From local shapes to the whole board · Lesson 26
Territory, frameworks and thickness
Secure territory is area the opponent can no longer easily take. A framework outlines an area but still allows invasion. Do not count all empty points inside a framework as yours in advance.
Stones facing the center can support nearby play and make fighting harder for the opponent: outward influence. Solidly connected strength with few weaknesses is called thickness. Loose stones that are easy to attack may be thin.
Thickness gains value through the whole board: helping make territory elsewhere or profiting while attacking. A wall is not an automatic win, and a move is not wasted just because it encloses no points immediately.
Original lessons by Yiban ·