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The Empty Triangle Is Bad
  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Proverb, Shape

[Diagram]
Diag.: Empty triangle

The black group to the left is an empty triangle as there is no stone at 'a'. The white group is not an empty triangle, as there's a single black stone next to it.



Why is an empty triangle so bad?

[Diagram]
Diag.: Empty triangle

An empty triangle has less liberties than a string of three stones. The string has 8 liberties, whereas the triangle only has 7 liberties. There are many, frequently occuring postions in real games, where this one liberty is vital.

Also, the empty triangle looks like an ineffecient clump of stones. If you would like to extend to the right, then play the marked stone instead. As can be seen below, white cannot cut this formation whithout help from surrounding stones. Black's stones are securely connected.

Also note that two stones placed diagonally adjacent are connected. Therefore, adding a connecting stone at 'a' or 'b' is inefficient.

There's a proverb that says 'A beginner gets 2 stones stronger by avoiding the empty triangle.'

--ArnoHollosi

(with additions/improvements by AndreEngels)



[Diagram]
Diag.: 'Empty shapes'

Although no longer 'triangle's, the shapes on the left are all considered bad as well for mostly the same reasons. The shapes on the right fulfill the same functions but more efficiently.

--MortenPahle

Actually, I think the best way to look at it, is that the upper shape does contain an empty triangle (the three marked stones), and the lower shape even two. The fourth stone is also too nearby, so one may well say that these shapes are even worse than the empty triangle itself.

--AndreEngels (2D Europe)

The shape on the top left is known as the L shape, which is dead in the corner.

This is not strictly true. The L-group which is dead is dead for other reasons, i.e. it is in the corner and surrounded by the opponent. --MortenPahle

The shape on the bottom left is known as the farmer's hat, and is equally bad.

It is interesting to note that while the empty triangle is definitely a weak shape, the full triangle is often regarded as a strong shape.

A full triangle is the white shape shown at the top, formed after black approaches and white defends However, in many circumstances, the hanging connection is a better response. --MortenPahle

-FCS



The empty triangle is not always bad. See GoodEmptyTriangle.


See also: The Farmer's Hat



This is a copy of the living page "The Empty Triangle Is Bad" at Sensei's Library.
(C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.