Initiative - Revision history

Selinger: Remove stub notice, since it's not clear what one might add here.

2024-05-09T02:22:32Z

Remove stub notice, since it's not clear what one might add here.

Selinger: Added ladder example

2022-04-26T23:17:14Z

Added ladder example

Selinger: Merged in information from 'Momentum', which now redirects here.

2022-04-26T22:55:49Z

Merged in information from 'Momentum', which now redirects here.

Selinger: Created a stub for "initiative".

2022-04-26T01:44:45Z

Created a stub for "initiative".

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A player has the '''initiative''' when they are able to decide where to play next, and in particular, when they are not [[forcing move|forced]] to answer their opponent's last move.

Having initiative is usually a good thing. As long as the player who has the initiative keeps playing [[forcing move]]s that the opponent must answer, they can keep the initiative, and can largely dictate how the game progresses. When the player makes a move that is insufficiently forcing, they may lose the initiative, and the other player may gain the initiative.

Having initiative is sometimes called '''sente''', and not having initiative is sometimes called '''gote'''. These Japanese terms are adopted from the game of Go.

In the endgame, it sometimes happens that the two players play a sequence of moves that are mutually forcing, so that if one player deviates from the sequence of moves, the other player immediately wins. In that case, neither player has the initiative, and the game just continues along a predetermined route until one player gains the initiative again.

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 In the endgame, it sometimes happens that the two players play a sequence of moves that are mutually forcing, so that if one player deviates from the sequence of moves, the other player immediately wins. In that case, neither player has the initiative, and the game just continues along a predetermined route until one player gains the initiative again.
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-A player has the '''initiative''' when they are able to decide where to play next, and in particular, when they are not [[forcing move|forced]] to answer their opponent's last move.
+A player has the '''initiative''' or '''momentum''' when they are able to decide where to play next, and in particular, when they are not [[forcing move|forced]] to answer their opponent's last move. A player with the initiative is often able to play [[forcing move]]s that the opponent must answer, and can thereby ''keep'' the initiative, possibly for many moves. When the player makes a move that is insufficiently forcing, they may ''lose'' the initiative, and the other player may ''gain'' the initiative.
-Having initiative is usually a good thing. As long as the player who has the initiative keeps playing [[forcing move]]s that the opponent must answer, they can keep the initiative, and can largely dictate how the game progresses. When the player makes a move that is insufficiently forcing, they may lose the initiative, and the other player may gain the initiative.
+Since the player who has the initiative is dictating play, having the initiative is a great advantage, and often turns out to be decisive. A player should generally not hand over the initiative to the opponent, unless there is a very good reason for doing so. In well-played close matches, the initiative often swings between the two players with each move.
-Having initiative is sometimes called '''sente''', and not having initiative is sometimes called '''gote'''. These Japanese terms are adopted from the game of Go.
+Having initiative is sometimes called '''sente''', and its opposite, i.e., not having initiative, is sometimes called '''gote'''. These Japanese terms are adopted from the game of Go.
 In the endgame, it sometimes happens that the two players play a sequence of moves that are mutually forcing, so that if one player deviates from the sequence of moves, the other player immediately wins. In that case, neither player has the initiative, and the game just continues along a predetermined route until one player gains the initiative again.
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