Life In 19x19

SmoothOper wrote:...I would like to experiment with other openings, maybe 5-4 and 3-5 and tengen, but there aren't many good resources for studying these openings except maybe an addendum in a joseki book and a few odd pro games, and generally these openings don't mesh well with the traditional handicap ranking systems used by the AGA, which has officially endorsed the 4-4 as the only sanctioned handicap placement.

daal wrote:

SmoothOper wrote:...I would like to experiment with other openings, maybe 5-4 and 3-5 and tengen, but there aren't many good resources for studying these openings except maybe an addendum in a joseki book and a few odd pro games, and generally these openings don't mesh well with the traditional handicap ranking systems used by the AGA, which has officially endorsed the 4-4 as the only sanctioned handicap placement.

Lol! Have you ever looked at a joseki book? Before the addendum they have things called "chapters." And if you are interested in pro games, there are in fact hundreds if not thousands to keep you occupied. As to your last comment about handicap placement stones, it just doesn't make sense - or do you only play handicap games?

dumbrope wrote:

daal wrote:

SmoothOper wrote:...I would like to experiment with other openings, maybe 5-4 and 3-5 and tengen, but there aren't many good resources for studying these openings except maybe an addendum in a joseki book and a few odd pro games, and generally these openings don't mesh well with the traditional handicap ranking systems used by the AGA, which has officially endorsed the 4-4 as the only sanctioned handicap placement.

Lol! Have you ever looked at a joseki book? Before the addendum they have things called "chapters." And if you are interested in pro games, there are in fact hundreds if not thousands to keep you occupied. As to your last comment about handicap placement stones, it just doesn't make sense - or do you only play handicap games?

5-3 and 5-4 are my favorite first moves as white in a handicap game so I don't get the handicap game comment. In even games, I like some kind of 3-4 + 4-4 combination either as black or white, but which I choose depends on my opponent's moves. For a while I did like the 3-3 (inspired more by Sakata than Cho Chikun), but my record with it was terrible. I still may use it as white in a diagonal opening if I want a small-scale game.

Boidhre wrote:I've always liked a pair of 3-4 stones as Black purely from an aesthetic point of view, which I think is perfectly acceptable as a reason to choose them.

oren wrote:

Boidhre wrote:I've always liked a pair of 3-4 stones as Black purely from an aesthetic point of view, which I think is perfectly acceptable as a reason to choose them.

Facing each other, both on the same third line or opposite?

SmoothOper wrote:Who said you deserved white when playing me?

hyperpape wrote:

SmoothOper wrote:Who said you deserved white when playing me?

No one. You just made that up.

lemmata wrote:

hyperpape wrote:I still have no idea what you're trying to say or why you think anyone plays white against you. Seems totally disconnected from everything else.

Welcome to SmoothOper Studies 101: Intro to SmoothOper

Posting non-sequiturs is sort of SmoothOper's known smooth modus operandi. You might be happier just talking around him unless you are a mind reader. SmoothOper also has a well-known dislike for the traditional handicap placement system. Many heroes have tried to climb that wall with SmoothOper and failed. If you are the kind of enterprising student who is diligent enough and brilliant enough to handle a challenge like that, then here's...Lesson #1: Mind Reading. For what it's worth, your professor is a complete coward who is neither brave enough nor smart enough to handle that challenge.

SmoothOper wrote:I like the 3-3. Initially the smaller number of Joseki appealed to me, and of the alternate openings(3-4,3-5,5-4) it appeared to be the strongest against the 4-4, which is so popular.

3-3 is not any stronger against the 4-4 than those other moves. Perhaps SmoothOper is just talking about his own winning percentages with the 3-3 against the 4-4.

SmoothOper wrote:If go weren't so cut throat, I would like to experiment with other openings,

SmoothOper doesn't have to play competitive games all the time, he can experiment in a casual game and (gasp!) lose. We can interpret this statement as follows: He cares a little bit too much about winning and losing. This is no character flaw, but it would be useful for us know this if we have the patience to engage SmoothOper in discussion.

SmoothOper wrote:maybe 5-4 and 3-5 and tengen, but there aren't many good resources for studying these openings except maybe an addendum in a joseki book and a few odd pro games,

SmoothOper is factually wrong here. Even an older resource like Rin Kaiho's fuseki dictionary has major parts devoted to 5-4 and 3-5. He means that he personally has never read such books.

SmoothOper wrote:and generally these openings don't mesh well with the traditional handicap ranking systems used by the AGA, which has officially endorsed the 4-4 as the only sanctioned handicap placement.

The structure of this phrase strongly suggests that SmoothOper would like to play moves other than 4-4 as his black handicap stones. It makes no sense to talk about the restrictions of handicap placement with regard to scenarios in which he plays white. SmoothOper's mind likes to express his distaste for traditional handicap placement and the 4-4 whenever possible, even if it is irrelevant to the topic at hand. However, an associative connection exists between 4-4 and handicap games so I believe that in the non-deductive system that is computing in SmoothOper's mind, he is making a point.

DISCLAIMER: Mind reading is not a valid science and completely unreliable. Also, this post maybe completely inappropriate because I might be a little drunk.

leichtloeslich wrote:I have trouble thinking of professional games I've seen recently which don't feature at least one 4-4 during the first 4 moves of the game.