Life In 19x19

Loons, with regards to your original post:

Look at the direction of play of the existing stones. If you make better use of direction of play than your opponent, your stones will coordinate better, and you will likely be more efficient.

Three corners want to expand outwards along both walls (but not into the corner). That is one description I have heard for star point stones and their direction/influence.

The final corner (top left) currently wants to expand southward along the left wall. Once white gets an enclosure or extension along that wall, the direction of play from this corner would be eastward along the top, but until this corner is balanced, it wants a companion stone to the south. So you have a few options, but I like them in the following order:

1) Play to the south of the top left stone. It denies that stone its only 'desired' direction of play. Even if you leave it here as a forcing move then tenuki, it prevents your opponent's plan and your opponent will likely become overconcentrated or have aji in his or her position.

2) Ignore your opponent's side, build a shape (like sanrensei) on your side of the board, so at least your stones are all working together with one intent, to rival your opponent's growing formation.

3) Approach the bottom left from the east, because that denies your opponent's star point stone its preferred direction, as well as working well with your bottom star's preferred directions.

Just based on your what you said in your post, is it reasonable for me to say you are afraid of fighting? If so, then this fuseki is not your problem; your problem is your inability to handle "crazy" situations.

Anyway, below are all the moves I find appealing.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . e . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . b a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . c d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . f . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . g . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Actually, I don't really like 'd', but it's completely playable.

'e' is not often (if ever) employed in this situation, but it is played in others and you could always experiment with it and see how it turns out.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . 1 . . 3 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Actually, despite how I know that is generally the wrong direction, this looks like a fun idea to try out for myself. I think I might try it when I get the chance just for fun.

I am quite sure that without an opposing chinese formation in place, the wrong-side approach is not good (except in special situations later in the game).

Harleqin wrote:I am quite sure that without an opposing chinese formation in place, the wrong-side approach is not good (except in special situations later in the game).

i am sure you are strong enough to know that such approach was played by lee chang ho and many other top professionals in big final. and it wasnt chinese formation.
i am not saying it is correct or wrong but at our level ..it is certainly not a game deciding factor.

I didn't say the odd-side approach was optimal (in fact, I even said that it probably isn't); I said that it looked interesting and was at least worth trying out to see why it may not be good.