Mobility: limit your opponent's moves

More discs is not better

In the middle of the game, the disc count says little about who is winning. In this position Black has only 3 discs against White's 13, yet Black has 14 possible moves and White just 4. White's discs surround Black's, so Black has plenty of discs to trap, while White can hardly reach the few black ones.

Having far more options than your opponent is usually a big advantage. The discs can come later – all that counts is who has more of them when the game ends.

Many moves for you, few for your opponent

Good play keeps your own options open while taking options away from your opponent. The goal is not to have fewer moves yourself – it is to leave your opponent with as few good moves as possible. When they run out of safe moves, they have to play a bad one – often an X-square or C-square that gives you a corner.

Quiet moves

A quiet move flips few discs, ideally ones that are already surrounded by other discs, so it opens no new squares for your opponent. Compare two moves for Black in the position above:

• e2 flips 3 discs: d3, e3 and e4. Afterwards White has 7 moves.
• c5 flips only d5, a disc surrounded by other discs. Afterwards White has just 3 moves: b3, b4 and b5.

Both moves flip few discs, but only c5 keeps White short of options. Counting flipped discs is a start; counting your opponent's replies is better.

Frontier discs and walls

A frontier disc is a disc next to at least one empty square. Each of your frontier discs is something your opponent may be able to trap, so it can give them a move. Try to keep your discs on the inside and let your opponent build the walls: a long row of your discs facing empty squares hands your opponent many moves.

Try it

Open the position above on the game board and compare the moves yourself, or play a full game and count your opponent's options before each move.

• Next guide: Parity – getting the last move
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