Start by playing a full game together · Lesson 05
What is a group? What is a liberty?
Notice the empty points next to stones to start judging whether a group is safe.
Stones of the same colour connected horizontally or vertically form a group. Diagonal neighbours are not yet connected.
An empty intersection immediately next to a group is a liberty. Count the distinct empty points around the whole group; a point next to two stones still counts only once.
4 liberties
Green rings mark empty intersections immediately next to the stone.
3 liberties
Green rings mark empty intersections immediately next to the stone.
2 liberties
Green rings mark empty intersections immediately next to the stone.
Same stone, different position, different liberties.
An isolated stone has up to four liberties in the centre, three on an edge and two in a corner. There are no empty intersections outside the board.
Count connected stones as one group.
Connecting does not necessarily increase liberties or make a group safe. Check the empty points around the whole group.
Original lessons by Yiban ·