OGS experimental playstyle

Hello everyone,
Today I was playing a game with an opponent who had a very interesting style of play, I appear to get these games quite often here.
https://online-go.com/game/9905054

This is obviously not the traditional way to play go. And seeing this video recently makes me think that people on OGS have a unique playstyle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUYHG9kHBmA
Timestamp: 3:27

So now I have a few questions:
What are your experiences with this?
What are your opinions on this playstyle and how good/bad it is?
How would you suggest dealing with this playstyle?

Thanks,
-MrC

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All play styles by DDKs are experimental because that’s what you do in DDK: experiment. It gets refined a little in SDK, but I still barely know what’s going on. What you’re reading as a play style might just be panic. “Look at all the space my opponent has! Better throw a stone in somewhere.” Personally, I’m just starting to get over the urge to kill every stone my opponent puts down. (It’s not a win unless you get 361 points.) Most of the wild strategies you see just win through intimidation. Learn to respond calmly and then– &!*$ stop attaching to my stones I’m gonna kill everything now!

2 Likes

https://online-go.com/game/9840592

jxhe 2000 / 3000 / 4000 has very unusual playstyle. He has no fuseki. He always place stone only near other stones. Entire board is one huge tsumego for him.

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I don’t usually like to comment on game play, as I am too weak, but can’t resist this. Black’s opening seemed well played, albeit aggressive, and not unusual at all except for the shoulder hits in the corners. Indeed, I would guess that B is a lot stronger than his/her rank. Things go badly off track when B tries to do something about the center. There really seem a large gulf between his fuseki and his middle game.

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jxhe3000 seems to play this way with everyone per some other games I examined. He can win with this style against weaker players, who are intimidated or don’t read as well, but gets beat by stronger players usually. Dan players would slaughter him. This is obviously a style with a limited future, and it requires a player who reads well. One can’t improve much by playing this way.

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Playing attachments is a legitimate strategy to create aji and/or just cause mischief. If you are a player who enjoys fighting and is good at it, then this might win you games. Fighting a lot will also improve your reading, which is arguably the skill most correlated with strenght in go.
I have seen many players struggle to improve further, because they were reluctant to fight, while at the Same time complaining that their opponent doesnt even know “basic“ fuseki.

Kickaha

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I really hope it is true that ogs has attrackted players with very different playstyles. My feeling about it is that there is truth to it. My games here have been very diverse, but it might be because i also like to play different (if not experimental) openings :slight_smile:.

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I also played against this guy, so it is not just that one person with the playstyle.
https://online-go.com/game/9905301

what I see, black is helping white to make good shape.

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Though instead of being a thank you move, it is a “argghh why do you do this stop it right now” move. At least that was my reaction :slight_smile: