Joseki Encyclopedia

Star Point Low Pincer Joseki

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star-point-low-pincer-joseki

Level: beginner/intermediate
Updated: 2026-05-17
Concepts: pincer direction · 3-3 entry · efficiency · settlement
Tags: joseki · star-point · pincer · 3-3 · direction

Lesson board

Star point, small-knight approach, one-space low pincer.

Lower-left corner

Black pincer

The compact recommendation. It attacks the approach stone efficiently and usually lets Black tenuki after the local result.

White response

The beginner-friendly response. White takes clear corner territory and avoids a difficult outside fight.

Sequence

setup

Black 1 star point, White 2 approach, Black 3 pincer

Black pincers when the outside direction is more important than simply defending the corner.

The one-space low pincer is the efficient first version. Wider three-space pincers are also playable, especially when Black has support on the nearby side, but they usually ask for more follow-up care.

When you face the pincer as White, start from the simple 3-3 entry before studying harder outside fights.

Playable branches

Later notes

Future follow-up

Outside jump family: playable, but harder

The old outside-jump lines can still be close to even, but they require better reading around cuts, forcing moves, and outside shape.

If that reading feels unclear, choose the 3-3 entry first.

Future follow-up

Cut timing: leave for a deeper study pass

Some local cuts depend on ladders, nets, and forcing moves. They are real, but too detailed for this first pincer page.

Learn the stable local shape before trying to punish every thin point.

Separate pattern

Double-wing fights: separate pattern

More complicated double-wing and active outside fights belong in a separate lesson.

Do not mix them into the beginner 3-3 response map.

Mistake map