3-4 point high approach outside contact, tsukenobi main line

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Joseki
[Diagram]
Preparing for a fight  

With B5, Black prepares for a fight: W8 accepts the invitation, although White still has the possibility to settle quietly. This is the strongest way for both players to play after B5.

[Diagram]
Quiet alternative  

B9 is not a common move, but it is still sometimes played. There is something paradoxical in first playing the sharp variation with B3 and B5, and then settling for an easy resolution with B9. W10 makes nice shape (see hanging connection to the second line as good shape).

[Diagram]
Impossible  

Playing atari from the other side instead of W10 in the first diagram is wrong, and leads to White's own destruction. The tesuji of B4 brings White to her knees. The question is not whether, but where White is going to lose some vital stones.

[Diagram]
Continuation  

Up to B5, the joseki continues unbranched. After this, White can choose between a, b and c.


[Diagram]
Compromise  

W1 is the compromise move. In general it is regarded slightly better for Black, but if Black has some stones to help his thickness on the left side, this may well be better for white than getting attacked as in the other variations.

B2 is a nice probe - Black waits to see how White answers. If white plays at a, Black defends at b in sente. If White connects at W3, Black plays at B4, having the sequence in the next diagram in hand. Once White has descended to W1, Black should have no qualms about sacrificing the two marked stones if White pushes through at b and cuts.

After the previous diagram, B1 through W6 are a nice sente sequence for Black.


[Diagram]
Push through and cut  

The aggressive cut of W3 is considered to be White's best move. After B10, Black lives. White can next choose to play White a to settle the top, probably followed by Black b, or choose the violent fight of the next diagram. The main question is, whether White will be able to settle her three stones easily.

[Diagram]
Fight  

White can also fight with W1 here. However, if Black can next play the cut of Black a-White b-Black c because White does not have a good ladder, she seems to be in trouble.

[Diagram]
Colossal fight  

(Black 11 at a.) If Black wants to fight even harder, he can Change B4 in the previous diagram to B1 here. The subsequent fight might well decide the game.

[Diagram]
Sacrifice  

Sacrificing two stones with B2 is a move that might be worth contemplating. The move was introduced by Kajiwara in a game against Ishida in 1970.

[Diagram]
Resistance  

Perhaps White would do better to give the two stones back with W1.


[Diagram]
Avoiding the sacrifice  

To avoid the sacrifice, in a later game against Kajiwara, Ishida exchanged W1 for B2 before cutting. The subsequent sequences are similar to those of the joseki without this exchange.

-- AndreEngels


3-4 point high approach outside contact, tsukenobi main line last edited by CharlesMatthews on July 22, 2003 - 18:34
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