4-4 point low approach, One-space Low Pincer, One-point Jump

    Keywords: Joseki

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Jumping into the center
Still joseki?
Another move
Continuation
Continuation part II
Black's alternative
[Severe]
Follow-up (Black 11 at ''a'')
White's answer
Fighting (Black 11 at ''a'')
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.
No alternative?
Similar

Reference diagram

4-4 point low approach, One-space Low Pincer, One-point Jump, Parallel Jump #2 #1
[Diagram]
Jumping into the center  

The intention of W1 is to stop Black from getting a framework on the left side. It leads to a rather complex joseki, but professionals regard it as slightly better for Black. Black will defend his left-side position with a or b. ''c'' is a gate to various Chinese classical joseki. d is an old fashioned joseki, which seems to be making a comeback.


[1]

The old joseki

[Diagram]
Still joseki?  

After B1, W2 is regarded as correct. The sequence to W10 is regarded as joseki, but the general feeling among professionals is that this is slightly better for Black, because coming back to defend at W10 is too slow.

W10 is too slow because it is unnecessary. If black pushes to cut off white+circle (with a black play at W10 followed by pushing through) white can complete her outside wall with a play at a and still get good use from white+circle by making life in the corner with a play at e. On the other hand, if the exchange of black f for white g has been made, then white does need to go back and protect her investment with a move around W10.

In pro games, W10 has not been played recently - it has to some extent been replaced by White at a, which has been refined by White b, Black c, White a. But often W10 is d, then tenuki. Charles Matthews

There is an interesting discussion on what Charles refers to in Go World 100 (or 102).

The order of moves in this variation is not strict. Black may play B5 before B3, or after B7. However, see "Black's fight" below.


Influence and aji

[Diagram]
Another move  

Because the result in the previous diagram is considered unsatisfactory for White, other possibilities have been attempted for W10.

One of them is W1 here. If next Black plays B2 and B4, White quietly connects at W5. After B6, White still has the invasion at a to look forward to. It is unlikely that White will die if she plays there, but she does run the risk that it is too small to play now. The play at a is basically a very large endgame move, and should therefore be kept for the late middle game.

[Diagram]
Continuation  

How should white continue locally? I've seen shape like W1 described as a severe type of move, but I can't see how to best answer when black resists. For the purposes of the position, lets suppose white has a hoshi stone on the upper right corner, since I think it's the most natural shape where to play the marked stone. Is it better for white to extend at B4 instead of pushing down again at W3? Skip W1 altogether and just play B4?

[Diagram]
Continuation part II  

Black should achieve a similar result here, if they so will.

(I'm not quite sure how this works yet, but I hope everything appears alright to anyone viewing.)


Black's attachment

[Diagram]
Black's alternative  

Black could also play B1 here. W2 used to be considered joseki. The result is equal to the previous joseki, except for the B1-W2 exchange. Unfortunately for White, Black might well use stronger weapons...

[Diagram]
Severe  

Instead of B9 in the previous diagram, Black could play the crude but severe moves of B1 to W8 first. White's four stones are under attack, and if there is a black stone around the middle of the left side (which often there is when this joseki is played), she probably has to search for life with W10.

[Diagram]
Follow-up (Black 11 at a)  

White can live in the corner, but because she has to play W6 to do so, Black can take control of the center with B7 and B9. Black is clearly better off in this diagram.

[Diagram]
White's answer  

Because the previous diagram leads to disaster, W2 is considered correct. After W4, fighting in this area comes to a temporary halt. Sometimes W4 is omitted. White could try to exchange White a for Black b before playing W2.


Black's cut

[Diagram]
Fighting (Black 11 at a)  

Black's third possibility [101] is the combination of B1 and B3, which leads to strong fighting (if B3 is played at W4, we get a transposition to the joseki above). Black should not play this way if the ladder at b works for White, but if it does not, and there are black stones in the neighbourhood to help him, this could become very painful for White.

[Diagram]
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.  

Rui Naiwei suggests in Essential Joseki that Black 1 is not good simply because black cannot protect A and B at the same time. Has this thinking been outdated? Remillard

RFrohardt: In The Direction of Play, Kajiwara discusses this joseki and makes the same remark about Black 1.

xela: In [ext] a lecture by Guo Juan, B1 here followed by W2 at a and B3 at W2 passes without comment.

[Diagram]
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.  

LukeNine45: How should white respond to this then? It seems if she takes care of some of her stones, it will hurt the ones on the other side?

[Diagram]
Fighting - A question of response to Black 1 here.  

RFrohardt: None of my books discuss what would happen after Black 3, although my opinion would be that after the exchange up to White 8, White can still be happy. Not only does he have a secure group on top, but a play later at a or b could be trouble for black. White also still has the invasion at c and can sacrifice the marked stones which are still light. However, I'd be curious how a stronger player feels about this exhange.

LukeNine45: Thanks! I guess what I've been playing isn't so bad after all! :)


Alternatives for White

[Diagram]
No alternative?  

After B2, there is no real alternative to White a. White b is too mild (Dieter: I remember though that Kobayashi Satoru was a strong advocate of this move, disfavouring a), while exchanging W3 for B4 is considered bad because White loses the option of invading at the 3-3 point. This exchange should only be made if White intends to build a base on the upper side, but doing so has been made a priori impossible by black+circle.

xela: I disagree with "there is no real alternative..." W3 at c appears in several professional games since 1987 (I've found 25 examples so far).

erikpan: So does anyone have any suggestions for a response to white at c instead of 3? Black jumping out to b seems a lot of work to pull that pincer stone out into the centre.

According to Kogo's ([ext] http://eidogo.com/#kjd:pdqfqhofnd), Guo Juan will play 3 at 4 to avoid complications. -- Anonymous


[2]

[Diagram]
Similar  

The variations after B2 are similar to those after Black a, although there are some differences. One of those is that W3 is considered not completely out of the question in this position, because White has more difficulties living in the corner, so giving up that option is less of a problem. White may be able to press B2 down with a shoulder hit (b) and the available kikashi above a, threatening to cut the knight's move. On the other hand, B2 is more territorial, being less vulnerable to approach from the direction of c. (The third line move "finishes" the left side, whereas Black a tries to develop it.)

See also the go bloopers page, on the 'misplaced slide'.


[101] This cut line has been played frequently in recent pro games; it really needs its own page.


The Joseki at work in pro games

See Standard opening 1


4-4 point low approach, One-space Low Pincer, One-point Jump last edited by 212.149.219.163 on April 17, 2016 - 19:03
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