Kenny vs. David Part 1: Shimari

DGS Game Page | Part 2 »

Well, Steven Den Beste declined my offer for a game, and Vladimir changed his mind about playing me. However, I did get a game with a guy named Kenny. Kenny's one stone stronger than me, so I'll get two handicap stones, like with Dominique, and the komi will be 6.5 (normal komi).

For some variation, I placed one of my handicap stones at the 3-4 point, instead of the 4-4 hoshi point. Kenny took one of the remaining hoshis, and I took the last one.

The purpose of playing the 3-4 point is to build a shimari, or corner enclosure, with a second move. Here are some examples of shimari:

A

B

C

Shimari A, the knight's move enclosure, is by far the most common, and it completely secures the corner as territory, as well as providing a bit of power for extensions along the edges or for fights with opposing stones.

Shimari B, using the 6-3 point to make a long knight's move, captures a slightly larger corner as territory, but much more loosely. If later, white plays a stone in the vicinity, black may have to play a followup move to protect his corner. What this enclosure lacks in firmness, it somewhat makes up for in flexibility. Black may during the course of the game be presented with an opportunity to trade the corner to white, in exchange for power on the outside.

Shimari C, the one-space jump, leaves the corner open for invasion by white, but emphasizes power along the left edge. This may work well if black is building a framework along that edge.

There are many other kinds of shimari, some of which do not involve the 3-4 point at all, but these three are perhaps the most common. Making a shimari is a very big move, and it is urgent for black to do so as soon as possible, or for white to prevent it if he can. Thus, once all the corner star points were taken, Kenny immediately played a kakari against my 3-4 stone, at 3, to prevent a black shimari. This is the most common approach to the 3-4 point, though there are several other reasonable options. Below is the sequence that normally follows such an approach:

First black plays an attachment with 4, to claim the corner for himself. This is important because corners are particularly inexpensive areas to build territory and eyes, so black wants to make sure that white does not steal it. White plays 5, to protect 3, which causes black to pull back to 6. White must then protect his cutting point with 7. This move is absolutely vital; if omitted, black will cut at 7, tearing white's formation to shreds. Finally, black plays a stabilizing extension at 8, and white does the same with 9. Both players have gotten a fair result here, given what they put in. If white wishes, he may play 7 at a, which also protects the cutting point, and he may play 9 at b, emphasizing central influence over edge territory.

I played 4, expecting a sequence like this one. Since the sequence ends with a white move, my follow-up plan is to use sente (initiative) to take the marked hoshi on the right side of the full-board diagram, building a large, flexible moyo (framework) along the right edge of the board. This point is bigger than any of the other hoshi points, because of the way it works with my two existing stones on that edge. A play there by white would be just as large.

Will the next few moves be as I predicted? The coming days will tell.

DGS Game Page | Part 2 »