three-stage ko
A linked ko cycle that moves through three successive stages.
Also known as
Three-stage ko—also known as sandan-ko—is a ko configuration in which a sequence of captures passes through three linked stages before returning to an earlier position or repeating the cycle.
A capture at one stage enables or forces play at the next. Successive ko recaptures therefore move the fight through all three stages. This can prolong the ko and create tactical opportunities based on the timing and order of ko threats.
The term describes one specific linked three-step cycle, not simply a position containing three separate kos; that situation is generally called a triple ko. Whether the cycle can continue, and how repetition is resolved, depends on the ruleset, especially its treatment of ko repetition and superko.
This term in other languages