Go Terminology
Learning Go terminology helps you understand game commentaries and communicate with other players.
Board Terminology
Important Board Positions
| Term | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tengen | Center of the board | The 10-10 intersection on a 19x19 board |
| Star point (Hoshi) | Black dots near the four corners | Position 4 lines from each edge (4,4) |
| Komoku | Common corner opening point | Position (3,4) or (4,3) |
| San-san (3-3) | Deepest corner point | Position (3,3), directly takes the corner |
| Mokuhazushi | Higher corner position | Position (3,5) or (5,3) |
| Takamoku | High corner position | Position (4,5) or (5,4) |
Board Regions
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Corner | Four corner areas of the board, typically within the 4th line |
| Side | Edge areas between corners |
| Center | Central area of the board, also called "the middle" |
Line Heights
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| First line | The outermost edge line (death line) |
| Second line | The second line (losing line) |
| Third line | The third line (territory line) |
| Fourth line | The fourth line (influence line) |
Proverb
"The first line leads to death, the second line brings loss" - The first and second lines are disadvantageous positions.
Playing Terminology
Basic Actions
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Play | Place a stone on the board |
| Capture | Remove opponent stones that have no liberties |
| Sacrifice | Deliberately abandon certain stones |
Attack-Related
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Atari | Reduce opponent's stones to one liberty |
| Double atari | Put two groups in atari simultaneously; opponent can only save one |
| Ladder (Shicho) | Continuous atari where the opponent cannot escape |
| Net (Geta) | Loosely block the opponent; they're captured whether they run or not |
Stone Movement Patterns
| Term | Description | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Extend (Nobi) | Connect along a straight line | Linear extension |
| Jump (Tobi) | Skip one space on the same line | One empty point between |
| Knight's move (Keima) | Diagonal move with one space gap | Like chess knight |
| Large knight's move (Ogeima) | Diagonal move, farther distance | Farther than keima |
| Diagonal (Kosumi) | Diagonally adjacent | Slanted connection |
| One-space jump (Ikken-tobi) | One space gap on same line | Horizontal or vertical |
Contact Move Terminology
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Hane | Play at opponent stone's diagonal |
| Cut (Kiri) | Sever opponent's connection |
| Connect (Tsugi) | Join your own stones together |
| Block (Osae) | Block opponent's path |
| Pincer (Hasami) | Squeeze opponent from both sides |
| Attach (Tsuke) | Play directly adjacent to opponent's stone |
| Lean (Yose) | Play close, usually beside opponent's stone |
| Press (Oshi) | Press down from above, making opponent low |
| Underneath (Sashi) | Play underneath opponent's stone |
| Placement (Oki) | Play at a key point (often at eye space or vital point) |
| Peep (Nozoki) | Play threatening a weak point |
Shape Terminology
Good Shapes
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Tiger's mouth (Tobi) | Two stones diagonal with one empty point between |
| Bamboo joint | Two-stone connection basic shape |
| Thick (Atsui) | Shape without weaknesses, very solid |
| Light (Karui) | Flexible shape, not afraid of attack |
Basic Concepts
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Eye | Empty point surrounded by your own stones |
| Liberty (Iki) | Empty points around stones (lifeline) |
| Cutting point | Weak point in stone connections that could be cut |
| Connection | Stones joined as one unit |
Bad Shapes
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Empty triangle | Three stones forming empty triangle, classic bad shape |
| Heavy (Omoi) | Inefficient shapes |
| Clumped | Stones crowded together, inefficient |
| Split | Shape divided, vulnerable to attack |
Game Terminology
Move Order
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Sente | After playing, you maintain initiative |
| Gote | After playing, opponent takes initiative |
| Tenuki | Leave a local position incomplete, play elsewhere |
| Sente profit | Gains obtained with sente |
Game Phases
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Opening (Fuseki) | Opening phase, both sides claim key points |
| Middle game | Most intense fighting phase |
| Endgame (Yose) | Final phase, settling borders |
| Counting | Performing endgame, finalizing borders |
Position Evaluation
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Ahead | Leading position |
| Behind | Trailing position |
| Close game | Position with small margin |
| Whole board | Moves or judgments affecting the entire position |
Game Results
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Black wins by X points | Black wins by X points |
| White wins by X points | White wins by X points |
| Draw (Jigo) | Equal points (very rare) |
| Resignation | Win without counting (opponent resigns) |
Advanced Terminology
These terms are frequently encountered in advanced study:
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Joseki | Fixed optimal exchange sequences in the opening |
| Tesuji | Clever technique, brilliant move |
| Vulgar move | Ordinary, inefficient play |
| Slow move | Not urgent enough, giving opponent advantage |
| Vital point | Essential position that must be played immediately |
| Big point | High-value position |
| Thickness | Solid influence with external power |
| Territory | Definite surrounded area |
| Framework (Moyo) | Potential territory not yet complete |
Learning Advice
You don't need to memorize all terminology at once. We recommend first becoming familiar with basic terms in "Playing Terminology," then gradually learning others through actual games.