[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]

StartingPoints
ReferenceSection
About


Paths
GoProverbs
GiveMeLiberties

Referenced by
LibertyDiscussion
BambooJoint
BambooJointShapeD...
DonTTryToCutABamb...
BewareOfShortageO...
ShortageOfLiberti...

 

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

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Tactics, Proverb

The bamboo joint is an effective shape, that cannot directly be cut. But because of its compactness and the shared liberties of the four stones, there are only 10 liberties in total, for an isolated bamboo joint.

To maintain a connection against a push involves losing two liberties in gote. (Don't take away your own liberties?) This implies that bamboo joints can be attacked using shortage of liberties: for example by setting up a connect and die.


Example 1

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.

[Diagram]
Breaking bamboo


Example 2

[Diagram]
Example 2

Black to win the capturing race.


[Diagram]
Solution

The hane at B1 threatens a connection, followed by the atari at B3.



This exploits a shortage of liberties in the bamboo joint, and White is unable to play at a.

[Diagram]
White moves first


(Sebastian:) Does this prove that the bamboo joint is as strong as the linear joint (or whatever it's called), because whoever moves first wins?

DJ I'm afraid I do not quite understand your question.

A bamboo joint is as strong as the liberties it has, taking into account the inherent possibility of damezumari - see the examples.

If the bamboo joint has the same number of liberties as the group it is involved in a semeai with, whoever starts first wins...

(Sebastian:) Yes, you did understand and answer my question. It just wasn't obvious to me that they had the same number of liberties.



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

This is a copy of the living page "The bamboo joint may be short of liberties" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.