Basic strategies list

Basic strategy

• Keep your own stones connected.
• Keep your opponent's stones disconnected.
• Seal in your opponent's stones.
• Don't get sealed in yourself.
• Keep your own groups alive by ensuring they have space for two eyes, by connecting them to other live groups or to open space, or by using them to kill your opponent's groups.
• That is, try to avoid forming weak groups.
• Kill your opponent's groups by surrounding them and preventing them from forming two eyes.

Intermediate strategy

• Maintain the initiative.
• Make moves that have several independent purposes (see double-purpose move).
• Use your own stones efficiently.
• Place your own stones to form good shape.
• Prevent your opponent's stones from forming good shape.
• Use your own stones to develop frameworks first in the corners, then along the edges, then in the centre.
• Reduce or invade your opponent's frameworks.
• Make your own groups strong before attacking your opponent's groups.
• Make your own groups strong by attacking your opponent's groups.
• Use your own stones to build either territory or influence.
• But play away from thickness be it your own or your opponent's.

Meta strategy

• Be independent: don't just respond to your opponent's threats; make your own threats instead (see following the opponent around; maintain initiative).
• Accept local losses if you gain some compensation (see tenuki is always an option; maintain initiative).
• Regularly estimate the score.
• Play aggressively when behind, safely when ahead (rich men don't pick fights).
• Play moves in the "right" order, which may mean prioritising the above goals (path on sequencing questions).

/discussion