Eye in the belly

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Life & Death, Go term
[Diagram]
Eye in the belly  

A potential eye, such as this one at the marked point, may have a big effect on the almost filling of groups. It doesn't need to be a real eye to make a difference.

[Diagram]
Real eye in the belly  

This is a simple capturing race, which Black has already won: his string forms an eye while White's doesn't: the internal liberties count for Black.

[Diagram]
Eye in the belly - start  

In the previous diagram, Black's string formed a real eye but even false eye can do the trick.

[Diagram]
eye in the belly - 1  

If White moves at W1, then B2 turns the shape into a nakade: next he can almost fill with bulky five at a. If White plays at a, she dies in gote because the eyespace is almost filled with a farmer's hat.

[Diagram]
eye in the belly - 2  

So what if White leaves this situation alone? Then Black can play B1 at any time, starting to make a real eye in what used to be White's eyespace. Next, another move at a completes the eye. If White plays there, Black plays b and now the eyespace is almost filled with a bulky five.

Anyhow, the starting position is settled: White is dead.

[Diagram]
Unsettled position  

In this case, with one more space inside, Black can kill by making the eye but White can make a seki.

[Diagram]
White dies  

With B1 Black makes a real eye in White's belly, just like in the second diagram from the top.

[Diagram]
White can live in seki  

After W1 White is alive in seki : Black cannot successfully fill White's eyespace and Black cannot make it a real eye anymore.



A famous problem regarding an eye in the belly can be found in the treasure chest enigma


Note on polite English: 'belly' might be considered a little colloquial, or childish, compared with 'stomach', in spoken English. There is a further example (in the centre) at the end of killable eye shapes called 'eye in the stomach'.

However, 'belly' has some appropriate connotations. The belly is traditionally one of the most vulnerable parts of a dragon, and as such is a good place to strike. Also, something is said to 'go belly up' when it dies. Also, belly sometimes means "middle" as in the expression "right in the belly."


Eye in the belly last edited by Dieter on November 20, 2013 - 14:29
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