In Go, joseki (定石 jōseki) are studied sequences of moves in the corner areas of the Go board, for which the result is considered balanced for both black and white sides. Because games typically start with plays in the corners, players often try to use their understanding of joseki to gain local advantages in the corners — advantages which can result in a better overall position. Though less common, there are also joseki for the middle game. In Japanese, 定 (jō) means "fixed" or "set" and 石 (seki) means stones, giving the literal meaning "set stones", as in "set pattern". In Chinese, the term for joseki is 定式, dìngshì. The concept of "balance", here, often refers to an equitable trade-off between securing territory in the corner versus making good thickness toward the sides and the center. In application, these concepts are very dynamic, and, often, deviations from joseki depend upon the needs of the situation and the available opportunities. While learning joseki is a tool to defend against a local loss, players always seek to take advantage of weaknesses in the opponent's shapes, often deviating from the joseki.

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