Sente gains nothing

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  Difficulty: Intermediate   Keywords: EndGame, Proverb

This proverb seems counterintuitive. Sente certainly feels like it gains something! ;-) And, strictly speaking, it is not true. Sente does gain something: It keeps the opponent from playing the reverse sente. Please read user comments below to avoid being mislead by this proverb. [1]

(Note: This proverb does not apply to playing a gote with sente. That does make a profit, and for free!)

MichaelEisenberg: What is the intended meaning of this proverb?

Using the simile in Winning Ways, playing sente is like cashing a check before it expires. You are claiming what is rightfully yours. Playing sente (and getting a response) normally leaves the count unchanged.[2]

When you are estimating the score, you assume that sente plays are made and answered, for precisely the reason that the count stays the same.

Example:

[Diagram]

Sente gains nothing

After the sente sequence, W1 - B2, Black has 4 points of territory in the corner. We still count the corner as 4 points for Black before the sente. We consider White as owning the sente (White has the privilege of playing the sente), because of its large threat. Under normal circumstances White will be able to play at W1 with sente before Black can afford to play the reverse sente.


Double sente gain discussion


[1] Sometimes making a sente play gains because your opponent does not reply. For instance, he may ignore a ko threat. That is not what this proverb is about.

[2] On occasion, you should play sente and take a loss. For instance, it may be worth it to play a losing ko threat. Or it may be best to take a loss to prevent your opponent from taking the local play when you give up sente.


Dieter: I object to this page. It confines the concept of sente to what it means in the endgame. It is not true that sente moves keep their value whatever is done on the rest of the board. order of play is important and there are numerous examples of forcing moves that are played before the shape of a position is settled.

Bill: It's a proverb, Dieter. It does only apply to one sense of sente, but such sente moves are not confined to the endgame. Are there sente plays that gain points? Sure, but they are gote plays from a different perspective.


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