Places where you can't play (2)



Places where you can play and where you can't play.
The chart below summarizes where you can and can't play from the point of view of breathing spaces.

Quick-reference chart of where you can play and where you can't
Breathing spaces after the stone is played Distinction between moves you can play and moves you can't
1. There is a breathing space If there are one or more breathing spaces after you place the stone, you can play
2. There are no breathing spaces If you don't capture enemy stones, you can't play
3. There are no breathing spaces If you can capture one or more enemy stones, you can play

As the chart shows, it's only in case 2 that you can't play a stone.
Let's take a look at actual examples of situations where you can and where you can't play.


1. There is a breathing space If there are one or more breathing spaces after you place the stone, you can play.
Try playing a Black stone in the space surrounded by the White stones.
The Black stone still has one breathing space.
If there is one breathing space after you place the stone, you can play.




2. There are no breathing spaces If you don't capture enemy stones, you can't play
There are two Black stones in the area surrounded by the White stones. Each stone still has one breathing space.
Let's try playing another Black stone.
The Black stones don't have any breathing spaces. This is a forbidden move.
You can't play this Black stone.




3. There are no breathing spaces If you can capture one or more enemy stones, you can play
There is one Black stone in the area surrounded by White.
Let's try playing a Black stone at 1.
The Black stones have completely surrounded the two White stones.
Black can play at 1. Moreover, that leaves the two White stones without any breathing spaces, so they are captured by Black.