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BambooJoint
DonTTryToCutABamb...
BambooJointShapeD...

 

The bamboo joint is short of liberties
Path: GoProverbs   · Prev: NeverIgnoreAShoulderHit   · Next: NetsAreBetterThanLadders
Path: GiveMeLiberties   · Prev: DonTTakeAwayYourOwnLiberties   · Next: FiveLibertiesForTacticalStability

    Keywords: Tactics, Proverb

The bamboo joint is a powerful shape that cannot be cut. But because of its compactness and the gross amount of shared liberties within the four stones, there are only 10 liberties in the isolated bamboo joint. Furthermore, to maintain a connection through a push involves losing two liberties in gote. (Don't take away your own liberties?) Bamboo joints can be attacked by setting up a connect and die, through shortage of liberties.


Example 1

[Diagram]
Example 1

Black to win the capturing race.


[Diagram]
Example 1 solution

The hane at 1 threatens a connection, followed by the atari at 3. This exploits the shortage of liberties in the bamboo joint, and White is unable to play at a.



Example 2

Scartol: Bamboo joints are not invincible, as I found out. I played WC and felt incredibly proud of myself for breaking through to my formerly dead group. Still lost the game, but playing the tesuji felt so good.

[Diagram]
Breaking bamboo


Path: GoProverbs   · Prev: NeverIgnoreAShoulderHit   · Next: NetsAreBetterThanLadders
Path: GiveMeLiberties   · Prev: DonTTakeAwayYourOwnLiberties   · Next: FiveLibertiesForTacticalStability

This is a copy of the living page "The bamboo joint is short of liberties" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.