Snapback
Snapback is one of the most satisfying tactics in Go. You deliberately play a stone where it can be taken — but the moment your opponent captures it, that very capture puts their own group into atari, and you snap back to take the whole group.
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The idea behind snapback
Snapback works against a group that is already short of liberties. You throw a stone into the one point that would give the group an eye or a connection. It sits in self-atari, so your opponent captures it — but capturing opens that point back up while leaving their surrounding stones with just one liberty. You immediately play back and capture all of them.
The single stone you gave up is a tiny price for the group you take in return. That trade — one stone for many — is what makes snapback so powerful.
How to spot a snapback
Look for an enemy group with only two liberties, where one of those liberties is the point that would let them connect or make an eye. If placing a stone there leaves the whole enemy group in atari after they capture you, you have a snapback. Count the liberties carefully before you throw the stone in.
Don't confuse it with a normal capture
In a plain capture you fill the last liberty directly. In a snapback you first give your opponent a stone to take, and the recapture comes on your next move. It feels backwards — offering a stone to be captured — which is exactly why beginners miss it both as attacker and defender.
Frequently asked questions
- Why would I let my own stone be captured?
- Because the single stone is bait. When your opponent captures it, their own surrounding group is left in atari, and you recapture the entire group on your next move — trading one stone for many.
- How is snapback different from a ladder?
- A ladder chases a group across the board in a zig-zag until it runs out of liberties. A snapback is a single sacrifice-and-recapture in one spot, exploiting a group that is already short of liberties.
- How do I defend against a snapback?
- Notice when your group is down to two liberties near a cutting or connecting point, and add a stone to raise your liberty count before your opponent can set the trap. Counting liberties early is the defense.
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