miai

In go, often there are stones which are being attacked, but it's not necessary to respond, because there are two ways to escape. It's safe to wait until the opponent destroys one of the escape routes, and then just take the other.

The way to attack something that's defended by miai is to attack something else simultaneously. So you cut off one escape route with a move that also attacks another group. If they move to save the other group, you can cut off their last escape. And if they save the first group, you can continue the attack against the other.

It's a form of the japanese verb "miau", which means to counterbalance, or correspond.

Miai is a Japanese term applied to the game of Go (Wei Qi/Badouk). Two points on the goban are said to be miai if playing on either accomplishes the same task. This is an important concept, because if two points are miai, you don't have to play either of them, until your opponent plays on the other. Whichever one he takes, you just take the other. He can't deprive you of what you're trying to accomplish, although he can play on one of the points as a ko threat or kikashi.

Here is an example of miai. A shape needs two eyes to be alive (see Go node if you don't understand this). The black (x) shape shown below is alive with only one fully-formed eye, because the points a and b are miai to make a second eye. If the opponent plays one, you simply play the other.

...........
.ooooooooo.
.oxxxxxxxo.
.oa.x.x.bo.

The bamboo joint shown below is a commonly-occuring shape that exploits the idea of miai. It cannot be cut apart, because the two interior points are miai for connecting.

......
..oo..
......
..oo..
......

見合い

A Miai is arranged by a matchmaker, typically an older women who does this semi-professionally. Interested candidates submit and are given short profiles (age, education, hobbies, a photograph) of potential partners. For those who show interest in each other at first glance, the actual Miai is arranged, which is usually held at a restaurant or hotel and attended by both candidates' parents as well as the matchmaker. Everyone does small talk and finds out about each other and the two candidates eye each other more or less anxiously. That's all for now (at a traditional Miai, anyway).

If either of the two is not interested in pursuing the process further, they should tell the matchmaker as soon as possible, and no hard feelings will come of it (the rejection should of course be worded politely anyway). Otherwise, a first one on one meeting is arranged, and the prospective couple begins a regular relationship. If they discover any hidden flaws, it can still be broken off without major loss of face, therefore this phase should traditionally last at least half a year. If no problems arise, and both parties agree, preparations for the actual marriage can begin.