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Chain
Difficulty: Introductory
Keywords: Go term
A chain is a group of stones that are all connected along the lines of the board. A single stone isolated from others of the same colour is a chain, in this sense. For more formal talk, one can say: A chain consists of
one stone together all stones strictly connected to that stone (and only those).
That is, a chain is a collection of stones hanging together because of direct connection along a path made up of board lines. Such a collection is often called a group, somewhat loosely. But groups in go are often made up of several chains that co-operate, without the solid connections that would link them into a single chain. Another term used in this sense is "string". In various places, these have also been called 'armies' and 'units'. Prefer 'chain': this term is rarely going to be confusing. The Japanese make no difference between stone and chain. Both are called ishi. Authors: Dieter, Bill, Charles This is a copy of the living page "Chain" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |