespect.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm58
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . . O . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . X X O 2 . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O X X . . . . X . . O . |
$$ | . . X X X O . O O X . . . . O X X O . |
$$ | . X O O X O . . . X . . X X X O O . . |
$$ | . . . . O . O . . . . . . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

This is the wrong kind of disrespect. The only way for this move to pay off is if your opponent who is six stones weaker than you are misreads a ladder AND calls you out on it.

In other words, you're trying to make him brave but hope that he can't read. This is kinda inconsistent, people usually make moves in confidence with reading. If he plays any other move that strengthens the lower left group, you've just done absolutely nothing. In other words, making him scared hurts you.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm58
$$ -----------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . X . . O . . X . . X O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . , . . . 2 . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . X X O . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . O X X . . . . X . . O . |
$$ | . . X X X O . O O X . . . . O X X O . |
$$ | . X O O X O . . . X . . X X X O O . . |
$$ | . . . . O . O . . . . . . X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------------------------------[/go]

In my opinion, this is the right kind of disrespect. The entire aim of this move is to be a little suboptimal but make your opponent confused.

Does it break the ladder? Does it threaten my stones? Should I add a move? Where do I add a move?

And the thing about this move, if your opponent acts scared, this works to your advantage. Even IF he plays the correct move, he's still not sure of the intent of this move. He is entirely unsure of whether or not this move has a purpose, it doesn't look like a 100% bad move to someone 6 stones weaker than you are, and it makes them second guess themselves.

One of the big goals in a handimatch is to maintain this... feeling of unease and uncertainty, I'm reminded of zawazawa if you guys read or watch any of Fukumoto Nobuyuki's series, you know what I mean.

If your goal is disrespect, it has to be done in a way that both tries to make your opponent more uneasy, and it has to make it so that the most likely lines of play from your opponent are not obviously good for them.

But I would have like the hane more.

It was too late to think about a move after watching the football game last night. In bed, however, I started worrying about how little actual territory Black has versus White and that White can still get to the center from several directions. This morning, after first considering D11 and B13 to keep White separated, and F9 and F10 to block, as well as S5 and K15, I just decided to make a bit of territory with C8. Other than playing experience, I have no idea how to narrow my candidate moves down and, even more important, how to judge among them.

I briefly considered getting tricky with C9. However, after White plays B9 and Black responds with B7, I think we get about the same position but in gote for Black. I know I'm giving ground here and there, but I'm trying to avoid unnecessary fights and counting on my initial handicap to keep me in the game.

Well obviously how to narrow candidate moves and judge the results is a huge and complex process, but here is a way to start. You said you played c8 to get a bit of territory. How much? Roughly? What about the other moves you thought about, how big an area would they get you? Territory is not the only consideration, strength of groups / attacking / defending are also very important, but if one move gets you 4 points of territory and another gets you 20 then you should probably get the larger .

Except for S6, I didn't think any of my other candidate moves actually made any territory. Now that you mention it, though, perhaps I should be making a moyo! I've put it out-of-mind so far because the center (or centre to you Brits) seemed so open. If I'm right, don't cheat with any more "shown" advice. If I'm wrong, just leave me oblivious until the end! Thank you.

I believe White's last move was gote, since he (White's always she, though!) needs to protect the cut. Then I can try calling the tune for a change.