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34PointJosekis

 

3-4 point distant low approach, shoulderhit
  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Joseki

[Diagram]
The shoulderhit

W1 is played to avoid a black pincer (see 3-4 point distant low approach) . Black answers with B2, which emphasizes the left side. White usually tries to make a base and territory with W3.

In a Kobayashi formation where Black has a stone at a or b, the logic of B2 is clear.


[Diagram]
Pushing up

W1 and W3 form an alternative. White can play this way if Black is strong in both directions; its main intention is to stop Black from getting too strong, rather than create something for oneself. Black can take the corner with a move at B5, reverting to a 3-4 point distant high approach joseki, or fight back with B4. In this joseki, White takes influence towards the top, black influence towards the left and territory in the corner. Black may play tenuki after W9; if he does choose to further strengthen his position here, black a is most usual. Locally, this looks better for Black, but on the board as a whole, White has succeeded in foiling Black's plans of building a large moyo.


[Diagram]
Standard

However, the usual answer is W3 here. Black has three different answers, from a to c. Black a builds up the left side, Black b tries to build a position on the top while attacking, Black c may be either aimed towards building thickness or towards attacking.



[Diagram]
Pushing

B1 has a clear objective - black wants to make a wall facing the left side. With B3 and B5 he continues in the same manner. White can decide to exchange White a for Black b or c after B3 or B5.


[Diagram]
Jumping after the push

B3 is another move that is often played here. This is one possible variation, there are several more. The timing of W4 is an issue here - it is sometimes delayed until after W6, or not played at all.



[Diagram]
Attack

B1 attempts to attack White. Black needs to have some support in the upper right to play this move.


[Diagram]
Into the corner

Instead of fighting like above, Black can choose to confine White to the corner as in the sequence here.


[Diagram]
Attack

Nowadays, W2 here is more common. The turning point in this joseki comes at W6. Here White strengthens herself, creating a group on the top side , allowing Black to take the left side.


[Diagram]
Attack (2)

White's second choice is to jump into the center, and find the space for her group there. Black will usually make territory on the right with B4 after exchanging B2 for W3 (there is usually a black stone at or around a in this joseki). The sequence to 7 follows, where black creates a group on the top, while White develops towards the center. If Black wants to attack from the topside, playing B4 at 5 is the move.



[Diagram]
Building thickness

If Black wants to build thickness, he plays B1 and B3. The sequence that follows is long but has few branches.[1]


[Diagram]
Building thickness (2) - 7 and 9 connect

[Diagram]
Building thickness (3) - 7 and 9 connect

In this sequence White takes the corner and sente, while Black builds thickness.


[Diagram]
Attack? (Black 11 at 'a', White 12 at 'b')

Black can also play B3 here. B1 now becomes an attacking move similar to what Black 1 at 6 would have been. Here is one variation.


Fuseki thoughts

[Diagram]
Kobayashi fuseki

White often plays this approach in the context of the Kobayashi fuseki, meaning that the marked black stone is present - in fact in that case this has become the standard way. In that case B1 is at least as common as the diagonal play at a, with the obvious meaning that Black gives priority to building up the left side. See 3-4 point distant low approach shoulderhit.



[1] Actually this sequence is somewhat contentious, still, rather than joseki. When there is a further black stone on the left side, as often happens in the Kobayashi formation, Black should avoid it as overconcentrated. There are also some other possibilities in the second diagram. Charles Matthews


Question by Dieter.



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