Go opening patterns: skillful use

Author: Zhao Yuhong
Editor-in-Chief: Dong Yingshuang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features:
Fragment: The characteristics of a joseki lie within the joseki itself. Everyone has their own disliked joseki. In terms of type, some joseki are simply impossible to remember, some look too large after completing the joseki, and others are used with constant worry about failure. This phenomenon is also seen among professional players. Some players may think black is better in a certain joseki, while others may think white is better. Therefore, whether a joseki is good or not should be determined by one's own style of play and the ability to use a certain joseki with ease. In other words, playing chess is not about memorizing the outcome of a joseki, but about mastering the method of selecting and skillfully applying it. This section merely introduces a few joseki, primarily for the purpose of classification when choosing joseki. However, in practice, there are many joseki, so the examples provided here are only a small portion. These examples will be analyzed in later chapters from the perspective of overall board configuration, which may be what readers expect.
I. Joseki Based on (Shaba)
Joseki completed by (shaba) are not uncommon. Rather than saying this, it might be more accurate to say that (shaba) plays a significant role in a large portion of joseki. This is because joseki develop from the corner toward the side. However, starting from a corner, development can proceed in two directions. Determining which side is more important is the key to selecting the joseki. (Figure 1-1)
Although this board position is not as common recently, it is a very typical basic joseki. Black 1 shaba () is a stable move. After that, there are also options like A () or B (), which focus more on the lower side. White 2 is an attempt to open up on the left side when black's influence there is not too strong. If black plays C (), and white responds with D (), White 2 is in the perfect position. Regarding black's E (), white is not afraid because there is the option of first playing B () and then F (), or G (). White 2 shaba always has an impact on the left side. (Figure 1-2)
The sequence from black 1 () to black 5 is a very common joseki in actual play. Although white gains territory in the corner, black 5's shaba () can still exert some influence on the lower right corner.