Editing Go (game) (section)

=== Capturing tactics ===
There are several tactical constructs aimed at capturing stones.{{sfn|Kim|Jeong|1997|pp=80–98}} These are among the first things a player learns after understanding the rules. Recognizing the possibility that stones can be captured using these techniques is an important step forward.
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{{Goban 9x9
| ul|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u
|  l|   |  w|   |   |   |   |   |
|  l|  w|  b|  w|   |   |   |   |
|  l|  w| b1| b3| w4|   |   |   |
|  l|   | w2| b5| b7| w8|   |   |
|  l|   |   | w6| b9|   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   | 10|   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |22}}

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'''A ladder.''' Black cannot escape unless the ladder connects to black stones further down the board that will intercept with the ladder or if one of white's pieces has only one liberty.
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The most basic technique is the ''ladder''.{{sfn|Kim|Jeong|1997|pp=88–90}} This is also sometimes called a "running attack", since it unfolds as one player trying to outrun the other's attack. To capture stones in a ladder, a player uses a constant series of capture threats (atari), giving the opponent only one place to place his stone to keep his group alive. This forces the opponent to move into a zigzag pattern (surrounding the ladder on the outside) as shown in the adjacent diagram to keep the attack coming. Unless the pattern runs into friendly stones along the way, the stones in the ladder cannot avoid capture. However, if the ladder can run into other black stones, thus saving them, then experienced players recognize the futility of continuing the attack. These stones can also be saved if a suitably strong threat can be forced elsewhere on the board, so that two Black stones can be placed here to save the group.

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{{Goban 9x9
| ul|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u
|  l|   |  b|   |   |   |   |   |
|  b|   |  b|  w|  w|   |   |   |
|  l|  b|  w| bT|  w|   |   |   |
|  l|   |  w| bT|  c|   |   |   |
|  l|   |  w| bT|  c|   |   |   |
|  l|   |  w|  c| w1|   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |22}}

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'''A net.''' The chain of three marked Black stones cannot escape in any direction, since each Black stone attempting to extend the chain outward (on the red circles) can be easily blocked by one White stone.
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Another technique to capture stones is the so-called ''net'',{{sfn|Kim|Jeong|1997|pp=91–92}} also known by its Japanese name, ''geta''. This refers to a move that loosely surrounds some stones, preventing their escape in all directions. An example is given in the adjacent diagram. It is often better to capture stones in a net than in a ladder, because a net does not depend on the condition that there are no opposing stones in the way, nor does it allow the opponent to play a strategic ladder breaker. However, the ladder only requires one turn to kill all the opponent's stones, whereas a net requires more turns to do the same.

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{{Goban 9x9
| ul|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u|  u
|  l|   |   |  b|  b|   |   |   |
|  l|   |  b|   |   |   |   |   |
|  l|   |  b|  w|  w|   |   |   |
|  l|   |  w|  b|  c|  w|   |   |
|  l|   |  w|  b| w1|  b|  b|   |
|  l|   |   |  w|  b|   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |  w|  b|   |   |   |
|  l|   |   |   |  b|   |   |   |   |22}}

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'''A snapback.''' Although Black can capture the white stone by playing at the circled point, the resulting shape for Black has only one liberty (at 1), thus White can then capture the three black stones by playing at '''1''' again (''snapback'').
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A third technique to capture stones is the ''snapback''.{{sfn|Kim|Jeong|1997|pp=93–94}} In a snapback, one player allows a single stone to be captured, then immediately plays on the point formerly occupied by that stone; by so doing, the player captures a larger group of their opponent's stones, in effect ''snapping back'' at those stones. An example can be seen on the right. As with the ladder, an experienced player does not play out such a sequence, recognizing the futility of capturing only to be captured back immediately.