Creating bases and running to the center

Living on the side requires more stones than living in a corner. But sides have a lot of good territory to offer if you can figure out how to occupy them. Many times, you will attempt to grab territory on a side between two corners that your opponent has claimed. (If you don't break up the control of 2 adjacent corners, then your opponent will strengthen the side between then and claim it all!)

Here is a basic scenario:

1. Game Begins.
2. Opponent claims 2 corners while you claim 2 others.
3. You grab the star point on the side between your opponent's corners. Your intent is to grab part of the side.
4. Your opponent tries to stop your invasion on one side, while adding some strength to the corner.
5. You extend out toward the opposite corner to claim the area between your 2 stones and threaten the corner as well. This is known as a base or moyo or framework.
6. Now that you have a base, some time during the game you will need to defend it and make 2 eyes (while your opponent tries to stop you). With luck, you will end up with something like this:
7. That didn't get you a ton of territory, but it did reduce the area your opponent can claim. What if it looks like you won't be able to make 2 eyes? If things go bad, run to the center (using 1-point jumps or however you can)! The point is that the moyo you made will live if it is connected to stones with eyes in the middle, or some other group you have in a corner or side that also ran to the middle. Here, a failed invasion on the right side runs to the middle and tries to connect to that moyo on the bottom.
8. You can see that if the stones on the right connect with the bottom, they will be alive and will threaten white's right corner and side. If not, they have no eyes and are likely to be captured.

So, build bases on the side to invade and reduce your opponent's territory. When your opponent attacks your base, try to make 2 eyes. If possible, leave some room (and unsurrounded stones) to let you "run to the middle" in case your base can't make 2 eyes. Running to the middle also allows you other groups to attempt to run to the middle to connect with each other, share eyes, and all live!

BONUS NOVELTY: Here's a cool shape that is alive, even though it has a false eye in the middle. I could imagine something like this being created when 2 bases run to the middle and you opponent almost stops them from connecting: