Kokiri/3-3 exploration

Standard  

This is the industry standard. In response to , black plays on the "wider side" and play continues with black usually playing the hanging connection at a.

is needed, because otherwise descending to would threaten the corner, meaning that black can turn in sente.

Variation 1

Variation 1  

This is the first variation, played either to take the corner, or to keep sente for black.

Var1: corner

Variation 1: Corner  

here, books and strong players will tell you that giving up a ponnuki is generally too much to lose in order to take the 10 or so points in the corner. It is hard for me to convince myself of this, in particular, i cannot see exactly how white can play from here on. Of course this depends a lot on context.

Questions - 1) when is it right for black to play like this? 2) How should white play after this?

Example Game K as White, 21/05/05  

Strong Player's Comment: the double hane is correct, but the idea should be to keep sente to play, e.g. at a or b, not to take the corner.

Example Game K as White, 21/05/05  

Continuation, Black's two stones come under fire, Black makes a slip immediately after and loses the corner. Strong Player's comment: White cannot lose from here. Needless to say Black wins by resig.

see also kokiri/Recentgame10

When to take the corner  

SP's following comment: this is the 'book' example of when to take the corner

B0 good for Black

Presumably the ponnuki is ideal for fighting/attacking, so it is less useful here because black's group is stable in the left.

When to take the corner  

With this (standard?) continuation, White's thickness is staring down at a solid black group - not much use i fear...

Var1:Sente

Variation 1: Sente  

as the regular variation ends in gote for black, this variation is speedier,

questions - when to play this way for ? what options does have?

Note, not connects tenuki