The Monkey Jump
The monkey jump — sarusuberi in Japanese — is a striking endgame move: a long, leaping slide from the second line deep into your opponent's edge territory. It looks like it should be cuttable, but played correctly it connects back safely while stealing several points, which makes it one of the biggest edge endgame plays.
Play a game
No account required — start in seconds.
What the monkey jump is
From a stone on the second line, the monkey jump reaches far along the edge — a large leap into the opponent's boundary. Rather than crawling one point at a time, it grabs a chunk of the edge in a single move, reducing territory that looked settled.
Why it can't just be cut off
The magic of the monkey jump is that the leaping stone can always connect back to its friends, even though the gap looks cuttable. If the defender tries to block, a short sequence lets the jumping stones link up or reduce anyway. Because it's hard to punish, the monkey jump is usually worth quite a few points in sente or reverse-sente.
When to play it
The monkey jump belongs to the endgame, once the edge is otherwise settled. Look for it when your opponent has a wall on the second or third line facing the edge and there's room to slide underneath. Play it while it's big — like all endgame, timing and order matter, and a monkey jump left too long may shrink or disappear.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a monkey jump in Go?
- A monkey jump is a long endgame slide from the second line deep along the edge into the opponent's territory. It reduces several points at once and, played correctly, connects back safely instead of being cut off.
- Can the monkey jump be cut off?
- Not cleanly. If the defender blocks, a short sequence lets the jumping stones connect or reduce anyway. That resilience is why the monkey jump is such a valuable, hard-to-punish endgame move.
- When should I play a monkey jump?
- In the endgame, when your opponent has a wall facing the edge and there's space to slide underneath from the second line. Play it while it's still large, since endgame values shrink as the board fills.
Ready to play?
Open the board and start a free game now.