4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion, Extend, Push

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The 4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion, Extend, Push is a possible continuation of a 3-3 invasion joseki. The push is typically played when the invader hopes to contest defender's prioritization of sente, and it often results in the unstable three-stone hane shape. The first player to resume in the corner will take profit.

The defender's main responses are to (A) hane to create the three-stone hane shape, or (B) attempt to build a wall in sente.

Quick Navigation

Moves are listed by frequency in professional games^[1], which is sensitive to whole-board position. Bolded moves are commonly considered joseki.

Push  

• a, 4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion, Extend, Push, Hane - (joseki) (common) (beginner) (AI favorite)
• b, 4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion, Extend, Push, Extend - (joseki) (intermediate) (AI favorite)
• c, 4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion, Extend, Push, Small Knight - (joseki) (intermediate) (AI favorite)

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Overview of Joseki

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Three Stone Hane

See main article: 4-4 Point 3-3 Invasion 3 Stone Hane

Three-Stone Hane  

If black plays the hane with , this reverts to the common 3-stone hane shape. This is the most common choice (~69% frequency)^[1].

In the early opening, black can tenuki after this point to preserve sente. However, the local continuations are very valuable, and black hopes to get the first move later. The first player to return will profit, so this shape is somewhat unstable compared to the simple 3-3 joseki.

If black is willing to accept gote, the mainline continuation is the hane at a, which threatens to take away white's corner. Although black's stones are facing the top side, this joseki often switches the direction of play so that black is facing the left side. This is counter-intuitive, so players should train themselves to recognize that this pattern can project influence to the left side.

Alternatively, black can build a wall in gote by extending at b. However, white's corner is quite large, so from a teritorial perspective it's inferior to the hane at a.

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Build Wall

Extend Variations (~16%)[1]
Black Sente (~7%)[1]	Black Sente (~3%)[1]	Black Gote (~1%)[1]	Black Sente (~2%)[1]

• Sometimes, black may opt to extend with with the aim to build a wall in sente. Normally, black can always build a wall in gote, but this variation gives black a chance to achieve this while retaining sente. Clearly, white cannot allow this so easily, and both players will fight for sente in the following sequence of moves, with one player hoping to tenuki at the earliest opportunity. This corner is left unsettled and highly unstable, and the first player to return will gain a major local advantage.
• If white absolutely requires sente, white has the option to tenuki after pushing at as depicted in Dia 3. However, this is damaging for white's corner.
• If black is afraid that white will tenuki after the hane, black can tenuki first after as depicted in Dia 2 to guarantee sente. However, this will allow white to make a painful hane at the head of four stones later (a), since this shape is extremely unstable.
• Finally, if the - sequence is played, black can comfortably tenuki to take sente. Note that the follow-up at a is still very big for either player.

Small Knight Variations (~15%)[1]
Black Gote (~7%)[1]	Black Gote (~1%)[1]	Black Sente (~3%)[1]

• The knight's move with is similar to the extend, but it is more likely to result in gote for black since the move itself is not sente.
• If white bumps with , this transposes as above.

Discussion

Hane or Extend?

Cho Insun (4p) vs. An Joyeong (9p) (2018)  

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References

• [1] Frequency statistics were obtained from Waltheri's Go Pattern Search using the full database restrained to a local search (accessed July 2022).
• [2] (Youtube) Michael Redmond: Learn Redmond's AI Style Go in 5 minutes - ALL About the Direct 3-3 (6)