3-4 point high approach outside contact, tsukehiki hanging connection

  Difficulty: Intermediate   Keywords: Joseki
[Diagram]

Hanging connection

The hanging connection of W6 used to be the standard move in this joseki, but nowadays the solid connection at a is gaining popularity. Black has various options now. He can take the corner with b, go for a pushing battle in the center with c, or play elsewhere. Black d used to be joseki, but a refutation has been found, and it has been replaced by Black b.


Black Takes Territory

[Diagram]

Black takes territory

Black B1 takes the corner, after which W2 and B3 are standard. White, satisfied with her strong shape, often plays elsewhere, or extends along the upper side. She can also play at a to build influence towards the center.

White has the possibility of starting a ko by playing at b, however she should not embark on this ko lightly. If White loses the ko, her position will crumble. If Black feels a need to remove the threat of the ko, he exchanges Black c for White d.


Black Plays for Influence

[Diagram]

pushing battle

After B1, both players push towards the center. W2 is forced, after which Black pushes on unrelentingly with B3 and B7. Black makes a magnificent wall towards the left side. Although these moves end the joseki, there is still a very big move left in the corner. The difference between White a and Black b is large.

Imagist: If I'm not mistaken, this joseki variation is also an appropriate response to capping plays anywhere on the third line along the side, not just on komoku.

[Diagram]

Incorrect resistance

If White plays the contact move W1 in the corner, B2 here is not possible. After W9, the three black stones in the center have become worthless. Black's relatively small amount of corner territory does not even begin to compensate for this. Instead of B2, Black can of course play at W6, but he also has another defense:

[Diagram]

Resistance

Black can also play at B2 here. This starts a complicated variation. White W7 is forced: if White does not remove a liberty, Black can jump to a. After this we get a semeai in the corner.

[Diagram]

Continuation

After the previous diagram, this is the follow-up. White W7 captures the four black stones.

[Diagram]

Black's profit

or

[Diagram]

slightly safer (bigger w.r.t. ko)

However, after B1, White has to obediently fill in a liberty with W2 and W4, otherwise she will get a ko or even lose the fight. Black thus is able to capture the corner in sente, and is satisfied with the result.

[Diagram]

White hane

White is of course not just there to follow orders. If she is not satisfied with the results in the previous diagrams, she can play hane at W1 rather than extending at a. Black counter-attacks with B2, after which these moves show some variations.

[Diagram]

Depending on a ladder

White W3 is an interesting move: it depends on a ladder. If after B5 and White a, the ladder at b works for White, Black has to give in with B4, and gets a peaceful result.

[Diagram]

Taking sente

The peaceful move of B2 is also a possibility. Black takes sente.

[Diagram]

Tenuki

Going back, Black sometimes plays tenuki after the marked white move. White might for example take the corner with W1 here. After W7, white has a good position, but that is only to be expected since she has had one move more in this corner. Black apparently was of the opinion that there was more to be had elsewhere.

[Diagram]

Old variation

Black B1 is an old variation, now regarded as insufficiently severe. An advantage is that White W4 is now impossible. After Black B9, White has no defense.


Black Tenuki

[Diagram]

Black tenuki

If Black plays tenuki, W1 is common. The sequence to B8 is standard: after this White has two choices. For Black to answer W1 at B8, followed by a white play at B2, is considered too submissive.

[Diagram]

Ladder

If the ladder is favourable, White can give atari at W1, then play the ladder at W3.

[Diagram]

Squeeze (8 connects)

Whether or not the ladder works, White can squeeze with this sequence. In this case, white normally does not exchange White a for Black b, because leaving out this exchange increases the aji of White c and d, etcetera.

[Diagram]

Jumping into the center

White W1 is also a possibility, but White has to keep in mind that after B2, White a is no longer possible.

[Diagram]

hane

The white hane at W1 has as its function to make a black answer W3 at W5 impossible. The sequence shown here is from Frank Janssen and Ronald Schlemper in the 1990 Dutch Championship.

Charles W1 dates from 1976 in pro go: may have been invented by Yamabe. B2 at a is normal.


Former Joseki

[Diagram]

Former joseki

This sequence used to be joseki, but is nowadays regarded as good for Black. Nevertheless, B1 is not played anymore, because a splendid white refutation has been found.

[Diagram]

Sacrifice manoeuvre

Instead of blocking at a, White pushes in at W4, and then with W6 embarks on a bold sacrifical manoeuvre.

[Diagram]

Continuation

White sacrifices some more stones...

[Diagram]

Continuation

... and although White ends in gote, her influence is more worthwhile than Black's 19 points of territory. Note that a, b and c are all sente for White.


Authors:


This is a copy of the living page "3-4 point high approach outside contact, tsukehiki hanging connection" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2009 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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