From: Larry Kaufman WIZARD NET> Date: 31 may 1998 Subject: Gold is better than silver, Part IV Gold is better than silver, Part IV by Larry Kaufman To appreciate why I believe the climbing gold should replace the climbing silver as joseki for four piece handicap, one must first understand what is wrong with the climbing silver. In the lines given so far, white was able to set black the problem of choosing the best break-in in the climbing silver, but there was always a way in. The real problem with the climbing silver is the line pioneered by the late Nada Rensho 9 dan, who demonstrated in his games that if white defends with the formation K on 3b, Silvers on 2b and 4d, and Gold on 3c, black has no clear way to break into white's position using the generally recommended climbing silver. Let's see why this is so. 1...K-4b 2 P-7f S-6b 3 P-2f K-3b 4 P-2e P-5d 5 P-2d Px2d 6 Rx2d S-5c 7 R-2h P*2c 8 S-3h G-4b 9 S-2g S-4d 10 S-3f P-3d 11 S-2e G-3c 12 P-1f (12 P*2d leading to an exchange of generals is probably best and leaves black with the advantage of gold vs. silver, but black has no easy break-in and so no easy win) S-2b 13 P-1e P-5e 14 P-1d Px1d 15 P*1b (note that if black recaptures on 1d instead, hoping for ...P*1c 16 Sx1c! with advantage, white can instead play 15...P*1b and black has no easy way to win) P-1e! (This is the key move. Books give only 15...G-5b 16 Sx1d P*1c 17 P-1a+ Sx1a 18 Sx1c+ Nx1c 19 Lx1c+ P*1b 20 +L-1d followed by 21 R-1h with advantage.) 16 S-1d (16 Lx1e P*1c leaves black unable to continue his attack.) P-3e (16...G-2d 17 S-2e is not as good for white) 17 Lx1e G-2d 18 R-1h P*1f! 19 Rx1f Gx1d 20 Lx1d S*2e 21 R-1h Sx1d 22 Rx1d L*1c 23 R-3d S(2b)-3c trapping the rook for inadequate compensation. Although black need not go in for this, it is very difficult to demonstrate a decisive advantage for black against 15...P-1e!. This move takes advantage of the fact that the pawn on 1e cannot be captured by a silver on 2e, nor by a silver on 1d, and also exploits the fact that a silver on 1d does not control the square 2d, thus allowing ...G-2d. None of these three factors apply if black has played a climbing gold instead of a climbing silver, so the P-1e defense is eliminated by the climbing gold. More than anything else, this is why I feel climbing gold is the true joseki of yon-mae-ochi. So now replay the above moves to move 14 with G-3h-2g-3f-2e instead of the corresponding silver moves. Then continue 14 S-4h (This defensive move is more necessary than with the gold left behind, because on 3i the silver is undefended. In any case, it is usually wise to answer a pawn move to the fifth rank by defending the pawn on the same file with a general.) G-5b 15 P-1d Px1d 16 P*1b G-5c 17 Gx1d P*1c 18 P-1a+ (also good is 18 G-1e G-5d 19 P*2d Px2d 20 Gx2d Gx2d 21 Rx2d G*2c 22 R-2h P*2d 23 G*1e S(4d)-3c 24 L-1f intending 25 N-1g and 26 P*2e with a huge attack. Note that if black had played climbing silver and adopted this plan via the move order Sx1d, S-2e, P*1b, and P*2d, white would have a silver instead of a gold on 2c, and could play 24...Sx1b.) Sx1a (or 18...Px1d 19 Lx1d G-5d 20 L-1b+ should regain the sacrificed material with interest) 19 Gx1c+ Nx1c 20 P*1d P*1b 21 Px1c+ Px1c 22 N*2e S-2b 23 Lx1c+ Sx1c 24 Nx1c+. Black has regained his sacrificed material, promoted a knight near the enemy king, and has a continuing attack, for example by 25 P*1b, P-1a+ and +P-1b. The Nada defense is generally the hardest to break thru against, but once black does break thru he is near the white king and should win quickly. to be continued