The Net (Geta) in Go: Catching a Stone That Can't Run
⏱ Read ~5 min · Updated July 2026 · Part of: Learn Go
A net (門吃 / net, Japanese: geta, 罩) captures a fleeing stone without chasing it. Unlike a ladder that zig-zags to the edge, a net loosely surrounds — so no matter which way the stone runs, one of yours is waiting.
| English | 中文 | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| net | 罩／網 | loose surround, every escape covered |
| geta | 門吃（日） | the Japanese term for the same thing |
| ladder | 征子 | the other capture: chase to the edge |
| atari | 打吃 | down to one liberty |
1. Net vs ladder
A ladder atari's the fleeing stone and zig-zags it to the edge — fast and tight, but fails if there's a ladder breaker. A net is the safer cousin: it doesn't atari immediately, it just blocks every escape direction, so the stone is caught no matter where it runs.
🕸️ Analogy: a ladder is a flyswatter chasing in a straight line — dodged by a wall (breaker). A net is a mesh dropped over the fly — it doesn't matter which way it flies.
| Ladder | Net | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | tight chase, zig-zag to edge | loose surround, no tight chase |
| Speed | fast (atari all the way) | slow (wait for them to run into the net) |
| Risk | fails if there's a breaker | almost no risk (every direction covered = can't escape) |
| Best for | clear path to the edge | center / open areas, or when a ladder would fail |
2. What a net looks like (board illustration)
A net is "loose": your stones don't touch the opponent (touching = tight contact, not a net). They stand one or two steps away, at positions the runner needs:
White (1,1) wants to run, but black stones (0,2) and (1,3) are already loosely covering its escape directions. White runs either way — Black fills — eventually White has no direction and is captured.
🎯 Key reading: before acting, check that every escape direction is covered by your net. If one direction is open, it's not a real net (the opponent slips through).
3. When to choose the net
- A ladder would hit a breaker → use a net (nets don't care about breakers).
- The fleeing stone is in the center, far from the edge → nets work well in open areas.
- You want a capture that can't be escaped by sacrifice → nets don't give the opponent a "sacrifice one stone, then run" option (because they're loose, not tight).
4. The 4 most common net mistakes for beginners
- Missing an escape direction. A net's success is 100% about "every direction covered." Miss one direction, the opponent slips out, your net is wasted. Check all escape directions one by one before acting.
- Playing the net as tight contact (not a net anymore). A net is "loose" (one step away). Directly touching the opponent = tight fight, not a net, and might give the opponent extra liberties. Keep it loose.
- Using a net when a ladder works. When a ladder works (path clear, no breaker), a ladder is faster than a net (chases to the end immediately). Use a ladder if you can; the net is the fallback when the ladder fails.
- Netting a stone that isn't worth it. A net takes several moves to capture. If the opponent's stone is small (1-2 stones) and not worth that many moves, don't net — find something more valuable elsewhere.
5. Nets on the 4×4 board
The small board makes nets short and obvious: the edge itself acts as part of your net, so a stone fleeing toward a corner is often already half-netted. brainGO's capture puzzles that look like "they can escape" are often actually nets — you just need to cover one or two escape directions.
How to train it
See how loose surrounding catches stones that a straight chase can't.
👉 Play brainGO — set your first net
FAQ
What's the difference between a net and a ladder?
A ladder is "tight chase, zig-zag to the edge" — fast but fails with a breaker. A net is "loose surround, no tight chase" — slow but almost no risk (every direction covered = can't escape). Use a ladder if it works (fast); switch to a net when the ladder would fail.
When does a net fail?
Only when you "miss an escape direction." A net is a loose surround — as long as you've covered every escape direction, the opponent can't get out no matter how they run. Check all directions before acting.
Why is a net "loose"?
Because the netting stones don't touch the opponent (one step away). Direct contact = tight fight, which gives the opponent liberties. A net stands one step away, blocking escape directions without giving extra liberties — the opponent runs, you fill, eventually no path.
How many moves does a net take to capture?
Usually 3-5 moves (opponent runs, you fill, opponent runs again, you fill...). Slower than a ladder (which captures at the end of the chase), but safe. Whether it's worth that many moves depends on how big the opponent's stone is.
Does a net work the same in the corner as in the center?
A net is even stronger in the corner. On the edge or corner, the board boundary itself is part of your net — the fleeing stone already has few escape directions, so you only need to cover the remaining few to complete the net. In the center it's the opposite: the opponent has escape routes in every direction, so you need more stones to cover them all. So for the same net, a corner net often holds with just 1-2 stones, while a center net needs 2-3 to be solid. When you see the opponent running toward a corner, first check whether you can net them in place.
Can the opponent escape a net by sacrificing a stone?
No — and that's exactly where a net beats a ladder. A ladder is a tight chase, and the opponent can often use "sacrifice one stone, then reverse the ladder" to turn the tables on you. A net is a loose surround with no tight point to sacrifice — no matter which way they run, you can fill in, and there's no position where "after sacrificing, the net opens up." This is also why, when the opponent has a ladder breaker, you should switch to a net instead of a ladder.
Is a net the same thing as "surrounding"?
Not quite. "Surrounding" is a general action — anything that encloses the opponent counts as surrounding (including a tight-chase ladder, contact fighting, even large-scale territorial frameworks). A net specifically refers to a loose, one-step-away, doesn't-atari-immediately surround technique — it's one type of tesuji (clever move). So a net is a subset of surrounding: all nets are surrounds, but not all surrounds are nets. When you see the opponent fleeing, first ask yourself "can I net them?" — it's the safest, most stone-efficient way to surround.