![]() StartingPoints Aliases Referenced by
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Damezumari
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Shape, Tactics, Go term
Damezumari means 'shortage of liberties'.
In this diagram, a seki is created: Black cannot approach White at the circled intersection because he is in damezumari - by approaching he would fill one of his own liberties and White could capture his group at the eye (square). Note that if his own eye was larger, he could capture the two white stones.
Here is an example where the three marked white stones are in damezumari. When Black plays at 1, White cannot respond at 2, but must answer at 4 or 5. White must give up the three stones. This diagram is an example of Oiotoshi. Making your opponent connect is not really putting him in damezumari
During the comments on a game between two beginners, it happens that thay seems to misunderstand damezumari. I'll write dwon the dialogue and the diagrams as I can remember it.
Black player : Here dkiller, this is a good move, I'm playing a damezumari.
Dkiller : How can you say that a damezumari is a good move ?
Black player : How it can be wrong? Before White had three liberties, now she has only two liberties, It is a good move.
Dkiller : Oh my god, we're not taking about the same 'damezumari'; see the continuation.
Dkiller : You see, now White is connected, she has 8 liberties. It's a lot more than the three liberties he had at the beginning. In the other hand, Black has only two liberties and before she had three liberties. With the cut at a, it is very worrying to have so few liberties. That's why I said it was a bad move.
Charles Matthews The correct way for Black to play here must be Black 1 in this diagram, which is worth a point and threatens a snapback.
This is a copy of the living page "Damezumari" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |