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4-4 point - contact play on the slide
    Keywords: Joseki

[Diagram]
Diag.: Not joseki

Black 4 is an example of a non-joseki continuation of this standard variation. This idea occurs also when Black 2 is played at a. The joseki play is at b. Black's tenuki is possible, but the contact play is hardly ever justified


[Diagram]
Diag.: White's first option

White's first good idea is to play 1 here. Black will have to sacrifice the marked stone.


[Diagram]
Diag.: White's corner ponnuki is too good

Generally it isn't good for Black to give up the corner this way. White lives quickly - the ponnuki gives good shape in sente, and White can now turn to the outside.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Special plan by Black

For Black to play 4 this way instead is just about imaginable in special circumstances. White presumably connects the ko immediately with 7, for a good local result. Black would feel that the marked stone was inefficient, normally. If Black urgently needed to defend, taking sente and then playing a might possible make sense.


[Diagram]
Diag.: White's second option

In fact White has another way to play here, with 1 and 3 making strong shape on the top side. White has the choice of good direction here. That accounts for the rarity of the contact play in high-level games.

Charles Matthews



This is a copy of the living page "4-4 point - contact play on the slide" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.