how to evaluate the reading result

[HermanHiddema]

Here's a recent opening of mine, I've tried to document my thoughts at every move.

[Chew Terr]

Thank you Herman, this is a good demonstation of the fundamental opening principles. My goal is to get good at this sort of thing so I can be ahead by move 50 in every game. Can't blame me for dreaming =).

[HermanHiddema]

Here's another game with my thoughts on every one of my opening move, this time against a 6 dan. I think this one is a little more interesting, as it didn't devolve into middle game fighting as quickly as the previous one.

[John Fairbairn]

Herman: A propos the lower left joseki in the second game, you may wish to look at the 1973-10-22 game between Kato and Takemiya which features it in two corners in a peculiar form of mirror go (the mirror occurs post hoc after both sides of the board are played out independently).

I think that game will suggest that White's strategy was flawed even before D4, but I also think you are not using "thick" properly. The fact that you felt compelled to play C14 rather than "approach on the wider side" suggests to me that you saw your supposed thickness (centre left) as weak, which is a contradiction.

[HermanHiddema]

Herman: A propos the lower left joseki in the second game, you may wish to look at the 1973-10-22 game between Kato and Takemiya which features it in two corners in a peculiar form of mirror go (the mirror occurs post hoc after both sides of the board are played out independently).

Thanks, I will have a look! I think I've seen the position from that game before, is it mentioned in one of the recent New in Go articles on mirror go?

I think that game will suggest that White's strategy was flawed even before D4, but I also think you are not using "thick" properly. The fact that you felt compelled to play C14 rather than "approach on the wider side" suggests to me that you saw your supposed thickness (centre left) as weak, which is a contradiction.

Yes, you're right. I was using "thickness" where "influence" would be far more appropriate. The two point jump is light and thin, so thickness was never really an appropriate term. I actually mention that it is thin in later comments, so I'm not even being internally consistent

[Jedo]

I really like these commentated openings! I often feel like the opening gets a short shrift by many player who seem to suggest that it is unimportant.