Sente (Go)

Sente ( Japanese 先手 , Kr. Sunsoo ) means translated as much as previous move and is given in the literature with forehand . It is dealt with in connection with Gote , the move below .

A player has sente if he does not have to respond to an opponent's move in the present moment. This can be achieved by tenuki (ignoring the opponent) as a kind of gambit . A player breaks out of Gote and can earn Sente by taking future losses to get the initiative and play elsewhere.

A forehand played out in a small game can be used for large-scale strategic moves ( Fuseki ) to come back to a Seki or to execute an Atari . On the other hand, giving up a small position as a sacrifice - in that the player foregoing a rescue train - can bring advantages in the overall situation on the board. Correct play in the endgame can consist of playing all the playable Sente episodes and then choosing the largest Gote episode on the board.

If neither player reacts to the opponent's move, the game can become more complicated. Both players will have Sente on their turn, but the moves they make are Goth. One player turns out to be in the weaker position and will be forced to answer Gote to avoid greater damage.