Attach-crosscut corner patterns
Difficulty: Advanced
Keywords: Joseki, Strategy
As ideas in joseki, these applications of the attach-crosscut shape are marginal patterns but with some interesting concepts and tactics connected to them.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/22/5448edac930d51c30c5aa80175dde99f.png) | Opening |
For example this is a normal modern opening (see preventing the formation of the Chinese opening).
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/2/61a7de80408d90bd8437cbd000a785be.png) | Joseki |
Black may well play out the common joseki given here in the right-hand corner. That leaves giving indirect support to : White can't hope for a very good result playing on the lower side, because is a low stone in a solid group.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/37/16259840a443fd585028ed44610ffe8e.png) | Play to overconcentrate |
Later, and are a theoretical way to play here. If a pincer isn't good, because of , why not try to make Black overconcentrated here? is a sacrifice to do that.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/17/a2c7a883979b1e14605a8dd521720e8a.png) | Joseki continuation |
These are standard plays, with White adding one stone and sacrificing both. Clearly the timing before is correct to make the most of the sacrifice.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/51/3f508a541c9973f846840a36b6c54444.png) | Joseki continuation |
This finishes off the sequence - White probably makes a flanking extension to a big point on the left side now.
The judgement of this result has to be based on the overlap in influence between Black's group to the left - now unquestionably thick - and . Sequences like this have been tried by top Korean pros.
For the corresponding 4-4 point joseki, the strategic meaning is nearly the same.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/15/82532c895610e227ab0d94428c02e1b3.png) | Cross-cut joseki |
Black will play for a good reason, probably that White is already strong on the top side.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/47/7c80c9d696576d836ca5529bdef8811c.png) | Cross-cut joseki - one line |
In reply to , is an old move of Go Seigen that has been seen often since 1990. Now White a or b.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/7/c6f28c812da2554efd1d3a5512e14a7a.png) | White's reply at a |
Suppose to leave a cutting point in the corner, up to is normal and White needs to add a stone: so that Black ends in sente. Assuming this result, Black ought only to start the joseki if White's strength now overlaps with the upper right.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/50/76ad7b1dd5e279631cd7c74072230592.png) | White's reply at b |
If with the idea of giving Black an empty triangle, is tesuji.
In fact this line occurred mostly in problem books rather than high-level games, until recently.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/44/720edea6aac99413fcee13c8ec38055a.png) | Continuation |
The reason is that if captures we get and White can only get any sort of result here with which is a massive ko fight.
Top pros have indeed got involved with this, though.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/22/da07e78be000adddb21a46a5618e34c9.png) | Variation |
If instead it's here, Black plays since the triangle is now filled.
White can look forward only to a small life here, and perhaps now doesn't seem a good idea.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/17/304a6f6eb8cd94d1db6a3306be051a5c.png) | Joseki? |
There is also this complex variation. It is not seen that often in pro play, though it does occur occasionally in high-level games.
The joseki dictionaries aren't a safe guide (that includes Ishida, 2nd edition in Japanese) since there it isn't at all clear that the main line given is from pro play.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/4/cd51623011486d72c0056dedbc2d7862.png) | Continuation |
After here, Yi Ch'ang-ho has played , rather than at a as in the 'book' (game 1991-06-0 against Yu Ch'ang-hyeok, colours reversed), and this was also seen earlier in Japan.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/14/7ed42df98f3ce12c2cf7791a85ee581a.png) | Continuation |
These plays followed, as part of Black's plan to build up a central framework.
Charles Matthews
This is a copy of the living page
"Attach-crosscut corner patterns" at
Sensei's Library.
2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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