What's your favourite GO Proverb

[Maikol_2]

Who doesn’t love a good philosophical take on our favourite game?

I think right now my favourite is

“When in doubt Tenuki”

While I can apparently be bad advice sometimes times I like the carefree nature of it. Plus helps me to look at the whole board instead of having tunnel vision

The most useful to me has been

“The enemy’s key point is yours”

Which I learned at “your opponents best move is your best move” this has helped a lot in local fights

For reference

Go Proverbs at Sensei’s Library Go Proverbs at Sensei's Library

Looking forward to hearing how people have applied different proverbs to their game.

[JohnnieDarko]

It didn’t help me play better but I do enjoy that the ancient and deeply philosophical game of Go has: “Even a moron connects against a peep”

What I do use often in play: Ikken Tobi is never wrong

[SoumyaK4]

Some proverb I made up: Don’t infuse blood in a dead body

[jlt]

See also

Favorite or Most Useful Go Proverbs

I thought it would be cool, as well as a useful storage place of information, to share our favorite or most useful Go proverbs here. Personally I think they are both enlightening as well as exciting. It’s the promise of new tactics and strategies held within a single sentence. So please, share the proverb(s) you love! “Divide and Conquer” Love it. Splitting an opponent’s groups of stones apart is not only useful (necessary) but it brings with it a sort of sigh of relief. You can split apart …

General proverb discussion

We have a thread for OGS proverbs but not for discussing regular old Go sayings. Sensei’s Library has a list of them here. I thought I’d begin by giving my 4k-level opinion on some of them. The enemy’s key point is yours. This is often but not always the case. For instance, in the position below, Black is very interested in playing at A but White wouldn’t think of playing there directly. Instead, White would rather play at B or C. However, I think key point may have been given a more tacti…

OGS proverbs

Sometimes we with other players come up with silly go proverbs but then time passes and we forget them. I want to jot them down. First of all, lately I noticed a trend, in 4 games I saw with strong-ish players (2k+) people like to pull out the ladder once even if it doesn’t work for them, so let’s make a proverb: “If the ladder doesn’t work for you, pull out the laddered stone at least once to make sure your opponent also read it out” or shorter: “Pull out laddered stone at least once” And …

[trohde]

There are lots that I like …

• A rich person shouldn’t look for a fight.

• Forgo the small and take the big.

• Make noise in the East and attack in the West.

• Go proverbs only apply to Black

[richyfourtytwo]

If black has all 4 corners, white wins. If white has all 4 corners, white wins.

[JethOrensin]

I do not remember in which book I read it - I am not sure that it is a formal proverb - but the “do not try to throw a punch when your feet are not firmly on the ground” is a great advice in Go and in life in general.

[uzaya]

Do not go fishing when your house is on fire.

[Conrad_Melville]

Urgent over big.

[Fragile_Pākehā]

“The one space jump is never bad” always makes me chuckle. Don’t know what to play? Trust this proverb regardless of context, you will never regret.

[Uberdude]

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

[Yagimaru]

Play lightly in your opponent’s sphere of influence.
For sabaki, attach.
For sabaki, move diagonally.

In a cross-cut, extend on one side — but attachments also matter.

[Atorrante]

Invade before it is too late.

[trohde]

@JethOrensin

“do not try to throw a punch when your feet are not firmly on the ground”

Maybe similar to “Make A Fist Before Striking”?

[Atorrante]

It ain’t over until the stones are back in their bowls.

[garlicsoup]

“Why study history when you can just watch it repeat in real time?”

[Conrad_Melville]

But how do you know it is repeating unless you have studied it?

[tonybe]

Never interrupt an opponent when they’re making a mistake

[JethOrensin]

@Conrad_Melville

But how do you know it is repeating unless you have studied it?

You experience it once and then wait for it to repeat again.