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Empty point
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Go term
An empty point adjacent to a single stone or chain of stones is often called "liberty" (first sense - see liberty for explanation of the ambiguity here). In a legal position each chain has at least such one empty point joined to it along a line. Such an empty point is called a dame in Japanese. The liberty - introductory page explains some of the more basic implications in fighting. A stone or chain may be captured by filling all its adjacent empty points. Such captured stones are removed before the end of the turn, leaving a legal position. No stone or chain having no empty point is allowed to remain on the board between turns. A stone or chain with just one empty point is said to be in atari. It may be captured on the opponent's next move.
Each of White's stones or chains has an empty point, which is marked with a circle. They are not yet captured, and remain on the board.
However, they each have only a single empty point.
The case of stones in atari is the simplest, because liberty then unambiguously means the single adjacent empty point.
Each of these white chains has several empty points; and is safe from direct capture for at least two of Black's moves. This is a copy of the living page "Empty point" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |