Wedge - when the approach to 3-5 is possible

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Opening
[Diagram]

Very distant

There are good reasons for not counting W1 here as an approach play, in relation with Black's 3-5 point stone.

[Diagram]

Black encloses

The exchange of white+circle for B2 is normally reckoned as a loss for White.

[Diagram]

Considering the whole side



In order to appreciate White's play one must look at least at the whole side. Here, clearly enough, W1 functions as a wedge, but W1 and W3 permit Black ryojimari with B4.[1]

[Diagram]

Considering the whole side (2)



Clearly the positioning of W1 indicates that White would be happy in the overall position to settle a group with W3 here.

An example where this is known in pro play is in a Kobayashi variant:

[Diagram]

Hong-Ch'oe



This is from Hong Min-p'yo-Ch'oe Ch'eol-han (B) 2003-03-07. White uses caution in playing into the formation of the black+circle stones.

[Diagram]

Continuation



Black rejected the idea of simply taking the corner, instead applying a staircase technique with B2 and B4. This forced the issue, since White here can hardly allow a big corner. In the end Wc is captured in a ladder, but White next can fight out at a.


[1]

The end position here would differ by one line from the Kitani wedge idea in the enclosure opening.

[Diagram]

Kitani's wedge

Charles Matthews


This is a copy of the living page "Wedge - when the approach to 3-5 is possible" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2016 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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