Attack and Defence

For the book with this title, see Attack And Defense The Book

During the middle game, groups come under attack. See weak group. Note that attacking is very different from killing. So attacking techniques are not the same as techniques for cutting and placement. You may need those techniques in order to set up an attack; but the question is then how to conduct an attack if you cannot kill.

In go it is easier to defend than to attack. A common advice is to defend before you attack.

Table of contents Types of fights Fighting objectives Overall Overall concepts Basic tactics Further study

Types of fights

• attack on one group
• capturing race (semeai)
• complex fight
• cutting fight
• exchange
• invasion (e.g. on the side, or in the corner)
• leaning attack
• multiple groups fight
• mutual reduction fight
• mutual running fight
• mutual settling fight
• reduction(also known as keshi)
• splitting attack

Fighting objectives

• Attack to create thickness
• Capture
• Creating aji
• Defending life
• Defending stability
• Eliminating aji
• Exchange
• Exploiting aji
• Go all out for the kill (only) if the opponent ignores the attack
• Making influence
• Making territory
• Offering a strategic choice
• Playing elsewhere
• Preventing capture of a group or part of a group
• Preventing opposing territory
• Preventing or restricting opposing influence
• Sacrifice
• Shifting the territory balance
• Strengthening one's own influence
• Strengthening one's own territory
• Threatening capture of a group or part of a group
• Threatening stability

Overall

Overall concepts

• Attack and defense can also be combined.
• efficiency
• flexibility
• forcing
• interruption of a fight
• reading
• sacrifice
• strategy
• thickness
• timing
• honte or defend before you attack

Basic tactics

• extension
• pincer

Further study

Books on this subject are:

• Attack and Defense, by Ishida Akira and James Davies (in the Elementary Go Series)
• Fighting Fundamentals by Robert Jasiek
• Get Strong at Attacking, by Richard Bozulich
• Kato's Attack and Kill, by Kato Masao
• The ABC's of Attack and Defense, by Michael Redmond

On SL

• Middle game exercises
• Attack and defence with Lizzie