A Modern Way to Handle Attachments to the Large Knight’s Enclosure

Hello everyone!

I'm Chanhyuk Lee.

And now, today, we're going to discuss how to respond,

when White attached to a large knight's move enclosure.

This move has evolved significantly over time.

In the past, the common approach was to split the formation

and gradually aiming for the weaknesses.

However, AI has introduced a new perspective.

Rather than attacking the weaknesses,

it prefers reinforcing the corner directly.

This is a major shift in thinking.

Why does AI play this way?

And how should Black respond?

Let's find out.

Black has four main ways to respond.

Among these, moves A and B are the most commonly played,

while moves C and D are rare.

Let's begin with the least common response:

extending towards the corner.

When Black extends towards the corner,

White jumps in a space,

and then Black defends,

White expands towards the side.

This is an ideal result for White,

meaning Black should avoid passively retreating.

What about extending towards the side instead?

Unfortunately, this also isn't great for Black.

White can play a kosumi to attach

or hane into the corner,

leading to a difficult variation.

If Black cuts,

White can either break through

or create an eye in the corner,

making hard for Black to gain an advantage.

Ultimately, Black should choose A or B for the best outcome.

Now let's analyze B first.

White responds with a double hane.

If Black ataris and connects,

White will attach,

ensuring life in the corner while keeping the sente.

A satisfactory result for White.

If Black plays a tiger's mouth instead,

White should exchange a cut first

to create the best shape for Black.

If Black attempts to counterattack,

White calmly ataris

and extends

and kosumis,

leaving White in a strong and flexible position.

There's an aji A to C.

So when White double hane,

the strongest resistance for Black is cutting directly.

Here's how White should respond.

Extend

and atari,

and extend outward,

and when Black captures,

White plays a hane.

If Black hanes back,

White ataris first,

then follow up with a double hane,

leading to a crucial ladder situation like this.

If Black has supporting stones in the upper left corner,

this might work for Black.

White must consider the ladder relation before choosing this move.

If the ladder favors White,

and Black simply captures one stone,

White can push through and extend into the center.

Ask a probing questions

before making a nice move to expand outward.

Now let's discuss the most frequently played move:

blocking towards the corner.

Since Black has already played a hane in the corner,

it makes sense to defend it.

White responds with a double hane,

and Black ataris before extending.

Regardless of the move order,

Black will ultimately form a tiger's mouth.

When this shape first appeared,

White would often cut immediately.

If Black ataris in this direction,

White gets to block in sente.

A favorable result for White.

To prevent this, Black should push first.

White then jumps,

and Black captures,

and White extends along the side.

This sequence has been played as a standard joseki.

More recently, White has been favoring a different approach,

pushing towards the center.

If Black hanes and extends,

White keeps pushing outward.

When White later cuts the corner,

Black ataris and White can tenuki.

If Black pushes here,

White jumps first before tenuki,

leading to a balanced position.

If Black extends once and hanes,

White immediately cuts.

Although it might seem like Black can capture White,

White extends,

then spins around the exchange moves

before securing one eye shape,

completely ruining Black's potential.

If Black pushes first before extending,

White ataris and plays lightly.

When Black cuts,

White just ataris and tenukis again.

This is also enough for White.

White treats the corner lightly and remains in control.

If White doesn't want to sacrifice the first ones,

White can simply jump to reinforce them.

As we've seen,

White's attachment to a large knight's move enclosure

offers White many flexible options,

making it a popular strategy.

Since Black doesn't have a completely satisfactory counter,

White enjoys favorable variation in most cases.

Understanding the intricacies of these exchanges

is crucial for making the right decisions in your game.

I hope this breakdown

helps you think about these positions more deeply.

See you next time

with another exciting good topic.

Bye-bye!

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