Ladders & Nets
📋 What it is
A ladder chases a stone in a zig-zag to capture it; a net traps it loosely — both are ways to catch cutting stones.
🗣️ Coach says
Two classic capturing techniques. A LADDER drives a fleeing stone in a stair-step pattern to the edge where it dies — but only if no friendly stone blocks the path (a "ladder breaker"). A NET catches a stone in a loose loop it can't escape. Reading these is basic tactical skill.
🧠 Memory hook
Ladder = zig-zag chase to the edge. Net = a loose cage it can't escape.
😂 Giggle
Why did the stone avoid the very edge sometimes?
Because a stone on the first line has fewer liberties to defend itself!
😲 Whoa!
A ladder can run diagonally across the ENTIRE board — and a single enemy stone anywhere on that diagonal can "break" it, saving the chased stone. Always check the whole ladder before you start it.
✅ Quick check: Before starting a ladder to capture a stone, what must you check?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
That there is no "ladder breaker" — a friendly (to the fleeing stone) stone on the ladder's diagonal path that would let it escape.
A ladder only works if nothing on its zig-zag path lets the chased stone gain liberties.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Trace a ladder on paper zig-zagging to the edge, then place one "breaker" stone and see it fail.