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BQM31ModernDouble...

 

BQM31
    Keywords: Joseki, Question

This happened in a game of mine. I am White. Please review.

[Diagram]
Diag.: A noseki ?

White had played the double approach to the star point. Kogo's Joseki Dictionary says that Black should get out with the kosumi (on the other hand, actual practice says...BQM31 Modern Double Kakari). However, he attached (tsuke). At move 5 I expected him to play at 7, because if White then cuts, Black sacrifices 1 and 3 and walks along the fourth line. To my surprise he played kosumi-tsuke and, applying my BasicInstinct, I played nobi. He then blocked the corner, leaving a very tempting cutting point.

(From the point of view of standard shape, White 6 should be played one point lower Charles Matthews)

As so often, I muttered "must ... resist ... temptation" (c) Dilbert, but I fell for it and played the cut. Let me first show the alternative I had in mind.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Peaceful alternative

White 1 reinforces the group and protects against the cut. Black must come back to protect against his cut, and then White plays on the other side. One cannot deny that the Black group has awkward shape; but on the other hand, considering White having played twice in a row and Black playing what seemed to be a bad move (5 in first diagram), I felt this variation to be too soft.


[Diagram]
Diag.: WAR

WAR, o-u-o-u-o-u-oh, what is it good for ? (Absolutely nothing).



HolIgor:

[Diagram]
Diag.: Push to the other side

[Diagram]
Diag.: Push to the other side


Black took some time to play 8, which indeed seems to me the strongest move.

[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation

This was the alternative for Black 8 in the previous diagram. Now White is faced with a soft option b and an aggressive one a, which again seems best.


[Diagram]
Diag.: The game

Making ko in the corner was a very attractive prospect.


[Diagram]
Diag.: continuation 1

Black 1 and White 4 were intended to be local ko-threats.


[Diagram]
Diag.: continuation 2

White 3 dissolved the ko with relatively good aji and Black's influence seems inferior (but not much) to White's 30-point corner.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Aji (4 at marked)

Still, White will soon have to capture the cutting stones, otherwise Black makes either small life in the corner like in this diagram or ...


[Diagram]
Diag.: Aji (4 at marked)

... turns the corner into an approach ko.

DaveSigaty: I think there is no ko here. Black can not make an eye in the corner and can not squeeze White effectively enough on both the top and the right to prevent White from capturing the black stones in time.


[Diagram]
Diag.: continuation 1 - variation

DaveSigaty: I am wondering what about White playing at 1 here instead of using 3 as a ko threat? After 5, White 7 looks like just the right spot (if Black a then White b and if Black b, White a follows).

Despite 2 and 4 it does not look like Black can attack the right side white stones very effectively while the capture at c remains. If Black d, White e looks good enough and if Black e then White can cut across at d.

If Black plays on the left after 5 then I think he will find it difficult to find an effective ko threat when White uses 7 to retake the ko.



Always one should seek the most simple variation. Reading this page I felt the need to add it myself. Usualy simple is best, there is no need to think complicate unless the simple things don't work. So...

[Diagram]
Diag.: The simple way

White is afraid of the cut with Black 4 because now he doesn't have a liberty anymore at 1. But still Black cannot cut with 4. All White has to do is play hane with 5 and connect. Now if Black defends the corner White captures with a. Or if Black defends 4 White plays b.

This is the same with the first diagram of Mr. Holigor. He added a few more moves and I have to say White is definitely better in that diagram. His territory is better than the black influence. And further, he has sente. Even if the ladder works for Black, White can always play a shicho-atari (ladder breaker).


[Diagram]
Diag.: Still the simple way

The only problem seems to be the black move at 8. But now White plays atari at 9 and still has a and b.

The idea in this position is that the black corner is too weak to attack White. And that White should not play atari on the stone 4 until he knows which atari to play.

Lucretiu Calota 5 dan from Romania



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