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Three Three Point Invasion
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Joseki
The information on this page is meant for lower kyu players. Higher kyu and dan players are advised to look at ThreeThreePointInvasionJoseki instead.
Many weak players fear the invasion of white 1 in this diagram. Playing black, they have the idea that 'their' corner territory is taken away, and are, in a sense, correct. After white 1, it is white rather than black who will make territory in this corner. Nevertheless, black should welcome this invasion. He shouldn't see this move as an attack on his territory, as the 4-4 point is not meant to take the corner in the first place, but as an opportunity to make thickness. By invading with white 1, white is separating his stone from the rest of the board. Black, on the other hand, will get a position that will be an important factor in the far environment, if he plays correctly. Because of this, stronger players only play white 1 if the position on the edges is such that a white stone at A or B will come under attack.
To white 1 black will invariably answer with black 2 (or black 3 on the other side). White 3 prevents white's corner from becoming too small. Black 4 is an important move. With this move, black pushes white towards the side, thus reducing the size of the white corner. White plays at 5 to avoid black playing at the same spot. After white 7, black should extend at 8.
Next, white plays hane at 1, and the joseki ends with black 4. White has sente and a few points in the corner, but black's wall is like a block of concrete. His thickness controls a large part of the board. This result is regarded good for black locally, but is often white's best choice, nonetheless.
Black 1 here instead of black 8 in the joseki (2 in this diagram) is overdoing things. After white 8, black has problems.
White could also go after the black stones at the left with these moves. Either way, white has destroyed black's thickness, and has good chances of getting even more. This joseki has a few variations, most of them designed to give black the possibility to end in sente. If you want to look at them, go to the advanced article on this position, ThreeThreePointInvasionJoseki.
Scartol: I apologize if this seems like a facile question, but I'm starting to get into the 3-3 invasion, and I don't know what I'm doing. Suppose black plays the low hane instead of the high with 4. I assume white 5, but what then? Can't black come around with 6 and slam into white's corner, possibly killing it?
Bill: I think that usually W 6 is better than W 5. Adamzero: For black to make that hane is unreasonable. It could lead to many possible results, three of which I've shown, and non of which are any good for black.
The first diagram lets white make territory on the fourth line and leaves black with tons of cutting points.
The second diagram lets white live easily and gives him the aji of the clamp at a or, considering the strength of his corner, the cut at b or the hane at c if black responds to protect at d.
The third diagram leaves black with even more cutting points, and black cannot prevent white from using at least one of them, if he wishes to. JamesA: Sorry, Adamzero, but I'm not sure your analysis is correct!
I think white 5 is an overplay. Can't black cut with 6 to punish it?
White can play at 10, eliminating the cut at 'b' in your diagram, and taking away the value of 'c'. Black is now thick on the outside - I think this position is OK for black. The clamp at 'a' is a gote endgame move; if black answers with 'd', white must then play 'e'. This is only big if black tries to make territory at the top. Bill Spight: White can cut at d instead, and Black has no ladder. B 10 is better at b.
This sequence is more or less the same as the last. Black should finish up with 9, leaving very little aji for white. Black is pretty thick again. However, this is not as good as the joseki variations covered earlier.
Dieter 1d:
In answer to Black 3, Wite can also counter hane and leave the capture at 'a' for later. Black 5 is to prevent the cut at 'b'. After this joseki, White has nozoki at c and/or d. Bill: That is joseki?
How about W 1? After B 2 - W 3, Black has difficulties. a and b are miai for White to live in the corner.
B 4 fills ko.
After W 7 Black again has difficulties.
Agt: What if black plays 1 instead of 3 - Should white play 3 then ? Andre Engels: For white to play at 3 is a possibility, whether it is good depends on the situation (white is giving away the corner for a position on the side, one cannot in general say which is better). In many cases the best way to answer black 1 would be docilely answering at 2. If Black next plays at 4, white plays at 3, and has a better result than by answering at 3 immediately (she almost is guaranteed two eyes already). If instead black switches to 3 like here, capturing with white 6 provides better shape than the normal joseki would do. Author(s): This is a copy of the living page "Three Three Point Invasion" at Sensei's Library. (C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0. |