Shoulder Hit Madness

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Kirby
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Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Kirby »

I was looking through some professional games, and here are two different positions I found:


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . 3 . 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W Position B
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X O . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X . . . . X O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O O X X X X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . 1 3 C . X . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X 2 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]



Both games feature a shoulder hit reduction on some third line stones, however in Position A, I feel the reducer plays lightly with a one-space jump. In my own games, I am more likely to play a shoulder hit this way. In position B, :w3: feels heavier to me than if it were at the marked intersection to the right.

Why does one pro play one space jump after shoulder hit, and the other play solid extension? There might be relative merits specific to these particular positions that I don't see, but in general, how does one decide which of these to play?
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by illluck »

That's a question I have as well. For those two examples, could it be because in the second diagram white didn't want black to peep?
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Shaddy »

One thing I see- in the top example, if the shoulder hitter is allowed to descend to the third line, it threatens the corner, while in the bottom example the shoulder hittee is thick on both sides.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Kirby »

Shaddy wrote:One thing I see- in the top example, if the shoulder hitter is allowed to descend to the third line, it threatens the corner, while in the bottom example the shoulder hittee is thick on both sides.


Could you elaborate on your idea a bit? Are you saying that, when the opponent is thick, it might be good to extend solidly? This one isn't intuitive to me (though the illluck's peep idea does seem to make sense).
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Shaddy »

I agree with the peep idea too.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Kirby »

Shaddy wrote:I agree with the peep idea too.


Yes, me too. But could you explain more about your idea? :-)
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Bill Spight »

Kirby wrote:I was looking through some professional games, and here are two different positions I found:


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . 3 . 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


As Shaddy notes, :b3: is an attacking play.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W Position B
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X O . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X . . . . X O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O O X X X X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . 1 3 C . X . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X 2 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


In this diagram a jump to :ec: would not be particularly light, but would approach Black's thickness for no good reason. It would be thin, therefore. If :w1: and :w3: are too heavy, then White should not begin with :w1:.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Shaddy »

I didn't have a good explanation for the second one, only the first one.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Kirby »

I spoke with a pro about this.

He said that the solid extension was good when the reducer has supporting stones nearby and you are trying to put pressure on the reducee. In this case, you are not worried about your stones being heavy, because you are not in danger of being attacked.

In contrast, the one space jump is flexible, and is good for situations where there are more enemy stones in the area. You are not trying to put pressure on the reducee so much as to be flexible and able to go about in the area without being attacked severely.

I don't get that impression so much in Position A, but perhaps in this particular situation, the one space jump actually puts more pressure than the extension, so the idea is similar (kind of like what Shaddy mentioned).
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Bill Spight »

Kirby wrote:I spoke with a pro about this.


Did you show him these examples? I did not get the impression that they were typical of situations where there is a real choice between the extension and the jump.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Kirby »

Bill Spight wrote:
Kirby wrote:I spoke with a pro about this.


Did you show him these examples? I did not get the impression that they were typical of situations where there is a real choice between the extension and the jump.


No, I didn't show him these particular examples, so his opinion may be different from these particular positions.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by RBerenguel »

I was thinking that in the second example there are no nearby supporting stones (and when I read the pro oppinion I was "what?"), and preventing the peep/keeping the shape as clean as possible makes it easier for that group to survive. Whereas in the 1-jump, there is some supporting thickness close by, so by jumping he can maximise the reduced area.
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Re: Shoulder Hit Madness

Post by Tabemasu »

In position A I think :b3: is correct because there is no way for white to link his stones together.

My thoughts on position A:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A variation #1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 5 4 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . 3 . 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A variation #2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 4 . 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . 3 . 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A variation #3
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . 5 . . 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . 3 . 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


If you were to play the simple extension instead of the jump, it would allow white to easily connect.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B Position A variation #4
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 4 2 O . . O . . X . . |
$$ | . . . O . O . . 3 1 . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . O X . . O X O X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X X O O . O O X . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . O X X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . X . O O O O X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X O . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O . O X . . O . . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . X X . O X O . . |
$$ | . . O , . . . . O , O O O X . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . X O . X . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


For position B there doesn't seem to be a good way to attack these 2 stones. If you were to play the jump instead, that wouldn't be the case.

My thoughts on position B:

Maybe the best black can do?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W Position B variation #1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X O . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X . . . . X O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O O X X X X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . 1 3 . . X . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X 2 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Let's consider the jump instead. :b4: is one attacking method, but it doesn't seem good here.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W Position B variation #2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X O . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X . . . . X O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O O X X X X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . 7 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . 9 4 5 . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . 6 1 8 3 . X . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X 2 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


It could be that white felt that he was a bit too heavy this way. Note that white can't play at 'a' because black can simply cut at 'b'.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W Position B variation #3
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O O X X O . X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X . . . . X O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O O X X X X . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . X X O O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . O X . . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . b . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . 6 . . 4 . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . 1 5 3 . X . , X . . |
$$ | . . O . . X . . X 2 . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


Your general thinking of how to choose a follow up for a shoulder hit isn't wrong. If you want to play lightly, then you should jump; if you want to play solidly, then you should extend. However, general principles are often broken at high levels of Go because of slight changes in positions and thorough reading.
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