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HANDLING 3-3 INVASIONS THE MAEDA WAY

Making how to handle 3-3 invasions "clear for everyone" was the topic of Tuesday's lecture by Ryo Maeda 6P, the third in his 4-part series at the ongoing U.S. Go Congress.  As he explained in Monday's edition, the key to living is to make six points of space:  "if you try to make two eyes, chances are you may fail." The invasion at the 3-3 point must be responded to by attaching on either side, but that's not just true for 3-3 invasions, "you must do that, no matter where it happens on the board."  Maeda then went through the standard invasion pattern, showing how it corresponded to the Maeda method for making six points of space in the corner. 

 When there are other friendly stones in the area, choosing the proper direction for the attachment is a matter of protecting the widest space, so that you force the opponent into the narrower space.  But the 3-3 invasion should be "the last option," don't invade if you can do something else.  On the other hand, taking the "star point does not mean territory -- you think you have closed the front door, but the back door is wide open" to the 3-3 invasion.  Maeda recommended using his method in a game first, "then tell your friend."  In a display of real world application of his technique, Maeda put up a position from the morning's U.S. Open game between his student Francis Meyer 7D and Myungwan Kim 8P.  Meyer used one of the formations from Maeda's Sunday lecture, though it was, unfortunately, not the best move in this case.  But Maeda seemed quite proud of how his student was doing in the Open -- 2-1 as of Tuesday -- and planned to introduce him at the next lecture, which will be held on Thursday. As usual, the lecture concluded with Maeda's trademark rock-paper-scissors simul. - report/photos by Jake Edge