In the heat of a Go game, one can become myopic and only see one threat and your one group threatened.
It is very important to see all the connections and weaknesses of your groups and the same for your opponent.
Seeking for a way to look at each move with objective dispassion, I’m checking out Shygost’s Move Selection Algorithm:
I studied with Shygost a long time ago. Let’s see how good his move selection algorithm works in this position from this game:
First, let’s do the panicky stream-of-consciousness disorderly guessing game:
That A stone is pesky
If White plays at B then I’m a bit cramped. Maybe I should play at B to settle that group?
C is close to my wall
How dare White play another light stone when his C stone is not settled. I need to make him pay the price for not fearing me.
D allows me to build a nice box-like shape in the bottom left
But it’s a 3-space extension on the same line and what happens if White splits my stones? Then I lose all the territory
E allows me to build the box-like shape but with a solid structure
attacking from 2 spaces away is more safe than 1 space away and he cannot split my 2-space extension.
F obeys the adage “attack from the weaker side”
It makes my kosumi more solid. If White C17 then my group gets really cramped without playing at F. Maybe I should play this now.
H attacks the open skirt…..
but maybe I should play J first to really seal him in before attacking?
OK now let’s try the Shygost method…
Am I ok? (How many weak groups or important stones do I have? Count them and defend the weakest one.)
Ah! this is my first revelation. My panicky stream-of-consciousness worrying was about groups that might BECOME weak. I dont have any weak groups.
Is he ok? (How many weak groups or important stones does the opponent have? Count them and attack the weakest one.)
A is not OK but I would spend 3-4 moves trying to surround 1 bleeping stone
3 has multiple directions it can run. I think it’s OK
C is right next to my wall and on the 4th line, so i think this stone is not OK and one move could threaten it.
1 is an open skirt
so by attacking the open skirt at H, I will build up thickness threatening C automatically …. a dual purpose move!
KataGo nods in approval:
