Opening Basics — Big Points, Urgent Points and the Width of an Extension

In the first 30 moves it looks as if you could play anywhere — and that is exactly what makes them hard. If joseki is a local fight inside a corner, the opening (fuseki) is about deciding how the whole board will be divided.

Beginner to intermediate Go · about 9 minutes to read

What the opening decides

Stones played in the opening don't make territory on the spot. They only reserve places that will become territory later. So counting how many points an opening move is worth is meaningless; instead, ask "what job is this stone doing on the whole board?"

In the end, the opening comes down to three judgments.

• Where is the widest area? — empty space that nobody's influence reaches yet
• Where is the most urgent point? — a place where, if left alone, your stones come under attack or the opponent firms up a large area
• Are your stones helping each other? — stones that work in isolation each become weak

Introduction to Joseki described the order "corners → sides → center." This article is the next step after learning that order.

Big points and urgent points

The most often quoted Go proverb is "urgent points before big points." But for beginners, telling the two apart is hard in itself.

Big points

Points that greatly increase your territory when you play them. Usually that means a wide side that nobody has touched. A move on an empty side is far bigger than adding one more move to a place that is already settled.

If you can't tell what's big in the opening, there is one rule of thumb: a side that is open at both ends is the biggest. If one end is already blocked by the opponent's stones, its value drops accordingly.

Urgent points

Points where you lose something if you don't play. That's a different question from size.

• A point without which your stones lose their base and get chased
• A point from which you can attack the opponent's weak stones
• The border where two spheres of influence collide — whoever plays there first takes the initiative

The width of an extension — how far to go

When you play on the side, how far from your existing stones to place the new one is a constant question. There is a fairly clear guideline.

From one stone, extend two spaces; from two stones, three. The basic rule is to extend one space more than the number of your stones that form the wall. At this width, even if the opponent jumps in between, you won't be captured and can live.

What if you extend farther? You gain efficiency, but risk being split apart. If the opponent comes in between and separates the two sides, you now have two weak groups. Extend less, and it's safe but costs you: you could have claimed more with the same number of stones and used them narrowly instead.

At beginner and intermediate levels, it's better to stick to the basic width. The loss from extending wide and then being cut and chased is far bigger than the few points you lose by extending narrowly.

The idea of a base

The real reason extensions matter isn't territory but a base. A base is the space in which a group can make two eyes on its own.

A group with a base can simply live where it is if it's attacked. A group without one has to run toward the center, and while it runs, the opponent naturally strengthens everything around it. The side being chased can't build territory, while the chaser gains it. This is the most common way a game tilts at beginner and intermediate level.

So when you attack the opponent, rather than trying to capture, it's better to play moves that take away their base. Even without a capture, simply making them run is a big enough gain.

Splitting moves — dividing a wide side

When the opponent tries to claim a wide side, jumping into the middle of that side is called a splitting move.

The idea is simple. From the middle, whichever side the opponent attacks from, you can extend toward the other side and settle. If they come from the left, extend right; if from the right, extend left. The key to a splitting move is a position that leaves room to extend in both directions.

Conversely, if you want to claim a side yourself, narrow it in advance so that there's no room left for the opponent to split it.

Influence and territory — which is better?

Opening exchanges usually end with one side taking territory and the other taking influence. People often ask which is better, and the answer is "it depends."

Territory

Points you can see right now. They're certain and easy to count. But they won't grow any bigger.

Influence

A thick wall facing outward. By itself it is not worth a single point. This is what beginners misunderstand most. Influence is not territory; it is "the potential to make territory or attack the opponent later."

For influence to be worth anything, you have to put it to use. There are two ways.

• Use it to attack — drive the opponent's weak stones toward your wall. This is the most efficient use.
• Turn it into territory — take the wide area in front of the wall and make it your framework.

Another common mistake is trying to build territory right next to your wall. There's a proverb: "don't use thickness to make territory." Making territory right in front of a thick wall makes your stones overlap and lose efficiency. Let the wall's influence reach far, and make use of the wide space in between.

Common opening mistakes

Following the opponent around

Answering right next to every move your opponent makes. If you always respond, you are always one move behind on the board as a whole. If the opponent's move is one you don't need to answer, tenuki and go to a big point.

Piling stones into one area

The habit of adding more and more stones to a place that is already stable. The stones get stronger, but efficiency drops. One move on an empty side is usually far bigger than one more move next to safe stones.

Trying to capture from the very start

In the opening both sides still have many weak stones, so an unreasonable attack easily backfires. It's safer not to try to capture, but to profit while chasing. This topic is covered in more detail in 8 Common Beginner Mistakes.

Summary — the order of opening judgments

1. Are any of your stones in danger? If so, deal with them first — that's the urgent point.
2. Are any of the opponent's stones weak? If so, look for a point to attack. The aim is to chase, not capture.
3. If neither, go to the widest area. A side open at both ends comes first.
4. When extending, keep the right width. Two spaces from one stone, three from two.

Just keeping to this order means you'll almost never fall far behind in the opening. The opening is a matter of feel and doesn't improve overnight, but having an order for your judgments gives very different results from playing on impulse every time.