aji

Aji is the latent tactical potential in a position: future opportunities for attack, or weaknesses that may later be exploited. It is the hidden value carried by stones and by their relationships, even when no immediate action is available.

Aji remains unresolved until a later move activates it, or until the opponent—or the player who created it—plays a move that removes its potential. It may be favorable or unfavorable, depending on which side can make use of it. Unlike an immediate threat, aji may not yet be actionable, so it is not automatically a weakness or a move that should be played at once.

Reading aji helps a player decide whether to preserve, exploit, or eliminate that potential at the right time. In English, it is also sometimes called “aftertaste.”