From local shapes to the whole board · Lesson 28
Sente, gote and tenuki: when can you play elsewhere?
Sente here does not mean Black’s first move at the start. It means retaining the chance to play elsewhere first after a local sequence. In gote, the opponent gets that choice first.
A move threatens sente when ignoring it causes a clear loss. But the opponent need not always answer: if something elsewhere matters more, they may ignore it for now and play elsewhere, called tenuki.
To decide whether to play elsewhere, ask what the opponent gets if you do not answer. Check urgent needs before comparing large points. Do not keep following simply because the last move was nearby.
Endgame terms include double sente and reverse sente. First understand who must answer and who can turn elsewhere, then compare local values. Sente is not a permanent property of a move.
Original lessons by Yiban ·