sentes

Sente is a term used in certain East Asian board games, most notably Go and Shogi, to denote having the initiative in a sequence of moves. It comes from the Japanese 先手, meaning “the first move” or “the hand that acts first.” In English discussions, the plural sente s or simply the concept of sente are used to describe multiple instances of maintaining initiative across positions or games.

In Go, sente describes a move or sequence that forces the opponent to respond, thereby giving the player who played it the tempo and control of the board. A move that creates a persistent threat, which must be answered, is said to be in sente. If a player can continue making such forcing moves, they retain sente; if they run out of forcing moves and must respond to the opponent’s threats without creating new ones, they are said to be in gote, or without the initiative. The balance between keeping sente and trading it for larger strategic gains is a central consideration in local fights and overall planning.

In Shogi, as in Go, sente refers to having the initiative during a sequence of moves, where one side’s threats compel responses from the opponent. The concept helps players evaluate openings, attacks, and transitions between various phases of the game.

Sente is context-dependent; a move that is sente in one position may not be in another. Understanding sente and gote involves assessing tempo, threats, and potential gains beyond immediate material or territory.