Go tactics: the ladder
The ladder is Go’s most famous capture: keep a stone in atari as it zigzags across the board until it hits the edge. Chase one down yourself. Life, death and tactics · lesson 3 of 5.
The lesson in words
A ladder keeps a stone in atari again and again. Each time it runs, it still has just two liberties, so you put it straight back in atari. It zigzags across the board until it hits the edge and is captured.
Chase the white stone towards the bottom-left corner. Start with atari from the right, then keep putting it back in atari from the side that drives it towards the edge.
Try it: Put the white stone in atari and keep chasing it.
Atari, atari, atari… until the edge. Next: snapback, the sacrifice that captures more.