Weiqi Terms Glossary for Beginners

When you start learning Weiqi, you will quickly meet many unfamiliar terms.

Some are simple, like stone, board, and territory.

Others sound more mysterious, like atari, ko, komi, kyu, and dan.

This glossary explains the most important Weiqi terms in simple beginner-friendly language.

You do not need to memorize everything at once.

Use this page as a reference whenever you meet a new word during your learning journey.

Basic Weiqi Terms

Weiqi

Weiqi is the Chinese name for the ancient strategy board game also known as Go in English and Baduk in Korean.

The goal is to control more territory than your opponent.

Go

Go is the Japanese-derived name commonly used in English-speaking countries.

Go, Weiqi, and Baduk all refer to the same game.

Baduk

Baduk is the Korean name for Weiqi.

It is commonly used in Korea and in Korean professional game commentary.

Board

The board is the grid where the game is played.

A standard Weiqi board has 19 horizontal lines and 19 vertical lines, creating 361 intersections.

Beginners often start on smaller boards such as 9×9 or 13×13.

Stone

A stone is the playing piece used in Weiqi.

One player uses black stones, and the other uses white stones.

Unlike chess pieces, stones do not move after they are placed.

Intersection

An intersection is a point where two lines on the board meet.

Stones are placed on intersections, not inside squares.

Black

Black is the player who moves first.

Because Black has the advantage of the first move, White usually receives compensation points called komi.

White

White is the player who moves second.

White usually receives komi to balance Black’s first-move advantage.

Core Rule Terms

Liberty

A liberty is an empty intersection directly next to a stone or group.

Liberties are the “breathing spaces” of stones.

If a stone or group has no liberties, it is captured.

Capture

A capture happens when a stone or group loses all of its liberties.

Captured stones are removed from the board.

Atari

Atari means a stone or group has only one liberty remaining.

It is one move away from being captured.

Group

A group is a set of stones of the same color connected horizontally or vertically.

Connected stones share liberties.

Connection

A connection joins stones together so they work as one group.

Only horizontal and vertical connections count as direct connections.

Diagonal stones are not directly connected.

Cut

A cut separates stones so they cannot easily connect.

Cutting is an important attacking technique.

Eye

An eye is an empty point fully surrounded by one player’s stones.

Eyes help groups stay alive.

Two Eyes

A group with two true eyes normally cannot be captured.

This is one of the most important life-and-death ideas in Weiqi.

False Eye

A false eye looks like an eye but does not actually make a group safe.

Beginners do not need to master false eyes immediately, but they should know that not every eye-shaped space is truly safe.

Territory

Territory is empty space controlled by one player’s stones.

The player with more territory usually wins the game.

Scoring

Scoring is the process of counting points at the end of the game.

Different rulesets count slightly differently, but the basic idea is to compare each player’s controlled area.

Komi

Komi is the extra score given to White because Black moves first.

It helps make the game fair.

Pass

To pass means to choose not to play a stone.

A game usually ends when both players pass consecutively.

Tactical Terms

Ko

Ko is a rule that prevents the same board position from repeating forever.

In a ko situation, a player cannot immediately recapture if doing so would recreate the previous board position.

Ko Threat

A ko threat is a move played elsewhere on the board that your opponent does not want to ignore.

Ko threats are used during ko fights.

Ladder

A ladder is a capturing sequence where one group is chased in a zigzag pattern across the board.

If the ladder works, the chased group is eventually captured.

If it does not work, the attacker may be in trouble.

Net

A net is a way to trap stones by limiting their escape routes.

Unlike a ladder, a net usually surrounds more flexibly.

Sente

Sente means having the initiative.

If your move forces your opponent to respond, you may keep sente.

Gote

Gote means losing the initiative.

If you must respond to your opponent, or if your move does not force a reply, you may end in gote.

Tesuji

Tesuji is a clever tactical move.

It is often the best move in a local position and may involve capturing, connecting, cutting, or escaping.

Life and Death

Life and death refers to whether a group can survive or be captured.

This usually depends on eyes, liberties, and surrounding stones.

Shape

Shape refers to how stones are arranged.

Good shape is efficient, flexible, and strong.

Bad shape may be heavy, cramped, or easy to attack.

Strategic Terms

Influence

Influence is the potential power of stones across the board.

Influence may not be territory yet, but it can help build future territory or attack weak groups.

For a fuller beginner explanation, read What Is Influence in Weiqi?.

Thickness

Thickness refers to strong stones that are difficult to attack.

Thick positions often create influence and support future play.

For a beginner-friendly comparison, read Thickness vs Territory in Weiqi.

Weak Group

A weak group is a group that is not yet safe.

It may lack eyes, liberties, or connection to other friendly stones.

Attack

An attack puts pressure on your opponent’s stones.

The goal is not always to capture immediately. Sometimes attacking helps you build territory or strengthen your own position.

Defense

Defense means protecting your own stones or territory.

Good defense often prevents future problems before they become serious.

Sacrifice

A sacrifice means intentionally giving up some stones to gain something more valuable elsewhere.

Beginners often try to save every stone, but stronger players know that some stones can be sacrificed.

Endgame

The endgame is the final stage of the game.

Players make smaller moves to finalize territory and reduce the opponent’s points.

Opening Terms

Opening

The opening is the beginning stage of the game.

Players usually start by playing near the corners, then expand to the sides and center.

Fuseki

Fuseki refers to the whole-board opening strategy.

It focuses on large-scale direction, balance, and development.

Joseki

Joseki is a common local sequence, often in the corner, that gives a reasonable result for both players.

Beginners should not memorize joseki too early.

Understanding basic principles is more important.

Star Point

Star points are small dots on the board that act as visual reference points.

On a 19×19 board, there are nine star points.

They are useful guides, but stones do not have to be placed on them.

Corner

The corner is one of the four corner areas of the board.

Corners are usually the easiest places to build territory.

Side

The side is the area along the edge of the board between the corners.

Sides are important for expanding territory and influence.

Center

The center is the open middle area of the board.

It is harder to secure as territory but can be important for influence and fighting.

Ranking Terms

Kyu

Kyu ranks are student ranks.

In kyu ranks, smaller numbers are stronger.

For example, 10 kyu is stronger than 20 kyu.

Dan

Dan ranks are stronger amateur ranks.

After 1 kyu comes 1 dan.

In dan ranks, larger numbers are stronger.

Professional Dan

Professional dan ranks are separate from amateur dan ranks.

A professional 1 dan is much stronger than an amateur 1 dan.

Handicap

A handicap gives the weaker player extra stones at the beginning of the game.

This helps players of different strengths enjoy a more balanced game.

Online Play Terms

Rank

A rank estimates a player’s strength.

Online ranks vary between platforms, so they should be treated as useful guides rather than exact measurements.

Rating

A rating is often a numerical score used by online servers or associations to calculate player strength.

Ratings and ranks are related, but not always identical.

Ranked Game

A ranked game affects your rank or rating.

Ranked games are useful for finding opponents near your level.

Casual Game

A casual game does not usually affect your rank.

Casual games are good for practice, experimentation, and low-pressure learning.

Review

A review is when you look back at a completed game to understand mistakes and better moves.

Reviewing games is one of the fastest ways to improve.

Beginner Terms to Learn First

If you are completely new, focus on these terms first:

Board
Stone
Intersection
Liberty
Capture
Atari
Eye
Territory
Scoring
Komi

You do not need to understand advanced terms like joseki, tesuji, thickness, or ko threats immediately.

Learn the basics first.

The rest will make more sense after you play more games.

Common Beginner Confusions

Go, Weiqi, and Baduk

These are not different games.

They are different names for the same game.

Territory vs stones

Your stones help create territory, but the stones themselves are not always the main score.

Beginners should focus on controlling empty space.

Atari vs capture

Atari is a warning.

Capture happens only when all liberties are gone.

Kyu vs dan

Kyu ranks count downward.

Dan ranks count upward.

So 1 kyu is stronger than 10 kyu, but 1 dan is stronger than 1 kyu.

Eye vs territory

An eye helps a group stay alive.

Territory helps you score points.

Sometimes they overlap, but they are not exactly the same thing.

Quick Recap

Weiqi has many terms, but beginners do not need to learn all of them at once.

Start with the essential rules:

Board
Stones
Liberties
Capturing
Atari
Eyes
Territory
Scoring

Then gradually learn strategy terms like influence, shape, sente, gote, joseki, and tesuji as you play more games.

The best way to learn Weiqi vocabulary is not memorization.

It is seeing the terms appear naturally during real games.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to memorize all Weiqi terms?

No.

Learn the basic terms first and return to this glossary whenever you meet a new word.

Are Go terms and Weiqi terms the same?

Mostly yes.

Many English resources use Japanese terms because the game became widely known in English through Japanese Go traditions.

Chinese, Korean, and Japanese communities may use different words, but the concepts are usually the same.

What is the most important beginner term?

Liberty is probably the most important first concept.

Understanding liberties makes capturing, atari, and survival much easier to understand.

Why are there so many Japanese terms in English Go books?

Many early English-language Go books and clubs were influenced by Japanese Go culture, so Japanese terms became common in English resources.

Should beginners learn Chinese, Japanese, or Korean terms?

Not at first.

Focus on understanding the game.

You can learn different language terms later if you study specific traditions or resources.

Continue Learning

If you are new to Weiqi, start with the beginner course: