The spliting move is no longer popular in modern times, but it is still not a bad opening. However, if you like playing the spliting move + 2 space extension, you should be prepared for Black's peep and attach. This combination by Black is very powerful.
When facing Black's peep and attach, the White responses of digging and connecting at moves 4 and 6 were the textbook methods before the AI era. AI rarely recommends this sequence nowadays, but it is still not a bad move. Its basic concept is to simply make a living group without creating any burdens and to shift the battle to other areas. The drawback is that it allows Black to develop.
Next, White can tenuki (play elsewhere), and capturing a stone on the side and getting a base can be considered miai (mutually exclusive options).
Black's move to take the base is too strong.
Old textbooks would teach White to capture the stone with moves 1 and 3 to live cleanly, but the efficiency of this move is clearly low.
If White plays the atari at 1 and then tenuki, Black's move at 4 will cause White a lot of pain, so it's better not to make this exchange with move 1 (it is not actually bad, but not recommended).
Next, we will introduce other feasible moves for White. Players can try different moves in their games to gain experience.
The bend at move 1 for White very often leads to a fair variation.
After Black connects with move 2, White can play moves 3 and 5 to gain sente, and then advance at 7. Although moves 3 and 5 might seem vulgar, their effectiveness in gaining sente is real.
Similar to the joseki for a one space pincer with White's moves at 10 and 12.
After the variation shown above, Black needs to be aware of the cutting points at A and B.
For example, after White moves smoothly in the center...
White can decisively capture the stone!
White does not fear Black pushing down!
Therefore, capturing the stone at point A for Black is very significant.
In this variation, White moves smoothly in the center, but Black is very thick on the side. Compared to digging and connecting, each has its pros and cons.
Lastly, it's important to remind everyone not to overlook the possibility of White's hane at move 1.
In this case, White is clearly at a disadvantage because Black separates a stone, forming a large framework, and the exchange between Black's move at 8 and White's move at 9 is also very significant.
However, sometimes Black's hane at move 1 can be a sharp counter move.
After gaining thickness, Black can counter-attack White.
The steady dig-and-connect move seems a bit slow at this time.
There are many special cases and techniques to counter the shoulder hit and contact move, but the methods introduced in this article can basically handle most opening situations.
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