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ThicknessExamples
ThicknessExample2
ThicknessExample4
44PointOneSpaceLo...
44PointJosekis

 

Thickness example 1
    Keywords: Strategy

[Diagram]
Thickness arising from a sansan invasion

Black has the hoshi stone and the marked stone in place. White approaches with the keima kakari at 1. Black answers with the pincer at 2. White jumps into the corner with 3, and up to 8 the sequence is very common. White has thus taken territory but Black has created a group, consisting of a wall 4-6-hoshi, virtually connected to 2 and 8. The marked stone provides for sufficient space to make eyes for the group. The black configuration is strong and influences the center and the right side.



Charles Matthews Considering that Black's formation can be cut, and in several ways, this isn't such a good first example.

[Diagram]
Takemiya's thick play

The marked black stone creates a thick position, and is the kind of play seen in games of Takemiya. Even so, White has a possible forcing play here, at a.


[Diagram]
The typical cut

White can certainly cut bluntly with 1 and 3 here. Black in fact normally reacts by running back at 3 instead of blocking at 2. Therefore it is quite usual for White to cut right through.

By the way, it would be more usual to see the marked stone on the fourth line, as shown here. Otherwise Black's framework can be reduced quite easily, by a shoulderhit.


[Diagram]
An attempt to force Black

Another interesting way available here is the contact play White 1. White will only play this when a solid answer such as Black a looks passive: i.e., when White is happy as long as White 1 is kikashi. This move has been used by top players.



This is a copy of the living page "Thickness example 1" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.