Side pattern - K versus pT

Game start  

These plays could be and , starting a whole game.

The motivation for in the old days would have been to make Black's task harder.

Black now can't claim an obvious plan for this side. Black at a is an enclosure for playing on the large scale. Black at b will be met by some joseki of White's choice.

For example ...  

If for example Black does approach immediately at b, and we assume this joseki result, Black will emerge with sente.

A black play to make an enclosure at one of the marked points seems to some extent already negated by White's influence.

Black encloses  

Assuming first, White's enclosure at the square-marked point is a big point.

It doesn't however feel very urgent. A black play there doesn't co-ordinate well with .

Against the Shusaku?  

In classical games might well have been in a Shusaku fuseki.

Black's answer at is in the traditional style, placing high value on the corners.

White negates the pincer  

White can effectively force this joseki result.

Now it is a black pincer at one of the circle-marked points that seems poorly co-ordinated. That's because Black is low to the right. Possession of the square-marked point now seems very important. The two marked areas are like miai.

Ideal for Black  

Black can get a good result on this side, given both and .

White's idea in playing is to keep an eye on the point. This indirectly makes it easier for White in relation to the area of the circled points.