From local shapes to the whole board · Lesson 27
Attack and defense: must you capture everything?
An attack need not capture the entire group. While the opponent escapes, you may gain territory, connect or strengthen your stones. Chasing too far can instead weaken your own position.
Entering an opponent’s framework to live or reconnect is an invasion. Reducing its potential area from the outside is a reduction. An invasion goes deeper and usually carries greater life-and-death risk.
A cap limits movement toward the center, an approach presses from the side, and a block closes an exit. Before applying pressure, check whether your own weak groups have liberties, connections and room for eyes.
Settling a group in danger is often more urgent than surrounding a few extra points far away. In a teaching game, you need not chase every group to capture; leave room for your child to discover an escape.
Original lessons by Yiban ·