3-4 point distant low approach, shoulderhit
Difficulty: Advanced
Keywords: Joseki
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/25/06d7610882880ae292667ffa260b396c.png) | The shoulderhit |
is played to avoid a black pincer (see 3-4 point distant low approach) . Black answers with , which emphasizes the left side. White usually tries to make a base and territory with .
In a Kobayashi formation where Black has a stone at a or b, the logic of is clear.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/11/19253031bfcf23cda440e6a8060257c2.png) | Pushing up |
and form an alternative. White can play this way if Black is strong in both directions; its main intention is to stop Black from getting too strong, rather than create something for oneself. Black can take the corner with a move at , reverting to a 3-4 point distant high approach joseki, or fight back with . In this joseki, White takes influence towards the top, black influence towards the left and territory in the corner. Black may play tenuki after ; if he does choose to further strengthen his position here, black a is most usual. Locally, this looks better for Black, but on the board as a whole, White has succeeded in foiling Black's plans of building a large moyo.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/36/e336848f149c8428db4f03d064ca6587.png) | Standard |
However, the usual answer is here. Black has three different answers, from a to c. Black a builds up the left side, Black b tries to build a position on the top while attacking, Black c may be either aimed towards building thickness or towards attacking.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/5/873aa65e3f52b8387efeb293f6460332.png) | Pushing |
has a clear objective - black wants to make a wall facing the left side. With and he continues in the same manner. White can decide to exchange White a for Black b or c after or .
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/26/68b8e9559d2df515bf9833c31f070189.png) | Jumping after the push |
is another move that is often played here. This is one possible variation, there are several more. The timing of is an issue here - it is sometimes delayed until after , or not played at all.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/18/4d03ffc921d889cc9b14e123cf79480c.png) | Attack |
attempts to attack White. Black needs to have some support in the upper right to play this move.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/25/534a8c4625c5ae4303818f1195d93f6b.png) | Into the corner |
Instead of fighting like above, Black can choose to confine White to the corner as in the sequence here.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/50/9709a3979ea1130c41445ad1a4275e34.png) | Attack |
Nowadays, here is more common. The turning point in this joseki comes at . Here White strengthens herself, creating a group on the top side , allowing Black to take the left side.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/38/608ed63aaacbe4d2d63c34da3efea3fc.png) | Attack (2) |
White's second choice is to jump into the center, and find the space for her group there. Black will usually make territory on the right with after exchanging for (there is usually a black stone at or around a in this joseki). The sequence to 7 follows, where black creates a group on the top, while White develops towards the center. If Black wants to attack from the topside, playing at 5 is the move.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/44/69ca57af427d15d840c55288952bbe9b.png) | Building thickness |
If Black wants to build thickness, he plays and . The sequence that follows is long but has few branches.[1]
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/5/328e8df279a12dbb36325b98198ba4b7.png) | Building thickness (2) - 7 and 9 connect |
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/42/9089038d9da8385b6bc7b9aeeb6a1c8a.png) | Building thickness (3) - 7 and 9 connect |
In this sequence White takes the corner and sente, while Black builds thickness.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/35/689edb68b6beebc56a2f8ed81ab83a1c.png) | Attack? (Black 11 at 'a', White 12 at 'b') |
Black can also play here. now becomes an attacking move similar to what Black 1 at 6 would have been. Here is one variation.
Fuseki thoughts
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/25/ca001be12f5fa6beb9ea20c40ed16292.png) | Kobayashi fuseki |
White often plays this approach in the context of the Kobayashi fuseki, meaning that the marked black stone is present - in fact in that case this has become the standard way. In that case is at least as common as the diagonal play at a, with the obvious meaning that Black gives priority to building up the left side.
[1] Actually this sequence is somewhat contentious, still, rather than joseki. When there is a further black stone on the left side, as often happens in the Kobayashi formation, Black should avoid it as overconcentrated. There are also some other possibilities in the second diagram. Charles Matthews
Question by Dieter.
This is a copy of the living page
"3-4 point distant low approach, shoulderhit" at
Sensei's Library.
2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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