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4-4 point high approach
    Keywords: Joseki

[Diagram]
High approach

The high approach to the 4-4 point at W1 is usually played with the intention of setting a framework on the right of W1. One characteristic of this high approach is that it tends to give black a sizable amount of fixed territory.

A common answer by black to W1 will be a.




[Diagram]
Joseki

B2 is one common play. W3 and W5 aims to reduce the corner territory, and then followed by W7 or around the region of a to build up a framework. If there is already a white stone at a, W7 is sometimes played at b. Because of the monkey jump at c, white's territory at the top cannot be said to be large.




Discussion

[Diagram]
Joseki

The other usual joseki is B2 and B4. Black gets even more territory at the expense of making white very solid outside. If there is already a white stone at the vicinity of W7, then W7 may consider playing at a point around a.

BobMcGuigan: I'm not sure the sequence shown in the previous diagram should be called joseki. The problem is that Black's territory in the corner isn't secure and White's stones on the top have been strengthened. And there is very bad aji in the corner, for example:

[Diagram]
Bad aji



There are many variations after W1 but the best black can do is get a ko or else leave very bad aji. Here are some illustrative diagrams:

[Diagram]
Ko



[Diagram]
Not much better

Now a white move at a looks troublesome.



[Diagram]
Hane? White lives.



[Diagram]
Black kills with bad aji

After B8 White has the aji of the moves a through e and Black may prefer the results in one of the earlier diagrams.



So I doubt that the attachment underneath is really a joseki unless the surrounding position is right.

Velobici: It may be that the attachment underneath is a misapplication of the well known 3-4 point one space high approach joseki. In that joseki there is less room available to White should she decide to invade the corner, as a result Black's corner is secure.

In my opinion the proper joseki is to respond to the high approach with a one space jump as in

[Diagram]
Joseki

If White strengthens herself, as in the second diagram on this page, Black still gets a lot of corner territory, with no bad aji. After attaching underneath it would be bad for Black to remove the aji of the move at the 3 - 3 point right away as that would be gote and White would have been strengthened.



Sanz: I saw this type of "punishing move" in a book. a would also work.

[Diagram]
Joseki



[Diagram]
Joseki

IaGo: my dictionary suggests this, with a possible extension at a, and W3 at B4 being possible depending on ladders...

It seems a little more secure in the corner.

Charles I don't see any examples of this by pros.

How about 6 at b to make the ThreeCrows? Too overconcentrated?

unkx80: Thanks all for correcting my misconceptions on this joseki.


Kirk: What about pincers? In particular, the low one-space pincer at a always seems to cause me trouble. I generally play the one-space high approach when I have influence in the upper right (facing left), but this low pincer always seems to disrupt my plans: it prevents a large moyo and is hard to attack when the thickness is so far away.

[Diagram]
High approach, low pincer



Kirk: Here's an example from one of my [ext] dragon games. Any suggestions for a good continuation after c12?

[Diagram]
Game example



[Diagram]
Continuation 1

Kirk: Here's one continuation I considered. I guess this result is okay. As black, I'm very concerned about utilizing my influence at the bottom, so I don't like white to get a position on the left. Nevertheless, the thinness of white's position at the top coupled with the fact that I can probably engineer a splitting attack against that and the lower right white group (after a) makes this look playable.



[Diagram]
Continuation 2

Kirk: Here white blocks on the other site. I'm not sure 8 is right -- actually there doesn't seem to be a good shape for white here. White still seems to have a lot of potential on the left, and black's influence still isn't doing anything. I guess a-d follows fairly logically (at least to me! :-)





This is a copy of the living page "4-4 point high approach" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.