American Go Association: Learn to Play Go
Use the rules-learning material for liberties, capture, legal play, and beginner vocabulary. Local examples are small practice positions, not copied professional SGF records.
Rules reading guide
Go / Weiqi Liberties and Captures
A liberty is an empty orthogonally adjacent intersection available to a stone or connected group. Diagonals do not count as liberties. When a move removes the last liberty of an opposing group, that group is captured and removed. Count the whole connected group, apply the capture, and only then judge the new board. Ko and rule-set details can restrict an immediate recapture, so a one-position diagram is not always the complete legality test.
Working table
Liberty-counting worksheet
Use the same order every time so a visually busy position does not hide the legal result.
| Step | Question | Beginner check |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mark the group | Which stones connect orthogonally? | Treat diagonally touching stones as separate unless another stone connects them. |
| 2. Mark empty neighbors | Which adjacent intersections are empty? | Count each shared empty intersection once for the whole group. |
| 3. Test the move | Does the move fill a liberty, add a liberty, connect, or cut? | Recount both nearby groups after placing the stone. |
| 4. Remove captures | Did an opposing group reach zero liberties? | Remove that group before judging the moving stone's liberties. |
| 5. Check recapture | Would the move recreate a previous position? | Consult the rule set's ko or repetition rule before immediate recapture. |
| 6. Explain the purpose | Is the move saving, attacking, connecting, or sacrificing? | A legal capture is not automatically the best whole-board move. |
Count orthogonal liberties on the resulting board. Do not stop at the board image that existed before captured stones were removed.
Count connected groups, not isolated stones
One stone in the center begins with four adjacent intersections, but a connected chain shares liberties. Two stones side by side do not simply have eight liberties because the occupied contact points are no longer empty and some outside liberties are shared. Trace the outer boundary of the connected group and count each empty orthogonal neighbor once.
Diagonal contact can be tactically important, but it is not direct connection under the basic rule. If two stones touch only at a corner, an opponent may be able to cut between their routes. When a beginner miscounts a diagonal as a shared liberty, the resulting capture forecast is often one move late.
Apply capture before self-capture judgment
A move may appear to fill the moving stone's last liberty while simultaneously taking the opponent's final liberty. In that case, remove the captured opposing stones first and inspect the resulting board. Their removal can create new liberties for the stone that just moved. This order is why reading the final position matters more than looking only at the placement point.
Different rulesets express self-capture and repetition details differently, so keep the beginner claim narrow: identify adjacent groups, count liberties, apply captures, then consult the chosen ruleset for any remaining legality question. A practice diagram should name the rule family instead of presenting one local convention as universal.
Use atari as a warning, not an automatic command
A group with one liberty is in atari, but saving it is not always best. The group may be small, already strategically unimportant, or useful as a sacrifice. Conversely, a large group with several liberties may still be in severe danger if its escape route is being sealed. Liberty count is the first tactical fact, not the whole strategic answer.
Before replying to atari, ask what the threatened group is worth, whether connecting creates a stronger group, whether a counter-atari changes move order, and whether playing elsewhere gains more. This keeps the rules guide connected to real record reading rather than turning every warning into a reflex.
Read one branch with a written recount
For practice, use a small corner or side position. Write the liberty count of the target group, place the candidate move, remove any captured stones, and write the new count. Repeat for the defender's best reply. A written recount reveals exactly where an imagined liberty or missed connection entered the analysis.
When moving to a full-board record, preserve the same habit but add direction. After the local liberty result is clear, ask whether the fight strengthens the outside, gives sente, secures territory, or creates a weak group elsewhere. The rule calculation earns trust; the whole-board explanation gives the move meaning.
Rules checked
Source notes
Use the source for the rule claim named here; use the guide for the beginner reading task.