Life In 19x19

For beginners, one of the very first joseki learned is how to handle a 3-3 invasion under a 4-4 stone. And for the most part you end up with this familiar shape.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . X O . |
$$ . . . . X O . |
$$ . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . X O . . |
$$ . . X O O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . |
$$ --------------+[/go]

There is nothing wrong with the above but you need to be careful that you don't automatically play like this whenever you face a 3-3 invasion.

Now another common situation beginners face is the pincer against the low approach to the 4-4 corner and which is answered with the 3-3 invasion.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ . 3 . 2 . . 4 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Some people might want to separate the invasion stone from linking with the pincered stone and thus they would choose to block. Still looks good so far.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 . . . |
$$ . 3 . 2 . 5 4 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Now if we follow a common joseki, we'd arrive at this position

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . O . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O X X O . . |
$$ . . . . X O O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

But some people might think that Black should seek more and try to aim for something like this.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . X . . |
$$ . . . . . . X O . |
$$ . . . . . . X O . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O X X O . . |
$$ . . . . X O O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Doesn't it look like Black could earn a lot more if he played the hane as if it were just the 3-3 invasion without the pincer exchange? So what's wrong with this and why is it not joseki?

The problem is that White will not just easily follow the 3-3 invasion joseki, instead White will answer the hane with a descend.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . 2 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+

Now when Black blocks to prevent linkage, White cuts

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 0 X . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

The usual sequence ends with White having a large corner and Black being a bit overconcentrated.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 4 6 . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 X . . |
$$ . . . 5 . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

But what happens if Black tries to save the r5 stone by extending?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 5 . . . |
$$ . . . 8 6 4 1 . . |
$$ . . . 7 3 O X . . |
$$ . . . . 2 X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Now there are really no good moves for Black afterwards.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . O O O X . . |
$$ . . . X X O X . . |
$$ . . . . O X O . . |
$$ . X 2 O 1 X O . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . O O O X . . |
$$ . . . X X O X . . |
$$ . . . 1 O X O . . |
$$ . X . O 2 X O . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . X . . . |
$$ . . . O O O X . . |
$$ . . . X X O X . . |
$$ . . . . O X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . 1 2 X O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

So remember not to confuse the 3-3 invasion with the pincered 3-3 invasion and watch out for that hane.

From a recent game of mine, I was able to recognize the transposition of the pincered 3-3 invasion that was answered by a hane. The game ended quickly with my opponent resigning after I punished his poor moves. Enjoy.

That descent is not always the correct punish (though obviously much better than the tricked sequence). I personally tend to always play the second-line hane unless I'm relatively sure that connecting to the original approach stone is a good result.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . 6 . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O 5 X O . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 4 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

IMO if you think "punish" the hane, you're already on the wrong track.

EdLee wrote:IMO if you think "punish" the hane, you're already on the wrong track.

I disagree, the hane almost always gives an inferior result when answered correctly. That's why it's well-known as a trick play for ddk. Trick plays should be punished.

I know it's been played in pro games, but the fact that it's so rare should by itself be a strong indicator of inferiority.

Illluck's hane connect then clamp is the recommended punishment - pro opinion.

There is quite a lot of material on Sensei's Library concerning this situation:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?44PointOneSpace ... terception

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoBloopers

http://senseis.xmp.net/?AllAbout33PointInvasion

The links above give details about what happens when Black responds to W6 in illuck's diagram by descending to S5. Cutting the hane can lead to some very complicated variations depending on the location of the pincer stone e.g. if it is a one-space high pincer then the cut doesn't work.

Uberdude wrote:Illluck's hane connect then clamp is the recommended punishment - pro opinion.

Not true.

EdLee wrote:

Uberdude wrote:Illluck's hane connect then clamp is the recommended punishment - pro opinion.

Not true.

Maybe we should clarify which pros said what; Mingjiu Jiang showed me the descent "punishment", not the hane/clamp, a few years ago.

One diagram that is missing from the discussion:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 3 1 . . |
$$ . . . 7 . X O . . |
$$ . X . O 5 X O . . |
$$ . . . . 6 4 2 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------[/go]

is normally a good reply to , and this result is usually fine for Black.

When I was learning go was considered the refutation to . But because of this diagram pro opinion has shifted, as Uberdude says, to recommending the next diagram:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 6 . . |
$$ . . . . . 7 1 8 . |
$$ . . . , . X O . . |
$$ . X . O 5 X O . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 4 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------[/go]

This diagram is inferior for Black, as the exchange of and is aji keshi by comparison with joseki.

EdLee wrote:

Uberdude wrote:Illluck's hane connect then clamp is the recommended punishment - pro opinion.

Not true.

That is the opinion of Wu Xinyu 6p (his wording suggested it was actually the opinion of a group). I have a link to the episode in which he discussed it but will not post it here for copyright issues. PM me if interested.

tchan001 wrote:
The usual sequence ends with White having a large corner and Black being a bit overconcentrated.

$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 4 6 . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 X . . |
$$ . . . 5 . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 4 6 . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 X . . |
$$ . . . 5 . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Perhaps it would be better to call this "a common mistake made by black"

If you play the decent after the hane, the move you should expect is for black to connect (otherwise you are guilty of the same "reading to my own advantage" flaw you are assuming your opponent has). Playing the descent means that this is the shape white wants:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . 1 X . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . . 2 O . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Worth noting that white is now shut off from the right side, which is not so with the clamp mentioned up thread.

EdLee wrote:

Uberdude wrote:Illluck's hane connect then clamp is the recommended punishment - pro opinion.

Not true.

It is true. You might not like it but it is a fact that that is the opinion of Liu Yuanbo 2p with whom I studied Go in China a few years ago. Other pros may have other opinions. Maybe he is wrong, maybe they are wrong, maybe there is no right answer. Pro opinion is not a monolith, as someone said.

An important point to notice with the hane is that if black switches direction as in Bill's diagram (which is inconsistent strategically with the pincer but locally not so bad) then White connects to the initial approach stone on the 3rd line and has a few more points and also black has less good thickness if he covers.

I remember learning this punishment from a workshop by Kang Seung-hee 2p a few years ago.

Search for the relevant parts of her lecture:
Double Digit Kyu Workshop by Kang Seung-hee 2p part 4a
Double Digit Kyu Workshop by Kang Seung-hee 2p part 5a

at http://eurogotv.com

I would think that for beginners, if they originally plan to block White from connecting that they would continue to block White from connecting by following the descent with another descent. But for higher ranked players, it has been shown that perhaps the descent can be superceded with the hane as shown by illuck, but in any case the hane by Black at r5 has been shown to be punishable and should be avoided by beginners.

EdLee wrote:IMO if you think "punish" the hane, you're already on the wrong track.

Ed Lee begs to differ but has not shown us a line of play to support why he believes the r5 move not to be a mistake by Black.

This is a timely post - just yesterday I mistakenly played the hane-connect on the second line and then followed up with the cross-cut. Fortunately my opponent screwed up.

I know that we once had a thread on this exact topic (with the exact same squabble over whether the descent or the second-line hane is "better"), but with much longer sequences showing the "complete disaster" outcomes. Does anyone remember where that thread is?

I had a similar discussion with a pro friend recently. I've always played the descent as white, but reconsidered after looking at the following (it's been a few weeks, but I'm pretty sure this is right):

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O . X O . . |
$$ . . . . 3 . 2 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

How to respond to 3? I might post some variations later, but unfortunately I don't have time. The conclusion was that the clamp sequence ends up better for white:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc
$$ . . . . . . 6 . . |
$$ . . . . . . 1 . . |
$$ . . . . . X O . . |
$$ . X . O 5 X O . . |
$$ . . . . 3 2 4 . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ------------------+[/go]

Again, this has been awhile, so take this with a grain of salt.