Go Terminology
Learning Go terminology helps you understand game commentaries and communicate with other players.
Common Go terms fall into categories such as board positions (tengen, star point, komoku, san-san, corner, side, center, and the first through fourth lines) as well as shape and gameplay terms. Becoming familiar with these terms helps you follow game commentary 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.