Many people don’t like to take high handicap, because they think they won’t learn anything. Nothing more erroneous. The high handicap is the best way for beginners to learn proper shapes and direction of play.

Dia.1 – Start of 9 handi game

I will discuss here shapes and direction of play for 9 handicap games. The most common start for 9 stones game is White 1 from Dia. 1 and the most natural answer is black 2. White 3 and 4 is forced. White 5 give him space to make 2 eyes, but sequence to 9 is very optimistic and in favour to black.

After black 4 in Dia.1 white is more likely to play tenuki or at 9 without 5-8 sequence. The game are getting more and more complicated :( Black in 9 stones game should play very calm, so games with a lot of fight is not what black wants. Before I will show proper move I want to discuss one more possibility variation after Black 4.

Dia. 2 – Descent to second line

Sometimes white need to descend to second line with white 1. Now black have only one answer and it is black 2. White had to play 3, if he plays at 4 black will cut white in two by playing at 3. This isn’t popular joseki but it’s worth to know black great move at 2.

Dia.3 – High move

Backing to first diagram white can also play on 4th line. Black tried to back to previous joseki by playing at 2, but of course white play something new – white 3. After exchange 4-5 black must play vital point at 6. Sequence to white 13 is forced. Next move is very important. Black can play atari at 17 but it will only help white to get nice shape plus left bottom corner is still open.

The right move is black 14 to make a wall on right side and in this same time attack white group. Rest of this variation is natural. Last move is worth to remember – it limits white forcing move to minimum and secure the corner from invasion.