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3-3 Point Invasion
Path: InvasionItinerary · Prev: AutomaticInvasionAtThe34Point · Next: 33PointInvasionJoseki
Keywords: Joseki
The information on this page is meant for weaker kyu players. Stronger kyu and dan players are advised to look at 3-3 Point Invasion Joseki 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. Black shouldn't see this move as an attack on Black's territory, as the 4-4 point is not meant to take the corner in the first place, but as an opportunity to make thickness, and balanced between territory and influence. The invasion by White 1 leaves it separated from the rest of the board by the Black stone on the 4-4 point. By playing correctly, Black, on the other hand, will get a position that will be an important factor in the far environment. 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.
Prevention
The usual way to protect is a stretch (nobi) at 1 or a depending on where friendly stones are nearby. Similarly, one space jumps (ikkentobi) b or c, or the diagonal (kosumi) d can be used, though they are seen less frequently.
Invasion Joseki
To White 1 Black will invariably answer with Black 2 (or Black at 3, on the other side). White 3 ensures that White's corner will not be too small. Black 4 is an important move. With this play, 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. Black's thickness controls a large part of the board. This result is regarded as 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 attack 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 of ending in sente. If you want to look at them, visit the advanced article on this position.
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 White 6 is better than White 5. Adamzero: For Black to make that hane is unreasonable. It could lead to many possible results, three of which I've shown, and none 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 get the aji of the clamp at a or, considering the strength of White's 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 desired. 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. Black 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, White 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 White 1? After Black 2 - White 3, Black has difficulties. Now a and b are miai for White to live in the corner.
Black 4 fills the ko. After White 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 answer to Black 1 would be the docile response at 2. If Black next plays at 4, White plays at 3, and has a better result than by answering at 3 immediately (White 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. mat Very often I ask myself if a 3-3 point invasion still works in the presence of more than one black stone. I've set up a page to discuss which of those work and which don't: 3-3 Point - When Does It Work Authors: Andre Engels, Adamzero, JamesA Path: InvasionItinerary · Prev: AutomaticInvasionAtThe34Point · Next: 33PointInvasionJoseki This is a copy of the living page "3-3 Point Invasion" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |