Me Ari Me Nashi
Eye vs. no eye capturing race
Me ari me nashi describes a common and decisive situation in Go where two opposing groups are in a capturing race, but only one side has a complete eye. In such cases, the group with an eye usually wins the race, as it cannot be captured without filling its own eye, giving it a critical tempo advantage.
This principle plays a major role in life-and-death judgments, especially in tight positions. Even one eye can make the difference between life and death. The opponent’s group, having no eye, must fill its own liberties faster, leading to its eventual capture.
The phrase literally means “eye exists, eye does not exist,” and is often used as shorthand by players to quickly describe the status of a semeai.
Learn more about capturing races in the “It’s a Capturing Race!” lesson from our Deeper into the Game of Go on 19×19 course.