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Seki
Path: LifeAndDeath · Prev: BasicLivingEyeShapes · Next: LGroup
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Life & Death, Go term
Seki means dual life. In its simple form, it is a sort of symbiosis where two groups share liberties which neither of them can fill without dying. Below you will find several types of seki. Be aware that although neither side can 'win' a seki, a seki can be a source of ko threats. There are also scoring issues in seki. Example of a simple seki (no eyes)
The simplest form of a seki is as shown in this diagram: the marked white and black groups have no eyes, and share two liberties at a and b. If either player plays on one of these points, the opponent will play the other and capture. A recapture under the stones is not possible.
Example of a seki with eyes
A slightly more complex variant is formed by the marked black and white groups. Both groups have one eye, and they share a liberty. Again if either player plays at a, the other one will capture.
Example of seki with and without eyes
The two white groups both have one eye. The black group has none, but shares a liberty with both of the white groups. Again no player can capture any stones of the other player, and the position is seki.
Example of a seki with a partly filled eyespace
Another type of a seki. Black can capture the three white stones, but if he does, White will then come back at the point where the marked stone is. Black will then be left with a dead shape, so Black will not do so. Instead, this position will remain until the end, with the three white stones alive through seki.
Example of a seki with double ko
Allow me to provide just one more interesting example on seki, but involving kos. Go figure. :-) --unkx80
A related shape can be found on the Double Ko page.
See also Seki with eyes question.
--MortenPahle
Another example of seki with partly filled eyespace
It seems to me that neither Black nor White wishes to play further in this space. So is it a seki? -- nuance See butterfly seven.
WikiMasterEdit by Dieter. In addition to moving some content to scoring issues in seki, I deleted a comment of KarlKnechtel about the butterfly seven, which has a proper page now.See the Path: LifeAndDeath · Prev: BasicLivingEyeShapes · Next: LGroup This is a copy of the living page "Seki" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |