Go life and death: counting liberties
Life and death is the heart of go: whether a group lives or dies decides the whole game. This page starts with the most basic step — counting liberties.
Liberties: a group’s breath
The empty points up, down, left and right of a stone are its liberties. One chain (connected stones of the same color) shares all its liberties. When every liberty is filled by the opponent, the chain is captured and taken off the board.
So the first step in life and death is always counting: how many liberties does this group have, and which is the last one the opponent must fill?
Play the last liberty
When the opponent’s group has only one liberty left (that is atari), playing there captures the whole group. If it still has two or more liberties, you must reduce them first — that is a longer life-and-death problem; this page practices shapes that one move settles.
The board has Black at the bottom and White at the top. Tap an empty point to play; if you go wrong, the engine tells you why.
Try a puzzle
Corner: three white stones in atari
Black to move. The three white stones in the corner have only one liberty left — where do you play to capture them?
這一題的目標：一手內吃掉
Answer:A2
The three white stones (C1, C2, B2) form one chain; the surrounding black stones have sealed all their liberties except A2. Black plays A2, the last liberty is filled, and the whole chain is captured — three stones leave the board. This puzzle trains counting liberties: when the opponent has a group surrounded, first count how many liberties remain; if it is only one, playing there ends it. Note that A2 is also one of Black’s own liberties, so you must check that your stone still has a liberty after you play (here it does).
Try a puzzle
Edge: three white stones in a row
Black to move. The three white stones on the edge stand in a row with only one liberty — where do you play?
這一題的目標：一手內吃掉
Answer:B3
The three white stones stand in a column on the left edge (C1, C2, C3); black stones seal them from the right (D1, D2, D3) and above/below (B1, B2, C4), leaving only B3. Black plays B3 and the whole chain is captured. Same idea as the corner puzzle: count liberties, then play the last one. A row of stones is easier to count than a corner shape — its liberties are usually at the two ends.
Try a puzzle
Corner: another three-stone shape
Black to move. The three white stones in the corner are surrounded — which move captures them?
這一題的目標：一手內吃掉
Answer:D1
The three white stones (B2, C2, C1) huddle in the corner, and their last liberty points inward at D1. This differs from the earlier puzzles in where the last liberty is: still one liberty, but on the inner side rather than in the corner. In real games, count the liberties together with their directions — and check that your own move cannot be captured (no suicide).
Try a puzzle
Corner: three stones stretching along the edge
Black to move. The three white stones stretch from the corner along the edge — where is their last liberty?
這一題的目標：一手內吃掉
Answer:E1
The three white stones stretch along the bottom row (B1, C1, D1); black stones seal them from above and the left, leaving only E1. This puzzle trains counting along the edge: a chain hugging the edge keeps its liberties at the two ends and above, so looking along the edge to both ends finds the answer fastest.