Page:Smith - The game of go.djvu/70

44 group of stones from which inevitably "Seki" will result. It would be well for the student to work this out for himself. "Seki" very seldom or never occurs in games between good players, and it rarely occurs in any game.

It is a rule of the game to give warning when a stone or group of stones is about to be completely surrounded. For this purpose the Japanese use the word "Atari" (from "ataru," to touch lightly), which corresponds quite closely to the expression "gardez" in Chess. If this warning were omitted, the player whose stones were about to be taken should have the right to take his last move over and save the imperiled position if he could. This rule is not so strictly observed as formerly; it belongs more to the etiquette of the old Japan.

The game comes to an end when the frontiers of the opposing groups are in contact. This does not mean that the board is entirely covered, for the obvious reason that the space inside the groups or chains of stones is purposely left vacant, for that is the only part of the board which counts; but so long as there is any vacant space lying between the opposing groups that must be disposed of in some way, and when it is so disposed of it will be found that the white and black groups are in complete contact.

Just at the end of the game there will be found isolated vacant intersections or "Me" on the frontier lines, and it does not make any difference which player fills these up. They are called by the Japanese "Dame," which means "useless." (The word "Dame" is likely to be confusing when it is first heard, because the beginner jumps to the conclusion that it is some new kind of a "Me." This arises from a coincidence only. Anything that is useless or