3-4 point distant high approach, one-space low pincer, tenuki

  Difficulty: Expert   Keywords: Joseki
[Diagram]

White's tenuki

It is known for White to play tenuki here, after the pincer black+circle. This example is of interest in relation with the discussion at quasi-pincer.

[Diagram]

Black's plays

Black's known plays next here are at a, which was seen often in the 1930s; at b (which White may ignore again, as in a game O Rissei-Hane Yasumasa (B) 2001-05-10), or at c (played by Goto Shungo).

[Diagram]

Black's play at 'a'

This is the most common (widest path) development: now White possibly plays tenuki once more.


The interest here is that this seems to connect with the Go Seigen 'twenty-first century' ideas. By transposition, this sort of local sequence is considered:

[Diagram]

From enclosure

[Diagram]

From approach, W3 tenuki



The latter occurred in Rui Naiwei-Yi Ch'ang-ho (B) 2000-09-08.

So, a tentative connection is established between three ideas:

  1. pincers called quasi-pincer because they don't set up a sector line to cross (failure to 'convex in' the opponent);
  2. pincers called quasi-gote because they are easy to tenuki (failure to have a telling follow-up)
  3. plays under suspicion of being submissive by Go Seigen's standards.

Charles Matthews


This is a copy of the living page "3-4 point distant high approach, one-space low pincer, tenuki" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2011 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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