When the opening stage has finished and I am looking for large points to play, various points present themselves to me, and I get confused about which is best. What is the right way of thinking to solve this problem? Consultation One: by Mr.Saito The opening and the middle game are related, so it’s very hard to judge when the opening has come to a conclusion. The key point is the relative strength and weakness of stones. First of all, you should check to see if there are any groups that have no eyes, either your own or your opponent’s. If you have one, you should think about how to cover your weakness; if the opponent has one, you should develop a strategy to secure profit in the vicinity by taking aim at the group. Rather than looking for large points, look for urgent points. This principle should be a big help in guiding your choice of moves. Simply expanding your own territory or securing life by making eye shape won’t provide you with that ‘plus alpha’, but you can make surprisingly large gains by taking aim at your opponent’s weak positions. Another good idea when you can’t think of a good strategy is to put yourself in your opponent’s shoes. Ask yourself when you would play next if you were the opponent. This should help you decide your own move.