Systematic Joseki / Basic Concept

White's position untenable  

Velobici: Joseki dictionaries and our own Systematic Joseki pages both approach joseki from the standpoint of what are the possible next moves. Knowing what is possible/reasonable is important, provided that the end result is one that is desired. Playing perfect joseki or even obtaining a locally superior result can be diasterous if the resulting whole board position is undesireable. Yang Yilun's book Fundamental Principles of Go page 69 where White plays four joseki perfectly, yet her whole board position is untenable !

Where does one find a joseki dictionary that provides the end result diagrams indexed by the stones already played? This is the decision that we face when we play...given these stones which continuation should be chosen to obtain a good (minimax of game theory) result?

An example: The Black komoku, one space high approach, one space low pincer leaves White with four joseki responses. White can choose to

• attach on the inside of the komoku stone, leaving Black to connect the komoku and the pincer thereby taking the corner and side or abandon the pincer stone and take a position along the other side
• play kosumi toward the center of the board, leaving Black to connect the komoku and the pincer thereby taking the corner and side or play for outward influence building vertically toward the center of the board off the pincer and abandoning the komoku stone
• play one space jump to the edge, splitting Black and taking the corner, Black takes the other side
• attach on top of the pincer which becomes the joseki of the one space low pincer against the low approach per Essential Joseki.

Might call this picking the destination first, then chosing the road to get there.