The endgame — yose — begins when the boundaries between territories are roughly settled and what remains is the details. It is the most learnable part of go, because the moves can be counted.
Counting the value of a move
The value of a move is the difference between the position if you play it and the position if your opponent does. A move that gains you two points and denies your opponent two is worth four, not two.
This double-counting is what beginners miss. A boundary move usually swings points in both directions, and the swing is the real number.
Sente and gote
A sente move must be answered, so you keep the initiative and can play again elsewhere. A gote move does not, so your opponent gets the next free move.
A sente move is effectively free, which makes it worth roughly double a gote move of the same nominal size. The endgame order follows directly:
- Double sente — moves that are sente for both players. Play these first; they are enormous.
- Your sente moves, largest first.
- Gote moves, largest first.
- Your opponent's sente moves, played as reverse sente to take the initiative away.
- Neutral points, which are worth nothing and go last.
Don't answer everything
Beginners answer every move automatically. Before responding, ask what the opponent gains if you ignore it. If it is less than the biggest move elsewhere, ignore it.
Common endgame moves and their rough sizes
| Move | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Monkey jump along the edge | 8–12 points, often sente |
| Hane and connect at the boundary | 4–6 points |
| First-line descent | 2–4 points |
| Filling a neutral point | 0 points |
These are approximations that depend on the position, but the ordering is reliable. The monkey jump in particular is worth learning because it is large and beginners rarely see it coming.
Knowing the score
The Count button shows the current area score without ending the game. Use it. Knowing whether you are four points ahead or four behind changes everything: ahead, you simplify, connect and avoid fights; behind, you must create complications while there is still board left.
Under area scoring, playing an extra stone inside your own territory costs nothing, which means there is no penalty for making a group unambiguously safe. That is a genuine simplification for beginners compared with territory scoring.
Ending the game
When only neutral points remain, fill them and pass. Two consecutive passes end the game and the final count appears. If you pass while a real point remains, you have simply given it away — check the boundaries once before passing.
Why the endgame is worth studying
Openings are vague and fights are hard to read, but endgame moves can be counted exactly. A player who plays the endgame well gains five to ten points in a typical game, which on a 9×9 board is the entire margin. It is the cheapest improvement available.