How to use an opening

[infectedbrain]

Can anyone tell me a good way to learn an opening and how to use it. I have tried many many MANY openings and I end up loosing ever game by 130+ points but if i have a handicap (thus i need not do an opening) I lose by only 15-40 points.

So I need to work on my opening.

Any help would be great.

[SoDesuNe]

I can only advertise "Opening Theory Made Easy" by Otake Hideo.

I made a review some time ago:

Opening Theory Made Easy – Twenty Strategic Principles to Improve Your Opening Game

- by Otake Hideo 9 Dan (170 p.); Kiseido Publishing Company



This book is a jewel for everyone seeking for a bit more guidance than what is offered in “In the Beginning” of the “Elementary Go Series”.
Here the opening is clustered into twenty easily understandable principles, divided into three chapters: Fuseki Fundamentals (e.g. extensions, pincers, Moyo), Good Shape (e.g. how no to harm your own stones, empty triangle) and Strategy (e.g. attacking, reducing, sacrificing). Everything you will read in this book deals with something you will experience in every game you play, what makes it very easy to apply.

“Easy” is furthermore the term which describes best how the book teaches and shows you every principle. The author uses a lot of diagrams, which indicate for instance the difference of you playing at a certain point or if your opponent gets it. At the same time, although the point of every principle is clearly stressed, the author never goes much into detail, which makes it easy to follow and aims at an understandable guidance for beginners.

In my opinion, this book is a must-read. It has everything one could possible want to have explained about the first dozen moves.

[infectedbrain]

thanks ill see if I can find a copy.

[BaghwanB]

I'll agree with that. Spend some time with "Opening Theory" and "Get Strong at the Opening" and you'll be off to a much better start. Just don't focus all of your efforts over the long run into playing a "perfect" opening at the expense of developing your other go skills. If you can get a decent (at least even if not better) start to the game, you can proceed from there.

Bruce "Abierto" Young

[Bill Spight]

Post one of your games.

[Dusk Eagle]

No matter what opening you play, it won't affect the score by even close to 130 points. That type of score is most likely to appear during middlegame fighting.

I've read Opening Theory Made Easy, and it certainly is a very good book. Another resource you might want to check out is Sensei's Library's Pages for Beginners. Also, Guo Juan has a good lecture on Youtube for double-digit kyus. You may want to check out these resources as well. You can also post a game in our Game Analysis section to have it reviewed by stronger players if you like.

Hopefully you can use these resources to help you improve .

[judicata]

I agree with Dusk and what others have implied--you aren't losing your games in the opening. Improve your reading and you'll improve your overall skill much more quickly.

That said, if you have fun learning opening theory and find it interesting, you absolutely should do it. I suggest any of the books so far mentioned (Opening Theory Made Easy and In the Beginning helped me quite a bit).

[tj86430]

Post one of your games.

+1000

I, as many others, doubt that the opening is really your problem. Post a game, and we (rather the experts, excluding me) will see what's really wrong with your game. I'm willing to bet a modest amount it's not really the opening.