Triple ko

A triple ko is a position in which three ko fights are linked. The players can keep capturing and recapturing in a cycle across the three kos, rather than settling any one fight immediately.

The key mechanism is that a capture in one ko creates a recapture threat or opportunity in another. If both players alternate correctly, this relationship allows the cycle to continue. Triple ko is primarily a rules concept: the applicable ruleset determines whether such cyclic play produces a draw, no result, or another resolution. It should not be confused with a three-stage ko, which is one ko sequence progressing through three stages rather than three interdependent kos. The game’s result and whether play may continue depend especially on the ruleset’s treatment of repetition and superko.