If you open with the star point (the 4-4 point), two situations will come up in almost every game: your opponent will approach the corner from a side, or invade underneath it at the 3-3 point. Knowing the main ideas for both is the most useful joseki knowledge a beginner can have. This article explains them without long sequences to memorise.
The starting position
A star-point stone claims the corner quickly but leaves the 3-3 point open. Your opponent has two main ways to challenge it: approach from outside, or slip in underneath.
Part 1: the approach
When your opponent approaches from one side, you have three broad choices:
Protect the corner
Play a calm move that strengthens the corner, such as a knight's move or a one-point move on the other side, or a diagonal move toward the 3-3 point. The corner becomes solid territory; the approaching stone is left to extend along the side and settle. This is the simplest, safest choice and ideal for beginners.
Pincer
Place a stone further along the side, so that the approaching stone is squeezed between your corner and your pincer. This is more aggressive: you try to attack the approaching stone. It works best when you have support nearby. Beginners often pincer too eagerly and end up with several weak stones.
Tenuki (play elsewhere)
Sometimes the approach is not urgent, and a bigger move exists elsewhere. If you ignore it, the opponent may approach again or invade; you must be comfortable with that. Leaving an approach unanswered is a sign of confidence, not neglect — but only if the move you play elsewhere is truly bigger.
Part 2: the 3-3 invasion
The 3-3 invasion goes under your star point. It aims to live in the corner with a small but secure group, while you get a strong wall on the outside.
The key decision for the star-point owner is which side to block from. After the invasion, you place a stone next to the invader on one side, and the invader will crawl along the other side. The side you block determines where your wall faces. The rule: block so that your wall faces the side where you want to build — usually toward your other stones or toward open space. The side you leave open is where the invader lives.
The typical result: the invader lives in the corner with a small group, and you get a thick wall facing outwards. Whether that is good for you depends on the rest of the board. If your wall faces open space or your own stones, it is excellent. If it faces your opponent's strength, the invasion was successful for them.
Territory versus influence
Both situations illustrate the central trade-off of Go:
- The corner owner who protects the corner gets territory; the approacher gets a position on the side.
- After a 3-3 invasion, the invader gets territory in the corner; the star-point player gets influence.
Neither is automatically better. What matters is how each result fits with the other stones on the board. See direction of play.
Common beginner errors
- Blocking the 3-3 invasion from the wrong side, so the wall faces the opponent's strength.
- Trying to kill every 3-3 invasion. Early in the game, the invader almost always lives with correct play. Accept it and take your wall.
- Pincering without support, creating two weak groups.
- Answering every approach automatically when a bigger point exists elsewhere.
- Forgetting the 3-3 point late in the game: an unprotected star-point corner can still be invaded in the middle game.
When is the 3-3 invasion "early"?
In modern play the 3-3 invasion is often played very early, even in the first dozen moves. That was once considered too greedy, but strong computer programs popularised it, and many players now use it routinely. For a beginner, the important lesson is simple: your star-point corner is never completely safe until you have added a stone to protect it.
Practising these ideas
Play several 13 × 13 games against the computer on the home page with star-point openings and watch how the computer approaches and invades. Try protecting the corner, then try pincering, and compare the results. In games against people on the online page, save your games on your account and replay each corner: did your wall face the right way?
Related articles: what is joseki, star point versus 3-4 point, choosing joseki by direction.
How the corner looks after each choice
It helps to picture the typical outcomes rather than the exact moves. After you protect the corner, the corner area is yours and the approaching stone extends along the side, usually living there with a small group. After you pincer, a fight begins on the side; the approaching stone may jump out toward the centre, slide under your corner, or counter-attack your pincer. After a 3-3 invasion and a block, the invader crawls a few stones along the side it chose and lives; you end up with a row of stones forming a wall above it. Knowing these rough shapes is more useful than memorising the order of the moves, because it tells you which outcome you are aiming for.
Timing the protective move
Even if you choose to protect your star-point corner after an approach, there is a question of timing. Some players protect immediately; others wait until the approaching stone becomes a real threat. As a beginner, protecting soon is usually right: it keeps your corner safe and avoids complicated fights. As you get stronger, you will find situations where leaving the corner for a move or two gains more elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 3-3 invasion be killed?
Early in the game, with correct play, the invader usually lives. Later, when the outside is strong, killing becomes possible.
Which side should I block a 3-3 invasion from?
From the side that makes your wall face open space or your own stones.
Is pincering better than protecting?
Neither is better in general. Pincering is more aggressive and needs support nearby.
Should I always answer an approach?
No. If something bigger exists, you may play elsewhere, accepting that the corner can be attacked further.
Why do star points invite invasions?
Because the 4-4 stone is a line higher than 3-3, leaving room underneath for a small living group.
