For a game of endless possibilities, it's funny how restricted my play is and how I just can't get myself to play certain moves that I know are valid for my own little reasons.
Examples:
$$Bc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]
The shimari. There are several reasons I don't like the shimari:
- Inefficient to play, especially since it's played as early as move 3 or 5. The two stones are just too close in the opening for my liking.
- An unnatural way of making territory. To me, a natural way of making territory is by attacking and gaining profit as you're pressuring your opponent's groups.
- It removes joseki possibilities. I like my hame-I mean, joseki.
$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ . a . . . , X . . |
$$ . . . . . b . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . 1 . . . . |
$$ . a . . . , X . . |
$$ . . . . . b . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]
I dislike both playing and having to respond to the low approach, both for pretty much the same reason: I know very little joseki variations off of this approach, especially outside of the two-space pincer and the kosumi response. Hence when my opponent approaches low, I almost always decide only upon 'a' or 'b'.
$$Bc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]
I don't mind influential moves like the 5-4 or even the 5-5, but there is something about the 3-5/5-3 that strikes me as silly. As a result, I don't have much experience with joseki variations like the taisha.
$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . . |
$$ . . . . O 1 X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . . . |
$$ . . . . O 1 X . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]

$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . O X X . . . |
$$ . . 1 . O . X . . |
$$ . . . a . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . O X X . . . |
$$ . . 1 . O . X . . |
$$ . . . a . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]
I don't care if you can extend one space more with this, letting my opponent have the opportunity to peep at 'a' irks me so I do the simple connect instead. I don't mind most peeps, but there is something about this peep.
$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . 1 . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wc
$$ ------------------+
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . 1 . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . , . . . |[/go]
When I approach my opponent's corner stone, I feel like I am greeting them and giving them a handshake. The ensuing joseki is us talking and interacting. But with this move I feel like I'm trying to greet someone 20 feet away. Weird example, but that's the best way I can express how I feel with this move.
What are some of yours?