Basic Joseki with Branches

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This chapter's information comes primarily from HIDETCHI's YouTube series about 定石, and specifically the videos about Yagura: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7jPat3_WG41

P-76

P-84

S-68

Move the silver so that, given 8五歩, 7七銀 is possible.3.

S-78

?We shouldn't move our silver here, because this is where the gold will go.3.

B-77

?If we try to defend 8六 with our bishop, it is still possible to make Yagura, but it will be clumsy and take extra moves.4

P-34

Sente should not make the bishop trade here, as it is a tempo loss (although this can happen in some openings - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo_Loss_Bishop_Exchange)4.

P-85

It is unlikely that Gote will push the pawn here, as 7七銀 will be played anyway, and Gote would want to keep the possibility of playing 8五桂 eventually.5.

S-77

P-66

S-77

S-62

P-56

This pawn push is important, because if another move is played, for instance 4八銀, then Gote can start a fast silver attack. This is not necessarily losing for Sente, but it does result in Gote gaining the initiative. 5六歩 opens the shown diagonal, which allows for a counter-attack if Gote tries that same attack.7.

S-48

?!8.

P-85

↑→9.

S-77

10.

P-74

11.

G49-58

12.

S-73

13.

G-67

14.

S-64

15.

G-78

16.

P-75

P-54

P-85

?!9.

S-77

10.

P-74

11.

G49-58

12.

S-73

13.

G-67

14.

S-64

15.

B-79

16.

P-75

17.

Px75

18.

Sx75

19.

B-46

⇆9

S-48

S-42

Simply developing the silvers with good symmetry.

Sente has the option of developing either gold (7八金 or 5八金右), and the most common move is 5八金右. Leaving the gold on 6九 allows for "rapid castling", where the king can be castled in one less move.

The lines with Gote shuffling their bishop back and forth show the difference.11

G49-58

11.

G-78

12.

B-33

13.

S-77

14.

B-22

15.

G-58

16.

B-33

17.

G58-67

18.

B-22

19.

B-79

20.

B-33

21.

B-68

22.

B-22

23.

K-69

24.

B-33

25.

K-79

26.

B-22

27.

K-88

As you can see, castling takes an extra move (move 27 instead of move 25).12

G-32

Gote gives up their chance of rapid castling, but it's okay, because if Sente now tries to rapid castle, a quick attack will form.

Sente doesn't give away their rapid castling (with 11. 7八金) since that same attack doesn't work, due to the pawn on 6六.12.

B-33

13.

S-77

14.

B-22

15.

G-67

16.

B-33

17.

K-68

The issue with rapid castling is that the king and gold can be in dangerous situations, specifically in these moments18.

B-22

19.

K-78

Here20.

B-33

21.

B-79

Here22.

B-22

23.

K-88

And here24.

B-33

25.

G-78

S-77

S-33

G-67

S-44

K-68

P-64

K-78

P-74

B-79

N-73

K-88

S-63

G-78

∓And now Gote has a major advantage and all the initiative.26

P-55

Basic Joseki with Branches: Yagura (WIP)1

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