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CapturingRace
CapturingRaces

Referenced by
GoTerms
ApproachingALifeA...
Eye
RelyingOnTrickPlays
AttackAndDefence
ANoviceTriesToWri...
TheSecondBookOfGo
StupidMoves
StrangeThingsHapp...
EyesWinSemeais

 

Semeai
  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Tactics, Go term

A semeai is a capturing race. That is, a race where both parties are enclosed, have at most one eye and are reducing each other's liberties. The first one to put the opponent into atari and so capture their stones wins the race, and by doing so, makes life for their own group.

There are several standard types of capturing races and it is extremely useful to know them.

In all cases there are inside liberties and outside liberties. When attacking your opponent's group in a semeai, you should play the inside liberties last. Otherwise, you take away one of your own liberties as well as the opponent's, and then give them sente afterwards.

Part of the outside liberties are approach moves: sometimes it is necessary to play more than just on the actual liberties to capture the group.



Old Semeai



This is a copy of the living page "Semeai" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.