to act ahead of someone to forestall them; to take preemptive action; to beat someone to the punch.
問題が大きくなる前に先手を打って対策を講じた。
We took preemptive measures before the problem grew larger.
彼はライバル企業の発表に先手を打って新商品を発表した。
He beat the rival company to the punch by announcing a new product first.
トラブルを見越して先手を打つのは賢いやり方だ。
Anticipating problems and acting first is a smart approach.
to make the first move (e.g., in go); to play first; to take the initiative.
今日は私が先手を打ちますから、よろしくお願いします。
I'll take the first move today, so please go along with it.
囲碁の局面でどちらが先手を打つかが勝敗に影響することがある。
Who takes the first move in a go position can sometimes affect the result.