Kobayashi 2 formation thoughts
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:41 pm
I was just browsing SL, and found a page on the Kobayashi 2 formation that made me think a bit. (The page is here: http://senseis.xmp.net/?CornerCoOrdinationStatistics and suggests that Black wins more with the Kobayashi 2 than with the Orthadox fuseki.)
The Kobayashi 2 formation is this:
Black 5 is what's characteristic of the Kobayashi 2. It's interesting, because for the Orthadox fuseki, Black's shimari faces his own corner stone, not his opponent's corner stone. The idea is to build a large-scale structure, so normally White plays a wedge as the third move.
Here, however, the situation is the opposite. Black's shimari is aiming at the lone white stone in the corner. If Black can later approach at "a", his situation will be very good, especially if White has a good reason not to play a pincer.
In fact, since letting Black play at "a" is so good, usually White responds to 3 with a play near "a" or "b" to prevent this. Black might then approach from the other side at "c", or else approach the other stone. But even if Black completely ignores the white response, the initial fighting is over a neutral side, not one that Black is trying to claim.
Also, often when White responds to Black 3 near "b", Black plays on the other side of it, near "a". In this case the influence his shimari contributes in that direction might help him in the ensuing fight.
I think the theory is that if a shimari can be said to affect whatever corner it faces, the best position for it is not the one which threatens to make the largest structure, since that kind of large structure can easily be broken up. The best position for it is facing an enemy stone, forming a mild attack.
Any thoughts on the matter?
The Kobayashi 2 formation is this:
Black 5 is what's characteristic of the Kobayashi 2. It's interesting, because for the Orthadox fuseki, Black's shimari faces his own corner stone, not his opponent's corner stone. The idea is to build a large-scale structure, so normally White plays a wedge as the third move.
Here, however, the situation is the opposite. Black's shimari is aiming at the lone white stone in the corner. If Black can later approach at "a", his situation will be very good, especially if White has a good reason not to play a pincer.
In fact, since letting Black play at "a" is so good, usually White responds to 3 with a play near "a" or "b" to prevent this. Black might then approach from the other side at "c", or else approach the other stone. But even if Black completely ignores the white response, the initial fighting is over a neutral side, not one that Black is trying to claim.
Also, often when White responds to Black 3 near "b", Black plays on the other side of it, near "a". In this case the influence his shimari contributes in that direction might help him in the ensuing fight.
I think the theory is that if a shimari can be said to affect whatever corner it faces, the best position for it is not the one which threatens to make the largest structure, since that kind of large structure can easily be broken up. The best position for it is facing an enemy stone, forming a mild attack.
Any thoughts on the matter?
or 'a'.
was on the 3-4 or 3-3 point, 
stone also slightly lowers the value of the right side compared to the Orthodox fuseki.
. To me though, I don't like it as much as the more common fuseki, yet it does seem to appear in pro play anyway. It'd be interesting to hear how a pro feels about this fuseki.