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joseki repertoire for mid-kyu players
  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Opening, Joseki

These are recommendations to get started with joseki study.

The main corner openings in modern go are the 4-4 point and 3-4 point: concentrate on those. An adequate result with the 3-5 point and 4-5 point can be had by invading at the 3-3 point for life. Against the 3-3 point, the shoulderhit at 4-4 is usually enough.

4-4 point

[Diagram]
Diag.: Normal approach

The ordinary approach at 1 is typically good enough. The choice between 1 and a is worth thinking about.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Prefer the open side

The presence of the marked white stone should make Black prefer to approach on the 'open' side - from outside White's framework.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Under immediate pressure

If Black plays on the other side, White has an immediate chance to attack with White 2. This makes White's marked stone work well. This is worse for Black unless he has a way to counter-attack against the marked stone.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Be constructive

If Black can build a framework himself, that should determine the direction. Here Black 1 and 3 develop a framework based on the marked stone in the right-hand corner. Black 3 could also be at a, but playing on the third line is easier for a kyu player to understand.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Not constructive

The joseki used by Black here is the other major one to study. But in this case the feeling is negative. It is better to play Black 1 at 2. White cannot take the whole side easily. (You will often see dan players using joseki this way; but it doesn't mean that's good. See more at closed side - closed mind.)


[Diagram]
Diag.: Invade after a pincer

If White plays a pincer, for example with White 2 which is currently popular, Black 3 to make life in the corner is rarely bad.



3-4 point

[Diagram]
Diag.: Low approach

Approaching the corner stone on the third line is the classical play. These days the fourth line approach is used at least as often; but this is still a good play aiming to contest territory and make life.


[Diagram]
Diag.: No problem for Black

White can play simply and safely with 2, but then Black 3 is certainly good enough, to make a base. [1]



HolIgor: This position is questionable in my opinion. Is it worth it to play komoku if the result is this plain? Ishida recommends one to play 2 in the situation when the opponent (Black) has thickness in the lower part of the board and 2 is directed there to erase it. Otherwise White has to choose a move that creates some pressure on the black stone, like the Shusaku kosumi, for example. The continuation may be as follows:

[Diagram]
Diag.: Shusaku kosumi

White 6 is a cautious move that protects agains cuts. If on 4 Black plays the two-space extension, then his stone would be too close to the pillar. Playing 3 as on the diagram invites an invasion at a, though... Which is fun to play out and check what is the result.

Bill: White 4 is normally bad, making Black 3 the ideal extension.

Charles Matthews NB that Black's extensions to b and to c are used by top players, so that this position isn't really so simple.

Of course, I don't recommend that White simply extends. The point of the diagram is to introduce the idea that normally this isn't enough for White.[2]

But it is also not enough to recommend that people read Ishida. And even to play the Shusaku kosumi correctly requires some strength.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Pincer

A pincer such as White 2 is better for White in most positions. There can be many variations now.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Play 3-3 to settle

Now Black 3 is a reasonable idea with any pincer. After White 4, Black 5 creates miai at a and b (so if White a now, Black plays counter-atari at b rather than connecting). This is a basic idea to settle a group here.

Icepick asks: What kind of continuation results from this?


[Diagram]
Diag.: Possible continuation

Am I on the right track here? If so, please explain, it doesn't look like Black benefits as much as White.

Charles Matthews Yes, see the counter-atari page.


[Diagram]
Diag.: High approach

For the high approach, this sequence is recommended for both sides.



[1]

Bill: Black 3 is too close, as a rule. I would not call it joseki.

[Diagram]
Diag.: Black overconcentrated

Charles Matthews There is an example where Hashimoto Utaro plays it, so it's not impossible. Extending one line further to a is safe enough since Black's kikashi starting at b are available in any fight.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Comparable?

For about a decade, pros have been playing 3 here directly, without the slide to a. This has to be about the whole-board position. Locally speaking Black can make White over-concentrated in the same way; but also stronger. Therefore I feel that this isn't quite a clear-cut discussion



[2]

[Diagram]
Diag.: Pro continuation

Footnote With best play, Black should react more forcefully, anyway. Black 1 to 5 are from pro games, and then Black 7 is safe but optional (White 7, Black a ko).

Charles Matthews



This is a copy of the living page "joseki repertoire for mid-kyu players" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.