~*~ A JOSEKI, EXPLAINED -- THE GREAT AVALANCHE ~*~

In words: this is the bottom right corner of the board, with column c7 the rightmost line and row r5 the bottom line. White's original stone, the komoku being approached, sits at column c5, row r2, shown here as a plain white point with no number. From there, Black 1 is at c3-r2, White 2 at c3-r3, Black 3 at c4-r2, White 4 at c4-r3, Black 5 at c5-r1, White 6 at c2-r3, Black 7 at c2-r2, White 8 at c1-r2, Black 9 at c5-r3, White 10 at c6-r2, and Black 11 at c5-r4. Five lettered points remain around the shape and are not stones: d at c4-r1, b at c6-r1, e at c1-r3, c at c6-r3, and a at c6-r4. Every other point on the diagram is empty.

Black 1 is a one-space high approach to White's komoku. White 2 attaches. Black 3 hanes on top. White 4 blocks. Black 5 hanes again, and that is the move that actually starts the avalanche proper -- if White doesn't fancy it today, move 8 can be played at e instead and everyone goes home for dinner. From the diagram as it stands, three roads lead out: a takes the corner outright, b turns outward, and c turns inward. There is also a modern variation that cuts at d, for players who enjoy making their own life more difficult than it needs to be.

Here is the bit I actually enjoy telling people. For as long as anyone had been playing this joseki, White turned outward, at b, and that was simply understood. Then, on 20 February 1957, in the first Japan Strongest Player Determination Match, Go Seigen played against Takagawa Kaku and turned INWARD instead, at c. One move. The whole joseki changed that day, and to this day it is still called the revolutionary move -- because it was one, and because nobody saw it coming until it had already landed.

I will admit, in the spirit of full disclosure, that I have lost at least one tournament game standing in exactly this position, entirely because I turned the wrong way. I will not say which point. It might have been b. It was probably b.