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Capturing race
Path: GiveMeLiberties · Prev: GunEight · Next: OutsideLiberties
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Tactics
A capturing race (semeai in Japanese) is a mutual capturing contest: 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 then capture their stones wins the race. We assume that then makes life for the group: otherwise this isn't a capturing race but some kind of nakade sequence There are several standard types of capturing races and it is useful to know them.
In all cases there are inside liberties and outside liberties. When attacking your opponent's group, you should play the inside liberties last. Otherwise, you take away one of your own liberties as well as the opponent's, and give them sente. To count the outside liberties, include approach moves: sometimes it is necessary to play more than just on the actual liberties to capture the group. The range of possible outcomes in a capturing race is extensive: besides victory for one or other side, you can get seki, a direct ko and most types of indirect ko.
Path: GiveMeLiberties · Prev: GunEight · Next: OutsideLiberties This is a copy of the living page "Capturing race" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |