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GiveMeLiberties

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DonTTryToCutABamb...
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don't take away your own liberties
Path: Mistake   · Prev: Cut   · Next: ClumsyDoubleContact
Path: GiveMeLiberties   · Prev: TooClose   · Next: ThereIsDamezumariInTheBambooJoint

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Tactics

A common mistake in Go, is taking away your own liberties.

Example 1

[Diagram]
Diag.:

White has taken territory and Black some influence. It is tempting to reduce White's territory by pushing at a.


[Diagram]
Diag.:

However, Black has reduced his own liberties from 6 to 5. As his formation is still open to invasion, reduction or attack, losing a liberty is too high a cost compared to White's cost of one point.

Furthermore, this move loses a ko-threat, but that was not the issue here.



Example 2

[Diagram]
Diag.: Before

White's stone has 4 liberties.


[Diagram]
Diag.: After

A vain attempt to cut the bamboo joint: White's stone has 3 liberties.



Almost as bad as losing a liberty, is playing but not gaining any liberties.

[Diagram]
Diag.: White disregards liberties

The exchange White 1 - Black 2 leaves White with three liberties, the same amount as she had before. This is one of the ideas behind hane at the head.


[Diagram]
Diag.: White gains liberties

After White 1 here, whatever Black does, she will end up with at least four liberties for her group.


A more complex situation where removing one's own liberties gives a bad result: Removing one's own liberties Example 1


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Path: Mistake   · Prev: Cut   · Next: ClumsyDoubleContact
Path: GiveMeLiberties   · Prev: TooClose   · Next: ThereIsDamezumariInTheBambooJoint

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