Strategy Spotlight

19 Feb 2010 2 Comments

Strategy Spotlight: Punishing the Kobayashi 1 Space Approach

This week, we explore a extremely punishing sequence that’s available  to black when white plays a high approach to black’s 3-4, when it has support in the region of the triangle stone. This sort of pattern happens quite frequently, in, for example, the Kobayashi Fuseki.


Diagram 1.

Typical responses to the high approach involve close pincers at a, or 6, reasoning that this forces white to jump out towards the triangle stone, and any running fights would be in black’s favour. Recentally, however, black has been given an additional option.

Instead, black feints submission with 2 and 4. Just as white expects black to complete the standard joseki with b, he makes a punishing pincer at black 6. White is now much heavier than the case where black pincers directly.


Diagram 2.

White’s first instinct, of course, is to punish black’s defect shape in the corner with 1, to which black calmly responds at 2. If white pulls back at 3, black happily connects at 4. White is left with a heavy group, that must either run out eyeless, or concede further thickness to black with the sequence 6 to 10. This is clearly unsatisfactory.


Diagram 3.

Therefore, white boldly cuts black with 1, a necessary move, regardless of result. The corner descends into chaos. Black triangle, however, ends up in a perfect position. White is now split into two groups, and will find it extremely difficult to save both.


Diagram 4.

If, white for example, chooses to help the four stones on the left, black effortless walls in the triangle stones on top. Even if these stones somehow survive, the thickness that would gave black is unthinkable.


Diagram 5.

Therefore, white 1 in Diagram 2 is overplay. The best white can hope for is the settled with the sequence 1-8. Although he managed to get sente, black’s left side has been solidified, and blacks top right now has a lot of potential. This does not look good for white at all. So…. where did white go wrong?


Diagram 6.

To answer, we’ll have to backtrack all the way to the initial approach. If black is strong on the left, white best stay away. 1 is a much better idea, to which black responds with a or b.


Diagram 7.

The feint plus pincer, however, is a good sequence to keep in mind. Even in cases where Black has no stone at a, the option is possible whenever black has significant strength in the bottom left and top right. Diagram 7 outlines one possible sequence of moves. The result will now depend entirely on surrounding conditions. Play this is you like seeing blood, though it could be your own!

by Mile Gu in Strategy Spotlight Tags:

29 Jan 2010 5 Comments

Strategy Spotlight: Breaking out of San-ren-sei

This week, we’ll spotlight a violent variation of the standard 1 space pincer that happens so often in games involving the san-ren-sei.


Diagram 1.

When white makes the standard corner approach against san-rei-sei, the one-space pincer at black 3 is a very common response. Black aims to maximise the effectiveness of black 1, and create an impressive moyo on the top. White 8 is more commonly played at a, followed by black b, this seems to submit to black’s plan of sealing white inside. Mind you, this doesn’t mean whites at a is disadvantageous, the result is considered even.  In this diagram, white 8 suggests that she actively wishes to spite black’s game plan from the very start.


Diagram 2.

The standard continuation (Diagram 2) of the joseki, however, still results in white sealed within the corner. After white 10, black either protects his cut directly at a, or first ataries at b. White has gained a few extra points compared to Diagram 1, but black’s influence seems even more impressive. For this reason, most players would prefer the more standard variation where the marked white stone was is played at 5.


Diagram 3.

Recently, however, pros have experimented with a highly aggressive variation. After Black hane’s, white plays an empty triangle at 2. Is this an overplay? It certainly looks like it! Black 3 is clearly a must, playing at a and allowing white b is clearly unbearable. White looks to be in a difficult position… if not for the severe clamp at 4. The fight is on.


Diagram 4.

If black submits at 1, the remaining moves up to white 8 are almost forced. White settles his center group with 8, and black is left with nothing to attack. This thick white group in the middle will make it difficult for black to form any large scale moyo, and black feels like he has been tricked.


Diagram 5

Black can alternatively play the severe moves and 1 and 3. After a sequence of forced moves, white finished with the terrifying cut at 10. The fight becomes frantic, but black looks to have the harder end of the stick.


Diagram 6

So what is black’s best response? That’s still an open question. Diagram 5, for example, shows one possible variation that occurred between pros. One thing is for sure though, white should not try this move is she’s not willing to put up a huge fight.

So, if you don’t like facing giant moyos, and prefer a game filled with fighting, you can give this a go. Again, this tip was possible due to the extremely helpful advice of Kang ZhanBin 6p.

by Mile Gu in Strategy Spotlight Tags: ,

17 Jan 2010 4 Comments

Strategy Spotlight: The Large Knight Response

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!

by Mile Gu in Analysis, Strategy Spotlight Tags: