Attacking from a safe distance

The diagram to the right shows the beginning of a nine stone handicap game on a 19x19 board.

White 1 is a direct challenge to a framework link. Black 2 strengthens the weakest framework stone. It prevents White from playing there and thus isolating the corner stone. White 3 ensures that the white group has an escape route into the centre of the board.

Black 4 strengthens what is now the weakest framework stone and helps undermine the white group's eye space. So White tries to settle his stones with white 5. Note that contact plays are often a good way to defend rather than attack. Black 6 is a calm response keeping the framework stone strong and retaining the initiative.

White 7 draws back. Black 8 extends in order to undermine the white group as well as to add strength to the corner stone.

White 9 is a dubious move because it starts a second weak group close to the first, but White's justification is that of occupying a sufficient portion of the board to win. White could instead carry on settling the weak stones but this would be easy for Black to handle! Black 10 correctly strengthens the weakest framework stone. White 11 runs towards the centre. But, whilst maintaining the framework link to the centre, black 12 attacks both white groups at once.

White 13 runs, but black 14 blocks. No doubt White will make at least some of these stones live in one way or another, but because Black has kept strong and maintained the attack at a sensible distance, so far White has had little chance to do anything else.