Go liberties: how stones breathe
Liberties are the empty points next to a stone. They decide everything in Go: a stone or group with no liberties is captured. Learn to count them. How Go works · lesson 2 of 5.
The lesson in words
The empty points directly next to a stone (up, down, left and right) are its liberties. Diagonal points don’t count.
A stone in the middle has four.
Stones on the edge have fewer.
Try it: Tap every liberty of the white stone on the edge.
And in the corner…
Try it: Tap every liberty of the white stone in the corner.
Stones of the same colour next to each other form a group. A group shares all of its liberties.
Try it: Tap every liberty of the group of two white stones.
Middle 4, edge 3, corner 2. Next: taking away the last one.