What are your guidelines?

[daal]

There is a page on SL that I like, in which Tasmin presents a method that she calls compass for keeping focus during a game. Basically the method entails writing down a few reminders to yourself to refer to during a game. Here are my current ones, and I wonder if some other folks could share theirs as well.

1. Did my opponent just play in a corner where I have stones? READ!

2. I have sente: Stop. Look at the whole board.
a) is my candidate move sente?
b) if no, where will my opponent play?

3. My opponent is thinking...
a) Read moves around a weak group.
b) Look for ko threats.

[oso]

Usually I evaluate the previous move with regards to the current board position. But my next move always takes into account where my opponent just played.

That doesn't mean I will always play in the vicinity of where they played. It means the quality of my opponents move, whether it was good or bad, orients what my next move will be.

[Kirby]

1.) Try to fight back against what the opponent is doing.
2.) Try to live if it looks like I might die.
3.) Try to kill(?).
4.) At the end of the game, wonder, "Did I win?".

[BaghwanB]

1) Check for life or escape routes for my groups
2) Count!
3) Look for boundary line pushes (expand my area and restrict opponent's)
4) Look for good sente threats

If I could keep those in mind all the time, I think I'd be a much better player.

Bruce "The Count" Young

[Shaddy]

I tried for a while to come up with my guidelines, but I can't think of any besides this (slightly tongue in cheek..)

1. Fight.

2. Repeat as necessary.

[Redundant]

1. What does my gut say.
2. Read if it's bad. Play it if it doesn't seem off.
3. Repeat.

[Magicwand]

it might surprise many but i am very defense oriented (try to find a safest way to win) :

1. try to maintain balance and not fall behind.
2. if i see a chance i will grab it. (many times i chase illusion)
3. if i am ahead i go full defense mode.
4. if i am behind i will play to make the game complicated.

[SpongeBob]

1. Only play when you have enough energy to do the following:
2. Think before placing a move.
3. Stay calm and in control.

[snorri]

For a while my mantra was:

"Play thick moves and read like the devil."

I even considered getting this translated into Chinese for a tatoo. I figured these things would balance each other out. But I'm still having trouble with the latter part of that requirement.

[Violence]

1. What's my feeling?
2. READ!!!
3. READ SOME MORE!!!
4. Done reading yet? OF COURSE YOU AREN'T!!!
5. Did it work? If yes, go to 6. If no, go to 1. If not sure, go to 2.
6. Profit!

[karaklis]

My guideline at the tournament last weekend was

"play thick, don't let your groups die even if the opponent can make a big move"

That let me win five out of six matches and advance to EGF 8k. Seems good to me to stick to it for a while.

[entropi]

1- What is the purpose of my opponent's last move?

2- Can I ignore it locally or does it have an obvious effect on surrounding positions (reading)?

2.1- If I can ignore, play the biggest sente move (and hope it is really sente)

2.2- If no, is there a way of answering it locally but getting sente at the same time?
2.2.1- If yes, play it
2.2.2- If no, curse and defend (if opponents move removes my bad aji, cursing part may be skipped)

2.3- If I am not sure if I can ignore (time pressure or too hard to read)
2.3.1- Am I ahead -> defend
2.3.2- Am I behind -> ignore and play the biggest sente move
2.3.3- I don't know if I am ahead or behind (Which is the most likely case) : Play a surprising move that would confuse the opponent more than it confuses myself.

[Prodigious]

1. Look for a move that looks cool
2. Play it

[Solomon]

1. Look for a move that looks cool
2. Play it

This.

[entropi]

1. Look for a move that looks cool
2. Play it

This is not clear. The second step should be clarified. I propose:

2.1- Take a stone from the bowl (try to avoid putting your hand into the coffee cup)
2.2- Put it on the board (try to avoid illegal board position)
2.3- Hit the clock (try to avoid hitting your coffee)