Overview of Joseki

Aggressive Play: Attachment

After , black can try any of a-d. Black a leads to the variations at 44Point33InvasionExtension, whereas b reverts to the "hane-stretch" variations at 44Point33InvasionJoseki.

Black c leads to this variation, in which black loses sente. However, black can sometimes tenuki after .

In recent professional games, white plays before , making it harder to tenuki.

In pre-AI games (2016 and earlier), white would often play hane and connect with before pushing down the side. Black can sometimes tenuki after .

More often, is played as hane, starting a fight. After , white will usually cut at a or b, although c is also seen occasionally.

Inside cut

(see Flying knife joseki for details)

This relies on a ladder -- but for parallel fuseki, the ladder will normally be in white's favour. is a key point of this shape. After , black can continue at a or b, and a complicated fight will follow.

If white's ladder at a is broken, then white collapses. Instead of cutting at , white has to give way by playing .

Outside cut

Black can continue the fight with any of a through d

Getting Cold Feet: Attach-Pullback

Instead of fighting with at , white can try this more peaceful continuation. After , Black will try to hem White in in the corner, but White can still decide to fight by playing here instead of

This diagram shows one possible continuation.

Chris Hayashida: There looks like there's a problem with the continuation. Black will just extend from and capture three stones. Is Black supposed to play an atari first?

Discussion

See also

• This video by Yeonwoo.

References

• [1] Frequency statistics were obtained from Waltheri's Go Pattern Search using the full database restrained to a local search (accessed July 2022).