44 point inside contact

    Keywords: Joseki

The 3-4 contact play

What about the inside (3-4) contact play in the absence of an enclosure? (When there is an enclosure from the 4-4 point, this counts as joseki.).

Table of contents Table of diagrams
3-4 contact under a 4-4 stone
Reversal to 3-3 invasion
[Seo BongSoo] (W) vs. [Hane Naoki]
[Segoe] (W) vs [Kitani Minoru]
Segoe - Kitani (continued)
[Li Huasong] (W) - [Zhou Heyang] (B)
Li Huasong - Zhou Heyang continued

[Diagram]

3-4 contact under a 4-4 stone

This sometimes occurs in pro games, though of course it is rare compared to playing an approach or the 3-3 invasion.

The most common responses for black are the hane moves at a or b, but c and d are also played sometimes.

xela: Isn't this usually played as a ko threat or ladder breaker? Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine a full-board position where this wouldn't be worse than an approach move from the outside. (If I'm wrong, I'd love to see some examples!)

[Diagram]

Reversal to 3-3 invasion

If black choose B2, the situation may revert to the common 3-3 invasion like this.

So, what did White gain? Nothing, unless Black would prefer to block the other side after the 3-3 invasion. This naturally determines White's choice: 3-4 or 4-3? It should be such Black's resulting wall will be less useful.

xela: If black needs a wall facing the other way, won't B4 be played at W5 or at a?

I play this one often in handicap games: Black normally plays B2 at W3 to take the corner, which allows a cross-cut.


Examples

Hane at 3-3

The hane at 3-3 takes the corner, allowing the opponent a group along the side.

Had white invaded at 3-3 (B2), blocking at W1 with B2 would allow Black to make big territory on the top side.


Hane at 5-3, stretch, descent

W2 blocks from the outside, but if Black had started on the 3-3, White would have blocked at 1.

[Diagram]

Segoe - Kitani (continued)

The fighting begins.


Hane at 5-3, stretch, reversal

[Diagram]

Li Huasong? (W) - Zhou Heyang (B)

In this position, black has chosen to revert to the 3-3 invasion joseki. If the black wall were facing the other way, white+circle would be under attack, while this wall is facing a strong low white position along the upper side.

[Diagram]

Li Huasong - Zhou Heyang continued

In the continuation, white uses the aji left by the ladder in the lower left. After B20, the white atari at a is a ladder break. Black chose to take at b, allowing white to take at c.


See also:


Why is this called inside contact instead of underneath contact?


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