Life In 19x19

First of all, this is a great forum. I am a new player and know next to nothing, I have learned a ton from this site.

my question is..

It seems to me that most of the players seem to fall into certain styles of playing and for lack of a better term "schools". Granted my time with the game is limited and my study is slight at best currently. But are there any pro players that seem to play outside the box so to speak? I know that the possible moves and play in this game is huge, I am just interested in seeing what style is beyond the usual norm if that makes sense.

If I am totally wrong, feel free to tell me so

kdawg91 wrote:my question is..

It seems to me that most of the players seem to fall into certain styles of playing and for lack of a better term "schools". Granted my time with the game is limited and my study is slight at best currently. But are there any pro players that seem to play outside the box so to speak? I know that the possible moves and play in this game is huge, I am just interested in seeing what style is beyond the usual norm if that makes sense.

Absolutely. Some pro players well known for an unorthodox or creative style include:

O Meien (known for unusual moves called 'Meienisms', 'author' of a very strange book available in English called Zone Press Park)
Takemiya Masaki (known for a 'cosmic' center oriented style)
Yamashita Keigo (known for playing the 5-5 point)
Go Seigen (in virtue of his influence on Go, a lot of his creativity and unorthodoxy has become a part of the standard game, but he was such a creative and brilliant player he deserves inclusion)

Some less well known players who play very unusual, center oriented openings:
Gan Siyang
Sonoda Yuichi
Ohashi Hirofumi
Kubomatsu Katsukiyo

Here's a broad list with brief descriptors of various pro's styles that you could peruse:
https://senseis.xmp.net/?ProfessionalPlayersGoStyles

thank you so much!

Keigo very interesting...and I am reading on Go Seigen

I think we have to add Kajiwara Takeo to the list. An original thinker.

Also, Kitani Minoru.

Also, Fujisawa Hideyuki (AKA Shuko).

Also, Lee Changho.

Also, AlphaGo.

i have been reading on alphago, but I am undecided if I would state an AI has style, although I lean to it probably sooner than later.

Takeo I find interesting too

would you guys consider Alphago's playing as a created style of play, or is the computer just crunching the numbers and choosing the best option for the move its opponent made?

You have a style if you consistently play moves that a group of other players do not play. AG does this. Human pros have noticed this. Frankly, that is all they know about AG's style. They are struggling to re-create it by copying what they think they have noticed. But they still don't know what they are doing. The fact that AG doesn't know either is neither here nor there. But AG is still "different." Especially because the "group of other players" in this case is, for some, all humans. (But, as I have pointed out several times before, quite a few aspects of AG's style have arguably been presaged in New Fuseki, in games modern pros are barely familiar with.)

that has got to be brain draining, you can see what the AI is playing, you can speculate what and why they do what they do, but you are only able to give an educated guess.

thank you for the response, I am still trying to feel things out

some very inspiring names, thank you very much folks!