3-4 point, high approach, one-space low pincer, 3-3 attachment, cut and crawl

    Keywords: Opening, Joseki
[Diagram]

Extends

When Black crawls with B4, the wedge W5 is tesuji. Without this move, the attachment W1 in the corner would not be playable for white.

White should not atari at a with W5 (see here)

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Extends
Joseki
Standard joseki
Black gets the move order wrong
Variation: the ladder question
Variation: ladder question
White gets move order wrong
Lim Yoo Jong's suggestion
Ladder question
Almost joseki: The ladder works for White
Black punishes wrong-order
Joseki?
The ladder doesn't work for White
The ladder doesn't work for White
Variation at 3: two [ponnuki]
Atari
However (1)
However (2)
Atari B4@WW
Atari


Atari from above

atari mistake bend
[Diagram]

Joseki

If black plays atari on the outside, the move up to B6 follow. Now, white has a choice. The normal continuation is the atari at a, but depending on a ladder, white can also bend out at b.

The atari at c is a mistake.

Lim Yoo Jong suggests that B6 can also be played at d.


Standard joseki

[Diagram]

Standard joseki

This W7-B10 are the standard sequence. Black gets corner territory and influence on the left side. White gets influence on the upper side and sente.


[Diagram]

Black gets the move order wrong

If black goes wrong with B8, White gets a better result. White has sente and much more of the corner. The atari at 'a', for Black, is no longer as good a move.


Bending out

[Diagram]

Variation: the ladder question

At W7 in the previous diagram, White can turn at W1 here. Everything depends on the ladder at B6.

[Diagram]

Variation: ladder question

If the ladder doesn't work for Black, instead of playing a he must extend at B1. After W4, there is a peaceful play for Black at b and a fight at a.


Wrong atari

[Diagram]

White gets move order wrong

Playing W7 first is the wrong order of moves. Now, W9 is not sente since a is not necessary for Black to preserve the position.

So, White loses the initiative here. As a minor plus, she has b in sente later.


Alternative joseki

[Diagram]

Lim Yoo Jong's suggestion

Playing B6 instead of 'a' is an idea proposed by Lim Yoo Jong. It leaves White no scope for variation (in the main line White can play W7 at B8 depending on a ladder), and White has fewer ko threats. On the other hand Black's eyes are a little less well defined. Click here for more analysis/discussion.


Atari from below

[Diagram]

Ladder question

Here, it depends on whether White can cut at a and capture the black stone in a ladder. See pushing battles in joseki 8 for a fuller treatment.

[Diagram]

Almost joseki: The ladder works for White

If the ladder works, Black submits with B1 and B3, getting a low position but keeping sente.

Black cannot ignore W2 to play 4; White cuts at 'a' and gets a ponnuki on the outside, or captures the 4 black stones in the corner. More importantly, and for the same reason, Black cannot answer 2 at 'b'.

If the moves W2 and W4 are played in the wrong order, Black can double-hane, at 'b'.

[Diagram]

Black punishes wrong-order

The cutting point at 'a' goes nowhere after the 2-3 exchange. It is usually impossible to severely attack 5 after the cut at 'b'. Indeed, the white cutting stones ought to come under heavy attack, considering black chose a pincer on the left side (so it shouldn't be dominated by white influence).

Guo Juan commented that an additional push is joseki.

[Diagram]

Joseki?

Variations if Black ignores W4 (to play 6) are not analyzed here. Presumably W8 should in fact be one line further away, since the wall is one line higher. One also hopes that it makes sense to play W8 (W6 in the prior variations) on the 4th line, since a wall this high is somewhat silly if there is black influence further down the right side (a reason to play W8 low).

[Diagram]

The ladder doesn't work for White

If the ladder doesn't work for White, this is joseki.

[Diagram]

The ladder doesn't work for White

Black crawls on one side but gets ahead on the other.

[Diagram]

Variation at 3: two ponnuki

This variation occurs in the 11th Tianyuan title match, game four between Ma XiaoChun and Chang Hao. Locally, White's profit is considered better than Black's influence along the left side but Black takes sente.


Atari instead of tesuji

[Diagram]

Atari

If White exchanges W1 for B2 before playing W3, then Black can play B6 and gain considerably compared to the joseki. This is a mistake

[Diagram]

However (1)

This has been seen in pro games, and ...

[Diagram]

However (2)

... this also and ...

[Diagram]

Atari B4@WW

... even this ...

[Diagram]

Atari

and this too! This is favourable for White, if there is an extension possible next in the direction of a


This is a copy of the living page "3-4 point, high approach, one-space low pincer, 3-3 attachment, cut and crawl" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2024 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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