Avalanche - connection, tenuki variations

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Joseki
[Diagram]

White's tenuki

In the avalanche joseki, when Black connects solidly with black+circle, it is tempting for White to play tenuki because that's a slow-looking play. White will exchange W1 for B2 first, though, to protect her shape a little. Black can play B2 at a leading to other variations.

[Diagram]

Black's plays

If Black plays first here, there are a number of recognised ideas (Black a to d). Black can also think of playing on a larger scale on the top side.

[Diagram]

Black at a

Black may well first crawl with B1 and B3, to take some profit. With B5 Black makes it hard for White to get a fully-developed shape here.

[Diagram]

Black at b

The clamp play B1 here forces the issue: the subsequent wall fight is along initially predictable lines up to W8.

[Diagram]

Black at c

Playing one space further away is also seen: it invites White to make shape with W2 and W4. Pros playing White aren't always content with this, though, and there are other ideas seen.

[Diagram]

Black at d

Playing directly at the other end with B1 here is an idea out of recent Korean games. B1 aims at a pushing battle, and so Black doesn't settle the top side immediately.


There are clearly numerous possibilities in this position.


This is a copy of the living page "Avalanche - connection, tenuki variations" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2014 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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