Strategy Spotlight: The Large Knight Response

(January 17, 2010 at 9:03 pm by Mile Gu in Analysis, Strategy Spotlight)

First of all introductions. My name is ‘Mile Gu’, a go player from Auckland, New Zealand who studied at the University of Queensland. Given that I’ll be representing Oceania in the coming Student OZA competition, I volunteered with the encouragement of the Brisbane go club to contribute some humble tips to the Australian Go Journal, and give an insider account on the future competition. My accounts on KGS are Syptryn and Zyptryn (The latter when I’m too sleepy to play well). If you have a question that a 4 Dan could potentially answer (or at least make an educated guess), feel free to drop me a message if you spot me online!

To begin with, I’ll be presenting a semi-regular ‘Strategy Spotlight’. The goal of these columns will be to highly some unconventional or trick plays, so you you can either employ them, or at least know how to handle it if someone tries to pull it on you. They’ll be tailored for a range of skill levels, but probably most useful for low dan and high kyu players.

The Large Knight Reponse to 4-4 Attach:

Diagram 1. The Large Knight Move.

When white attaches with 1, black plays 2 instead of the more usual a or b. This isn’t trick play, but is a somewhat special strategy.

Diagram 2.

If black continues using the standard sequence of Diagram 2, she can’t help but feel unsatisfied. White circle is in a better position than a. If this was blacks’s guaranteed response, than there will be no reason for white to ever play a. So how should black punish white? The trick is observe that black circle leaves the corner far more open. black should usually jump in the corner as in Diagram 3. Diagram 3 and 4 shows one standard continuation.

Diagram 3.

Diagram 4.

The result is considered fairly even, so the Large Knight move is fully playable in certain situations. For example, when white has a strong position at the top, so that the two isolated black stones can be severely attacked. Feel free to try it in your next game!