Another Day, Another Game- Reflections on Game Mentality

"Only the body is shed; the mind remains forever in the maze of nineteen lines."

This afternoon I settled down to play on kgs after a couple days of teaching go to some friends and playing through Shusaku games. The irresistible urge to express myself on the board had summoned me, once more. I found my match in a 4 kyu, after being turned down again and again because I don't have a steady rating yet (I dislike playing on the computer because I start to get distracted and careless.) The game was going well for quite some time, but I encountered some trouble towards the late middle game. In the end, I lost by 3.5 points, and now that I'm sitting here, reflecting on the game, I find myself mulling over the same old question: do I compromise too easily?

Today's match was ultimately lost because due to a careless calculation in an attempt to compromise, my plans in the center went a little awry, and I just couldn't let go. As the action settled into its final formation, I played a lukewarm move at best, and handed sente over to the opponent. From that point on there was free movement of probably 18 points, which served to turn the tide. In the end, I failed to commit to an endgame fight, already feeling down as I was, and then the game was over. All said and done, my endgame cost around 30 points of exchange. Maybe more.

Between the three problems that got me in trouble, one was cowardice, the other was faulty reading, and the final was the decision to make an easy compromise. Well, clearly cowardice and faulty reading are things that we work on for a long time. But the decision to compromise is a game to game thing. Willingness to compromise, I think, says something gentle about your mentality. However, as we all know, a gentle or watery mentality is not too welcome in a good game of go.

As go players, we have to understand that through any good exchange, both players get something. This is an unalterable fact, and trying to take everything for oneself won't get you anywhere in the go world. Still, it seems to me that we also have to be really smart about our compromises, and perhaps even more than a willingness to compromise, demonstrate a willingness to hang tough and take the risk in an attempt to prove our own visions of the board. The attitudes of "Let's see what you've got," or, "show me what you have in mind- I can take it" are wonderful attitudes that produce an exciting and healthy game, in my opinion.

What I'm wondering is if it's possible to create some guidelines on when to compromise and let the opponent take valuable stones in order to wall off an important area, create a new attack, or change your focus.

Guideline # 1: Obviously if your position is going to be cut apart, or strangled, you have to loose some stones, and hanging tough is not an option. I'm not sure if this one is really a compromise situation, but I figured I'd get it out of the way.

Guideline # 2: If you're letting the opponent take stones that give them life, or a much easier time, be certain that what you're getting in exchange is decently greater than the worth of a continued attack on your opponent's stones.

Guideline # 3: If the compromise gives you an additional move or two at an important time, then it's a good compromise to consider. Sente can easily be worth more than the safety of an already powerful or troublesome enemy group, and the value of sente can easily outweigh the worth of a couple stones.

Guideline # 4: (and this is something that gets me) If you're securing an area, make sure that you can finish securing the area at the end of your last forcing move. If your opponent can invade before you can finish, then the compromise was a bad idea- chances are hanging tough or following a different sequence was the only option.

Guideline # 5: If you're on equal or superior grounds, and don't have an urgent move (you've got a bit of a lead, perhaps) if after the compromise your opponents structure is stronger than your own, the compromise is probably a bad idea, and you should look on for a tesuji or another line of play.

I think that's all that I've figured out for now. If you're wondering about the kinds of situations what I'm talking about would occur in, think more about wrap up moves that aren't too threatening, or lukewarm ones in situations where you're ahead, as well as times when your opponent makes a strong cut into your territory, rather than about the use of sacrifice stones-- although some of these guidelines may apply there, also.

I'd be very interested in what everyone thinks of this. While I appreciate my opponent's skill, I hate the feeling that I let them off the hook through the kindness of my own heart.

Keep eating wisdom,

-Zack