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.

[Diagram]

Atari

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.

[Diagram]

Multiple liberties

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.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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