Good Shape
📋 What it is
Efficient stone patterns ("good shape") make eyes and liberties easily; clumped stones ("bad shape") waste moves.
🗣️ Coach says
Some patterns of stones just WORK — they make eyes and liberties efficiently and are hard to attack (like the "tiger's mouth"). Others are heavy and clumped ("the empty triangle" is famously bad). Learning good shape means your stones do more with fewer moves.
🧠 Memory hook
Efficient shapes make eyes cheaply. Avoid the clumpy empty triangle.
😂 Giggle
Why did komi keep the game fair?
Because the player who goes second gets bonus points to make up for going second!
😲 Whoa!
The "empty triangle" is the most famous bad shape in Go — three stones in an L with an empty inside corner — and beginners are taught to avoid it almost as a reflex.
✅ Quick check: What does "good shape" give your stones?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Eyes and liberties efficiently — good shape is strong and hard to attack while using fewer stones; bad shape (clumps) wastes moves.
Efficient shapes maximise strength per stone.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Look up the "empty triangle" and the "tiger's mouth" — sketch each and note why one is bad and one good.