What is nakade in Go?

Nakade is playing a stone inside an enemy group's eye space at the vital point, preventing it from forming two eyes. It turns a potentially living group into one with a single big eye — a dead group.

Which shapes are dead in Go?

Common killable eye shapes include the straight three, bent three, pyramid (square) four, bulky five, and rabbitty six. Each can be reduced to one eye by a play at its vital point.

How do I know if a big eye space is alive?

Check whether the space can be split into two separate eyes. If it matches a known dead shape, whoever plays the vital point first decides it — attacker kills, defender lives. Learning the shapes tells you at a glance.

Nakade: Killing Shapes

Nakade — the "inside move" — is how you kill a group that looks like it has room for two eyes but doesn't. By playing at the vital point inside a group's eye space, you turn what could have been two eyes into one big dead eye. Recognizing these killing shapes is one of the most practical life-and-death skills.

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Big eye spaces can be false

A group with a single large internal space isn't automatically alive — what matters is whether that space can be divided into two separate eyes. If the enclosed area is one of a handful of known shapes, the surrounding player can play inside at the vital point and prevent the split, leaving only one eye. That's nakade.

The common dead shapes

Three in a row (the straight three): a play in the middle kills it.
The bent three and the pyramid (square) four: both die to a play at the vital point.
The bulky five and rabbitty six: larger, but still killable from the inside.
The proverb captures it: "there is death in the center" of these shapes.

Finding the vital point

The vital point is usually the center of the eye space — the point that, once taken, stops two eyes from forming. If you're attacking, play there before your opponent can. If you're defending, play the vital point yourself first to split the space into two eyes and live. Whoever gets the vital point usually decides the group's life or death.

Frequently asked questions

What is nakade in Go?: Nakade is playing a stone inside an enemy group's eye space at the vital point, preventing it from forming two eyes. It turns a potentially living group into one with a single big eye — a dead group.
Which shapes are dead in Go?: Common killable eye shapes include the straight three, bent three, pyramid (square) four, bulky five, and rabbitty six. Each can be reduced to one eye by a play at its vital point.
How do I know if a big eye space is alive?: Check whether the space can be split into two separate eyes. If it matches a known dead shape, whoever plays the vital point first decides it — attacker kills, defender lives. Learning the shapes tells you at a glance.

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