Learning joseki loses two stones strength

Learning Joseki Loses Two Stones Strength - Studying Joseki gains four stones strength.

This often cited proverb is intended to visualise how learning Joseki by 'rote' is useless or even worse. The aim is not to be able to replay a sequence, but to understand what each move does and how this particular sequence affects the whole board. In fact, Memorize would be a better translation than Learn.

Hence, studying Joseki does help you improve, because it increases your understanding of the game. However, see The Advantage of Knowing Joseki for a lively debate on this.

dnerra: I really like the korean proverb that I just learned: "Learn your jungsuk, but then forget it!"

Example

Fujisawa Hideyuki shows an example of where blindly following joseki is not good.

Joseki but kikasare  

White 1 - White 7 is joseki (note: it used to be; nowadays the catenaccio joseki has gone out of fashion with pros). However, White 7 is kikasare. It is too passive. White should make use of its strength on the left and play the cap at a, as in the following diagram.

Whole board thinking  

White 1 is an example of leaning.

Problem: LZ doesn't support this diagram. See https://lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=17107&p=251825#p251825

W retains corner aji  

Anonymous: Incidentally, White's move 5 in the above diagram may be a mistake in that it removes a possible 3-3 invasion in Black's upper right corner. So this may be best for White.

tapir: After , , White may not have time to care for 3-3 invasions for a while... Well, I doubt this part of the advice. (Long time later, I believe this advice now. If capping is urgent then in the corner gives Black the opportunity to make a move on the side instead.)

Further reading

• Whole board thinking
• Joseki as a source of bad habits
• The great joseki debates
• Some thoughts about studying joseki
• ...

External links

• Rafael's Go Page.
• ...