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A Hoshi Mokuhazushi Strategy
DaveSigaty: Recently I have been playing the following combination of hoshi and mokuhazushi as white against black's Ni Ren Sei Fuseki.
This idea followed a period in which I answered B 1 and 3 with the symmetrical 2 and 'a'. This is a very common choice for W but I think it gets boring after a while. My first idea to change was to switch from 'a' to 'b' hoping to get the chance to play the Taisha Joseki (I came up with plan after reading a book on the Taisha by Ishida). There are a couple of problems with this plan:
So finally I settled on W 4 as shown above. What do you think?
The first question arises when B ignores the left in order to complete a San ren sei Fuseki on the right with 5. Should W complete a shimari in the upper left with 'a'? If not, should W continue in the upper right at 'b' or the lower right at 6? Usually I choose 6, thinking as follows:
What do you think? BillSpight: I would tend to make the shimari, expecting a wariuchi, and then play at W 6, but I think that W 6 is good, too. :-) I think that the bottom is bigger than the top. Black has a good kakari at c, but a kakari at d is not so good. ;-)
BTW, I like the kakari at B 1 for Black, given White's marked stone.
The other part of W's strategy in choosing the mokuhazushi play in the upper left is the intention to answer B 1 with the 1-space low pincer at 2. The basic idea is to press B hard and build positions on both sides, one at the top negating the influence of B's hoshi in the upper right and the other combining with W's hoshi in the bottom left. However, in practice there is a dilemma here. In playing this at the 1k level on IGS, almost always (I have reached the point of W 2 above in probably 30 games minimum in the last year) B answers at 3. This is called an inferior choice by Ishida's Joseki Dictionary (vol. 2) and I agree. Although there are alternatives for W to choose, in the simple variation shown W takes the corner and ends in sente. B can not extend any further than 9 (if even 'a', for example, W is left with the opportunity to play 9 later). W turns next to deal with the right side. The dilemma is that after encountering this same approach by B so often, I now find myself using this strategy in expectation of an inferior reply from B. Thus I have allowed myself to be seduced by the idea of a cheap advantage away from the original quite positive thinking (IMHO at least :-) that got me involved in this strategy to begin with. So what do you think:
Interestingly enough (at least to me! :-) Go Seigen analyzes this position in "A Way of Playing Go for the 21st Century". There are (at least) two very interest points:
First he tosses out this position in setting the stage... "The standard Black response has been the territorial play at 5 (komoku). After White 6, Black would play kosumi with 7, attempting to get the best of it with this strong shape. However, this would allow White to occupy the big point (oba) of 8, so White would have a lot to hope for as well." From 1.6 Nirensei vs 5-3 Point Which is completely different from how I've been looking at the situation for the last year or so :-)
His main point, however, is that 5 here rather than 'a' "is simple and clear, and won't result in a loss, so I think it is very interesting."
Go then presents his analysis of choices available including: - Why 3 instead of 'a'? ('a' is too slow) - Why 5 instead of the normal joseki move at 'b'? (better balance) - Why 5 instead of the normal pincer at 'c'? (because White is willing to let Black build a wall and wants to counter it from a distance) - Why 6 instead of the normal joseki move at 'd'? (because 'd' falls into White's plan to allow Black to build a wall in gote and then take the initiative elsewhere) - If indeed Black 'd' why White should use the submissive 'e' instead of the normal joseki move at 'f'? (because if Black responds correctly the "time-honored warlike joseki" of 'f' followed by the cut is not interesting for White) - Etc. - some of the analyses runs along for over 40 moves from this position. "A Way of Play for the 21st Century" is all about different ways to look at Go. Nevertheless, this is one nice example (among many) of rejecting the joseki books and relying on an analysis of the whole position on the board and the opportunities that it offered. DaveSigaty: I am not too modest to report that this strategy has now received perhaps the ultimate accolade in amateur Go!! Yes, it is true. Hikaru used my fuseki in volume 9 of Hikaru No Go. Specifically he plays it as White in his game against Hon Suyon, the Korean Kenkyusei (insei). Although it is not possible to tell from the manga, the new Hikaru No Go Gorgeous Character Guide gives the game diagram - see below.
White: Shindo Hikaru
Black: Hon Suyon
We still haven't identified the original source of this game so if it looks familiar post what you know on Hikaru No Go Games, thanks. This is a copy of the living page "A Hoshi Mokuhazushi Strategy" at Sensei's Library. (C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0. |