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The Ladder (Shichō) in Go: A Beginner's Capturing Chase

⏱ Read ~6 min · Updated July 2026 · Part of: Learn Go

A ladder (梯子, Japanese: shichō, 征子) is one of the first tactics every Go player learns — because it's a capture you can read to the end before you even start.

English中文Plain meaning
ladder征子（梯子）repeatedly atari, chasing to the board edge
atari打吃down to one liberty
ladder breaker引征a stone on the ladder path that blocks it
liberty氣empty points next to a stone

1. What a ladder looks like

You put an opponent's stone in atari. It can only extend in one direction, so it runs — you atari again. It turns, extends, you atari again. The two lines of stones form a zig-zag staircase across the board.

🪜 Picture: like chasing someone down a staircase, forcing them to turn at every step. If the staircase runs all the way to the board edge with no escape, the runner runs out of liberties and the whole group is captured.

2. When a ladder works

A ladder works (captures the opponent) when: the zig-zag path runs to the edge with no obstruction.

🎯 All the skill is in reading the ladder before acting: trace the zig-zag path in your head. If every turning point is empty (no opponent stones helping, no ladder breaker), the group dies at the edge.

Ladders are one of the few tactics you can "read to the end before committing" — because they're forced (the opponent must respond or be captured immediately), so the path is unique and calculable.

3. The ladder breaker (when ladders fail)

A ladder breaker is a stone the fleeing side already has somewhere along the zig-zag path. When the chase reaches that stone, the runner suddenly gains liberties, and the ladder collapses — the attacker has wasted several moves building a wall of their own stones in a bad shape, while the opponent lives.

😱 The beginner disaster: start a ladder, chase for five moves, then discover a breaker. You must always read first — trace the zig-zag in your head and check every turning point for an enemy stone.

4. The 4 most common ladder mistakes for beginners

  1. Starting a ladder without reading. A ladder is a "read to the end, then act" tactic. Chasing without reading, discovering a breaker halfway through, wastes moves and builds bad shape. Always trace the zig-zag path first.
  2. Missing the ladder breaker. An opponent stone anywhere on the path (even one) collapses the ladder. When reading, check the entire zig-zag, not just the first few steps.
  3. Not reading whether you can escape when chased. When being laddered, first read "is there a breaker on my path?" If yes (your stone blocks) → you can escape, run. If no → don't run (you just donate more stones), abandon and play elsewhere.
  4. Not using a failed ladder for something else. Even if a ladder fails (has a breaker), the zig-zag wall you built might have other uses (thickness / territory). Advanced: a failed ladder ≠ wasted, look for follow-up value.

5. Ladders on the 4×4 board

The small board's edge is always close, so ladders are short and easy to read completely — perfect training. brainGO's 4×4 capture puzzles often hide ladders: the "correct answer" is a chase of two or three zig-zags to the edge. Learning to see the staircase lets you catch captures other beginners miss.

6. Why ladders matter

Ladders train Go's core skill in its purest form — visual reading (calculation). You have to hold the zig-zag path several moves deep in your head and check for breakers. This is the foundation for all later tactics.

How to train it

The fastest way to "see" a ladder is to play one through and watch it resolve.

👉 Play brainGO — read your first ladder

FAQ

When does a ladder work?

When the zig-zag path runs all the way to the board edge with no opponent stone (breaker) on any turning point. Before acting, trace the zig-zag in your head and check for breakers.

What is a ladder breaker?

A stone the fleeing side already has on the zig-zag path. When the chase reaches it, the runner gains liberties and the ladder collapses. Breakers make ladders fail — so always read the path before starting one.

Should I run when being laddered?

First read: is there a stone of mine (breaker) on the path that saves me? If yes → escape (run to the breaker point and live). If no → don't run (you just donate more stones), abandon and play elsewhere.

What if my ladder fails?

The zig-zag wall you built might still be useful (thickness / outside influence). But that only works if you read clearly before acting — chasing blind and failing is usually pure loss. Read, then decide whether to start.

How do I quickly check for a ladder breaker before starting?

Build the habit of "tracing the zig-zag in your head before you touch a stone": glance at every turning point for an enemy stone. In practice, most breakers sit in the back half of the zig-zag (the steps nearer the board edge), exactly where they're easiest to miss. On 4×4 the path is short and reaches the edge in a few steps, so you can scan the whole ladder almost at a glance — the ideal place to train this check.

How do I counter an opponent who keeps laddering me?

Two paths: if you have a stone on the zig-zag path (a breaker), run calmly — once you reach the breaker point, you're alive. If you have no breaker and the ladder works, don't run — extending just donates more stones; abandon the group and play a sente move elsewhere to collect bigger value. The key is to first read whether you have a breaker, then decide run or abandon — never extend on instinct.

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