The 3-3 Point, Modern Opening Strategy, Cho Chikun

Opening theory in go has a long history and has undergone many changes. In the 17th through 19th centuries, the first move in the corner was usually played on the 3-4 point, or occasionally the 5-3 or 5-4 points. The star point was almost never played. Then in the mid-1930’s, the New Fuseki became the vogue. The star point became a key feature and emphasis was place on central influence.

In present-day opening theory, the star point still carries great weight, since it occupies the corner in one move, has powerful influence along the sides, and permits a much faster development than the 3-4 point. Its weakness lies at the 3-3 point, from which the corner territory can easily be destroyed. However, more and more openings are being played today which emphasize tight territorial control. Here again, the 3-3 point is crucial, whether played to secure the corner territory with one move, or to destroy the opponent’s corner territory.

In these openings, many questions arise about joseki in relation to the surrounding positions. In other words, joseki cannot be confined to just one corner or one side; the whole board must be taken into account. This book analyses the role of the 3-3 point in opening strategy and features examples taken from about 100 of Cho Chikun’s games.

The opening is the most enjoyable part of the game to study. It is also the most intuitive part of the game, and its concepts are the easiest to grasp. Any player who knows the rules should make effortless progrss by reading this book.

Comments & Reviews

I think snorri’s review is excellent and I don’t have a lot to add. I would comment that many players, especially those in the DDK range and low SDK (but also rarely dan-level) seem to disparage opening on the 3-3 point as a matter of principle. Yet when I ask for a reason, I rarely get anything more than a platitude about being “too low” or “too-territory-oriented.” This book provides a close examination of the reasoning behind a 3-3 based fuseki, along with many practical examples from real pro games.

The fact that one of the very top players in the last half of the 20th century has written a book about the 3-3 should hopefully make some people curious enough to learn more about the subject.

Three things to ponder: 1) up to a certain level (which would vary upon circumstances) most of your oppponents will not have regularly encountered a move at the 3-3 point in the opening, and therefore learning about this in depth might provide at least a small advantage during tournament play; 2) there are far fewer 3-3 joseki out there to learn and study than for 3-4 and 4-4; 3) this book is clearly written and enjoyable to read.

It really is unfortunate that this fine book is out of print—but hopefully it will become a part of Kiseido’s Digital Library at some point, so watch out for it.

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This book describes the importance of the 3-3 point in the fuseki, either as a latent possibility (invasion under 4-4, for example) or as a first play in an empty corner. Cho Chikun is one of few players who made extensive use of the 3-3 point, and the examples are taken from his games. Both parallel and diagonal fusekis involving the 3-3 point are covered, so it fills in a gap in other fuseki books. The book shows why the shoulder hit should not be your automatic response against a 3-3 point, and even how one can sometimes build a moyo from the 3-3 point!

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