If you capture a stone and don’t get an additional eye you probably not gaining a small advantage through that move but are doing an even exchange.
I think you are being too general. But discussions such as this should happen about concrete positions; it’s too easy to talk past each other when speaking in the abstract.
You don’t really need concrete positions to discuss what gets considered as general go theory.
To take the relevant proverb, ponnuki is supposed to be worth 30 points. Of course you can find examples where ponnuki isn’t worth 30 points, I however wouldn’t consider those relevant enough to drop the proverb.
My objection to your original statement was the specificity about gaining eyes. Yes, a ponnuki is strong, but it’s not necessarily a guaranteed eye. There’s more to strength than eyes. That’s what I was trying to say and apparently failed miserably at.
I am 1d AGA FWIW. Just for fun, I feel like guessing your level based off this conversation. :) I’m guessing you’re probably between 5-10k, but 10% chance you’re weaker than that, 20% chance you’re 1-5k, and 10% chance you’re same level/stronger than me. What level are you?
Okay, I accept that point. However the main point I wanted to make is that a mistake usually not only leads you to lose points locally but also leads you to lose strength.
If the mistake would only lead to the local loss of points than I would speak about linear development. The fact that you however also get strength when you are making points (especially through actions such as capturing stones) suggests to me that the effect is larger than linear.
What level are you?
As written above I’m 1 kyu in Germany. At least that was my ranking when I played regularly two years ago.
captured stone != eye (not always!)
eye != additional strength (not always, anyway—only weak groups need eyes, and they only need two, a third one doesn’t make them stronger)
If you capture a stone and don’t get an additional eye you probably not gaining a small advantage through that move but are doing an even exchange.
In the end game you are right that additional strength through more eyes doesn’t really exist. In the middle game it however often does.
Beginner games are a bit different because beginners often overconcentrate their stones and then an added eye won’t do any good.
I think you are being too general. But discussions such as this should happen about concrete positions; it’s too easy to talk past each other when speaking in the abstract.
You don’t really need concrete positions to discuss what gets considered as general go theory.
To take the relevant proverb, ponnuki is supposed to be worth 30 points. Of course you can find examples where ponnuki isn’t worth 30 points, I however wouldn’t consider those relevant enough to drop the proverb.
By the way, what your Go ranking?
My objection to your original statement was the specificity about gaining eyes. Yes, a ponnuki is strong, but it’s not necessarily a guaranteed eye. There’s more to strength than eyes. That’s what I was trying to say and apparently failed miserably at.
I am 1d AGA FWIW. Just for fun, I feel like guessing your level based off this conversation. :) I’m guessing you’re probably between 5-10k, but 10% chance you’re weaker than that, 20% chance you’re 1-5k, and 10% chance you’re same level/stronger than me. What level are you?
Okay, I accept that point. However the main point I wanted to make is that a mistake usually not only leads you to lose points locally but also leads you to lose strength. If the mistake would only lead to the local loss of points than I would speak about linear development. The fact that you however also get strength when you are making points (especially through actions such as capturing stones) suggests to me that the effect is larger than linear.
As written above I’m 1 kyu in Germany. At least that was my ranking when I played regularly two years ago.