chumon

Chumon (Japanese Chuumon 注文) is a Japanese word which in everyday usage means "order", as at a restaurant. In go, it means "letting a player have his way", and is used to describe a sequence or variation with an overly favorable result for one side. Chumon could also be translated as "what Black (or White) wants (or hopes for)". Normally the idea is that the opponent has a better line to follow, one that would bring about a more reasonable result.

Professionals, however, bring a more nuanced interpretation to the term. It would be rare for any sequence in a pro game to greatly favor one side, or for a pro to fail to see a way to prevent such a result. Pros use the word with a psychological flavor. Anything the opponent wants--even if objectively speaking the result would be balanced--is to be avoided or prevented. Failing to do this is the other player's chumon, or "letting him have his way", and is inherently negative. Chumon is a useful word to understand since it casts light on this psychological dynamic of the game.

/Past Discussion: Is the word worth an article here?