3-4 point low approach one-space high pincer
Black 1 is considered the most forceful of the available pincers against the low approach. The reason is that if White plays tenuki, Black at a is obviously strong.
The normal idea for White is to come out, with the interesting play at a daring Black to cut (3-4 point low approach one-space high pincer knight's move), or at b (3-4 point low approach one-space high pincer one space jump).
Next in popularity are the contact play c (3-4 point low approach one-space high pincer, contact underneath) and the counter-pincer d. Then come White e, tenuki, f and g. The play at h may have been invented by Karigane Junichi, and can transpose into a one-space low pincer variation when Black answers at c.
emeraldemon: If White e, should black cover the pinced stone, i.e. one space to the left of h?
Herman Hiddema: See next diagrams...
If black peeps, white defends at and black covers at
. Now white can play:
- the peep at a, to which black will defend with b. White can then jump out with c
- the hanekomi at b. Black will then atari with a, and after white stretches, defend the cut with one of the moves around c.
If black plays the hane, this is the common followup. White now plays tenuki, because a and b are miai for life
Jeff: A 5d that I talk to is always criticizing me for letting myself get sealed in. After black a, will white immediately play b to live, granting black the chance to seal him in around c? Or will white resist being sealed in by forgoing b so he can escape (hopefully in sente so he can come back to b)?
Herman Hiddema Generally, white will immediately play b in that case. If black gets both a and b, the group will become weak, and therefore a target for attack. In this case, getting sealed in is ok. Firstly, because starting with already indicates that you are trying to settle your group quickly, if you did not want that, you would've played
at c or some such move. And secondly, because white has already gotten to play tenuki once (with
), despite this being black's corner to begin with. So white has gotten an extra move elsewhere in exchange.