4-4 point, double low approach, outside diagonal
Charles Matthews This diagonal play has experienced a revival in pro games, associated with new thinking about central influence and possible tenuki variations.
After
here,
at the 3-3 point is normal; and now Black plays a, b, or tenuki allowing White at a.
The problem with this joseki for a weaker player is that Black at a can leave a black wall, but without a pincer attacking
and also with some potential shape problems. Clearly this isn't troubling at pro level, but amateurs can come to grief here.
After
Black's main options are at e, f and g. Playing g, which is a move useful in handicap games when Black has a stone already at the circled point to attack
, isn't very forceful here. Black at e is only seen in old games.
After
, black cannot tenuki. White's shape is too good after
,
. If black wants to tenuki, it should be before
, not after.
Probably
is the best idea here, but the bulge play
gives Black some shape difficulties.
In games of Hane Yasumasa based on the Chinese opening
,
,
was used to build influence for Black on a large scale, treating the cutting point at a as secondary.
firstian As a beginner, I'm always looking for the "meaning" of a move, so I can think about whether a move makes sense or not, and also how to respond when my opponent doesn't play a book move. I think I understand that either a or c are meant to separate the two stones and develop on one side. What about the meaning of b? For example, in one of my 9-stone handi game, W played:
I think the correct response to
is a. But not knowing what
is suppose to do, I have no clue how to develop my corner group. (My guess is that
helps B runs out to the center, but is that it?)
20k guess:
leaves two possibilities - live in the corner, bigger than if
hadn't been played (eg with 3-3), or run into the center (eg with b). In a nine handicap game, black probably isn't clever enough to tell which is better. Therefore, treat them as miai and play somewhere else.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/31/924fa3157576cf05725e98d143454f71.png)
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/5/088f2c48f3358979d3f85730476e634b.png)
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/19/a1db4eaa1a56fd0ffe1290e0cfb1d095.png)
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/10/2a969f7c2a21398f89ea244d24d79f2c.png)
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![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/25/f9f1d18d2cbd9f2edd874eb713e46e7b.png)
would be a big mistake as it doesn't take advantage of Black's shape problems.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/37/6c108b13c1e292d6cda340dca64a48b7.png)
is present, this is played in many pro games.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/32/326abe81e70d1eef616e2046aba6b7f3.png)
2024 the Authors,
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