Compromised diagonal and dropping back
Difficulty: Dan level
Keywords: Joseki, Ko, Shape
This sort of pattern on the side is quite common after an invasion:
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/29/e3f9311dc6f1aeef59127d43bfef0c89.png) | White drops back |
You could call a dropping back idea; it certainly also a getting ahead idea. In this case Black doesn't cut with Black a, White b, Black c because White d is a tesuji of the flying-off? kind.
To play at a is clearly slower and heavier, even though it has more effect on Black too.
Here is a very special case of this shape.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/8/08e9fe5352d1a0ac7575d55b35b1b4cf.png) | An unusual shape |
This choice of (instead of Black at a, in the 3-5 point low approach one-space low pincer) is an example of a play that is recorded in joseki dictionaries, but rarely seen in pro games.
From what is said at weak player's diagonal, one can understand the rarity: Black at a is very natural from the point of view of shape. Of course can be called a lighter play.
This example game in which was played (Kori Toshio?-Kajiwara Takeo (B) 1982-03-04) is a good example of Kajiwara's style. We join it at Black 33.[1]
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/49/15f2d11fb8c52539bd72dfca4bb89986.png) | Moves 33 to 40 |
Presumably is intended as a sort of inducing move. Black wastes no time playing at another key point of White's diagonal.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/10/26e6c0f827bf9f7b223ff01d6b2acafa.png) | Moves 41 to 50 |
Kajiwara was nicknamed 'the drill' for his maximum attitude to local play: is a good example. A ko results.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/33/b7e1eb9b84119359b16b22ee1387ce01.png) | Moves 51 to 60 |
Black wins the ko. This leaves White needing a move to live in the lower right.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/42/18f66e29242ef4e6c4baa564e5676bb2.png) | Moves 61 to 70 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/28/4b2506a53aaf2d3d8cb5ea9d7d91f561.png) | Moves 71 to 80 |
Another ko: Black trades away the upper right.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/45/bd094d98e259267e87674252c7282951.png) | Moves 81 to 90 |
Here (dropping back with a diagonal play) shuts White in, rather than chase him out into the centre.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/37/ead7166fe4537e697c965875b52072e2.png) | Moves 91 to 100 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/24/1d6024c602e75bc4886d72c3f64ac4d1.png) | Moves 101 to 110 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/35/5842d56225dc0c264daa1a6096f6833e.png) | Moves 111 to 120 |
By (move 120) this is the endgame. Black won by resignation, at move 213.
Charles Matthews
[1] The opening plays were these:
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/30/528c27e8a24af66440071429ba3b6c4a.png) | Moves 1 to 10 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/3/594a7121bc0510522c5a8f1c73d23540.png) | Moves 11 to 20 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/18/f34adf62a644671dd426326bd5529df2.png) | Moves 21 to 30 |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/30/807a69968fc7473d8d23e77cfe171383.png) | Moves 31 to 32 |
This is a copy of the living page
"Compromised diagonal and dropping back" at
Sensei's Library.
2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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