Efficiency

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Shape

Chinese: 效率 ( xiào lǜ)
Japanese: 能率 (nouritsu) / 効率 (kouritsu)
Korean: 효율 (hyoyul)

Table of contents

Efficiency describes the relative effectiveness of a move, sequence of moves or a set of stones in relation to what a player hopes to achieve vis-à-vis corresponding stones on the board. A player plays efficiently by using the fewest plays necessary to accomplish their task, or aim. [1] Players who exhibit greater efficiency in surrounding and controlling territory over the course of a game will have a greater chance of winning. Efficiency can be about territory, influence or other aspects.

Efficiency in making life

[Diagram] not achieving the aim to make life

B1 does not achieve the aim to make life. W2 kills.

[Diagram] achieving aim but inefficient

B1 achieves the aim of making life, but could do so more efficiently. (Later, White can reduce the territory with a-b to 2 points)

[Diagram] Efficient

B1 makes life and 4 points, 2 better than the previous diagram. B1 is the most efficient way to make life in this position.

As always, one must consider the Global situation when choosing a move to play. While one may find an efficient Local sequence to play, that does not mean that is the most urgent move to play yet on the whole board. For instance, making a 2 point life for a small group of stones may be inferior to attacking a large dragon on the rest of the board.

Efficiency in making territory

See: Build Box Shaped Territories

Related pages

Footnotes

[1] RobertJasiek: A player can often achieve different degrees of efficiency with the same number of his related plays. Among different variations with the same number, he can choose the variation with the best achieved efficiency. See also RobertJasiek/Efficiency.


This is a copy of the living page "Efficiency" at Sensei's Library.
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