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Make both ends strong
    Keywords: Strategy

Charles Matthews There is some common advice on frameworks like this:

[Diagram]
Make both ends strong

Here B1 is better than a play like Black a. After B1 both black groups have a base so that Black can fight strongly when White invades. Black at a prevents White from making a really easy invasion: but it seems to do less that is definite and Black doesn't yet have much territory.

John Fairbairn Don't you think the proverb play away from thickness covers it? And if we apply principles as opposed to personal style, wouldn't B1 be better on the fourth line? If so, "balance" is an applicable principle. I can see also a case for the principle of inviting the opponent to invade your framework (a would not be a framework).

Charles More about maintaining some other sort of balance than about any kind of thickness, really.

BobMcGuigan: B1 conforms to the principle of strengthening the weaker stone when extending. A play at a instead would be over-concentrated relative to the corner. It would also allow a good white invasion below the star point on the upper side. After the invading stone becomes stronger there could be aji against the black corner as well.



Bill: Black is already overconcentrated in the top left corner. At first I thought there was an ikken shimari there, but it is a strange one space extension from the 3-3. Was there an original typo in the diagram?

Charles No, the 3353 enclosure was intentional. Just to make the point about frameworks with two 'strong ends' stand out a little more.


[Diagram]
White can develop

Charles The other side of the story would be this. After W1 White can make something of a base herself: this is a relatively easy invasion. If BC had been further to the left then W1 wouldn't work so well.

But the point would be that Black's upper side group looks quite settled at present: Black should have time to play a flanking extension at a point like a.

I'd also argue that this sequence available to White is a good reason not to play BC at b, instead.


[Diagram]
Pincer

Bill: After B1 the pincer is better, I think. There are several variations, OC, but in the ones I looked at, I think that B1 works out fine.

Charles Yes, that does look strong. So in this case W2 might be close to an overplay.



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(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.