Opening

The opening of the game is the initial disposition of stones.

The Japanese term for the beginning phase, joban, isn't commonly used in English. A more popular term for the opening is fuseki, meaning arraying stones.

A general, basic introduction to the opening starts at About the Opening. See also Beginners guide to the opening.

In the opening, there are three main areas of study.

• The whole board, see fuseki pages.
• Patterns on half a board, see side patterns.
• Sequences in the corner, see joseki.