Common Basic Joseki List 2023

[Allerleirauh]

List of common joseki patterns based on OGS SGF dump, specifically ogs_games_2013_to_2021-08.json. I was trying to think of a good algorithm to search for corner patterns. But nothing satisfying came up. I’m thinking it would be cool to group together joseki that are one move difference. It’s too difficult though considering the data doesn’t fit into my ram anyway. So I just made a list based on what I had and here it is. I wanna have some closure to my attempts.

I downloaded some more games myself so the list includes games until 2023.

1. 4-4 Approach Extend

(black 2 at A is common, 2 at B or C much less common, white 3 at D is common, 3 at E, F or G less common)

Just a general pattern of approaching and extending. Very common because there’re so few moves in it.

2. 4-4 Kick

(black 4 at A is about as common, white 5 at B is about as common, 5 less commonly can be at C or D)

3. Beginner Joseki

(less common options include black 2 at A, 2 at E is much less common, white 5 can be seen at B, C, D, or even F)

A round of applause for the all-time beginner’s favorite.

4. Classic 3-4 High Approach

(black 6 at B or C is less common, white 7 at A is about as common)

(less common variation, white 7 at A is even less common)

5. 3-4 Approach Extend

(black 2 at A about as common, 2 at B less common, white 3 at C is common-ish, 3 at D, E or F is less common)

6. 3-3 Invasion Hane Variation

7. 3-4 Kick

(black 4 at B or C somewhat less common, white 5 at A is common, 5 at D is less common)

8. 3-3 Invasion Extend Variation

9. 3-3 Invasion Crawl Variation

10. Classic 4-4 Pincer

(black 10 at A about as common)

11. 3-3 Invasion Flower Joseki

(white A black B exchanged is randomly played or not)

12. 3-3 Invasion Classic

13. 4-4 Approach Pincer Old Box Variation

14. 4-4 Approach Jump

(black 2 can be at A)

15. New 4-4 Approach

16. Weird Noseki

?

17. 3-3 Invasion Hane Continuation

18. 4-4 Enclosure Far Approach

19. 3-4 High Approach Old Pattern

(white 7 at A about as common)

20. Iron Pillar

(white 3 at A is about as common)

Apparently the variation with white 3 at third line got filtered out due to not enough tenukis.

21. 4-4 Slide Tenuki

(4 tenuki)

22. 4-4 Approach Attach

(black 8 can be at A, white 7 can be at B)

23. 4-4 Slide and Jump

24. New 4-4 Approach Variation

[meowkorkor]

I think many strong DDKs would benefit from a resource that explains the (around) 10 most common joseki or 3 to 5 most common groups of joseki.

For example, for the 3-3 invasion at the 4-4 point (if treated as a group of joseki):

1. Black 4 is a good example of hane at the head of two stones. So why does Black not play 8 at G2 instead (it is probably an overplay, but why)?
2. What are the pros and cons of josekis 5 and 9? For 5, when should White (or Black) return to column B?
   When I recently faced the flower joseki, I assumed White 6 was an overplay that I did not know how to punish.

Likewise, for the 4-4 point double keima (not sure of the correct name), what is the point of the extra pair of moves in the beginner joseki (as compared to joseki 3)?

For the 4-4 point keima pincer, surprised the follow-up 3-3 invasion (explain its differences from the immediate 3-3 invasion) is more common than the one-space jump.

[Lys]

@Allerleirauh

common joseki patterns

It would be fun to see if they swapped position through time.

[ArsenLapin1]

Awesome!

@Lys

It would be fun to see if they swapped position through time.

I second this, especially since your data goes from 2013 to 2021 and there was such a major shift in joseki starting in 2016.

For instance, you refer to the kite joseki as “beginner joseki”, but before 2016 it was probably played by players of all ranks.

[climu]

I have to mention the work started by some folks at OSR: A joseki guide aimed at beginner with simple variations. Github repo is here and last pdf version there.

Lately, @korni had plan to revive work on that but instead we forced him into working for OSR.

[climu]

I answered in the main thread but this work has been started.

[txwolf]

Sounds like too much effort than $25 on amazon.

[qnpnpmqppnp]

A bit outdated though.

[climu]

Idea of this project (as all OSR ones) is to provide quality teaching available to anyone for free.

[Groin]

Outdated by the AI revolution. Still valuable to understand what was the ideas behind the moves then, a kind of “historical” approach which
can reveals keys for understanding. Something was a bad exchange (reasons…) and now it’s ok (these reasons were pondered). Still waiting an updated version…

[Allerleirauh]

@meowkorkor

For the 4-4 point keima pincer, surprised the follow-up 3-3 invasion (explain its differences from the immediate 3-3 invasion) is more common than the one-space jump.

One-space jump might be common too but it falls apart into a number of variations and lots of time people don’t even follow any joseki. So when one tries to count finished patterns any of them would score low. On the other hand pincer 3-3 invasion has 2 very set solid patterns that happen most of the time.

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I downloaded some more recent games and tried to update it for 2023. What a waste of time. I guess the biggest lesson is that very few josekis are actually played move by move. Most of corner plays are based around joseki ideas.