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E 4. On the other hand, C 3 and E 5 are bad, because the territory which is obtained by C 3 is too small, and the adversary would reply to E 5 with D 4, by means of which E 5 would be cut off from the margin. Of moves that are good D 3–C 4 are the surest, and most frequently used. E 4–D 5 formerly were the favorite moves, but the preceding moves are now preferred to them. E 3–C 5 are seldom used. All of this, of course, applies to the corresponding points in the other three corners.

5. C 4.

6. Q 6. Corresponding to No. 4, this move should have been played at R 5 or Q 5, but White plays on Q 6, because if he played on Q 5, Black would have replied at R 10 or R 9, and later White P 5 and Black O 4 would have followed, with the result that White has nothing, while Black has obtained two positions, one on O–Q and the other on R.

7. O4. Beginners would have replied to Q 6 with Q 5 or R 5. They attack their opponent at close quarters from the beginning, because they cannot take in the whole field at a glance. Their entire effort is to absorb the last stone that their opponent has played. When two beginners play together the battle moves slowly from a corner out over the board, and one side of the board is entirely filled with stones, while the other is completely empty. This is a sure sign of bad play. In the beginning the good players spread their stones over the board as much as possible, and avoid close conflicts.

8. D 15. The position D 15–D 17 is very strong, and players like to take it. This applies, of course, to the corresponding positions in other parts of the board, of which there are seven; i.e., C 16–E 16, Q 3–Q 5, etc. As soon as one player gets a position of the kind his opponent often takes a similar position on the next move in order to balance the advantage gained by his adversary; this is something like castling in Chess.