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44Point33Invasion...
44PointJosekis

 

4-4 point 3-3 invasion, jumping away
  Difficulty: Dan level   Keywords: Joseki

[Diagram]
A new move

This choice of B1 is a relatively modern move, which became quite popular in the 1990s. Its aim is to get sente. A black stone at a is more or less required, but in this joseki it is almost always present anyway. White invariably answers at 2. Black 3 next is the proper move; Black b is a bit of an overplay. After this, White can choose between c and d.


[Diagram]
Overplay

As stated above, B3 is an overplay. Although the white group is confined to the corner after B9, the aji of White a is unpleasant for Black.


[Diagram]
Game example

B1 was played by Chang Hao against Ma Xiaochun in the 1999 Qisheng match. As in the other variations of this joseki, Black's intention was to get a wall in sente.


[Diagram]
Joseki

W4 is the most common continuation after B3. The continuation to B9 is joseki, after which White will either secure the position with W10 or play tenuki. There exist examples of Black playing B7 at B9, leaving aji at the top in exchange for more influence in the center.


[Diagram]
Not sente

If White does not play at W10 in the previous diagram, B1 is not sente: White cannot be killed. But capturing a stone in sente with B3 and B5 of course gives Black a very strong position, while the white corner is reduced to about 5 points.


[Diagram]
White's follow-up

If White does play the marked stone, Black will not answer it - if Black does intend to answer it, Black would have done better to play the old variation. White's follow-up will probably be W1 and W3 here. This also shows why the BC stone is important. Without it, White would play the double hane at B4 rather than W3, which would not be to Black's liking.


[Diagram]
The second option

White's second option is to play at W1 immediately, without first playing hane at B4 and connecting. White will however have to take the possibility of B4 in account - this is not a small move. This variant was played between Hane Yasumasa (Black) and Fujisawa Hideyuki in the 1991 Oza match.



Author: Andre Engels



This is a copy of the living page "4-4 point 3-3 invasion, jumping away" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.