Tanuki no hara tsuzumi

A racoon dog drums his belly (netsuke)

One of these colorfully named tesujis, tanuki no hara tsuzumi is usually translated from Japanese as as the raccoon-dog drums his belly. The tanuki (Nyctereutes viverrinus) plays a part in Far Eastern mythology, a prankster and shape-shifter not unlike the fox, but less malevolent. Statues depicting the mythical form of the tanuki are often seen outside of temples and restaurants in Japan. Real tanuki resemble something of a cross between a raccoon and a fox.

There are two Chinese go terms for this tesuji. The yellow oriole is a type of bird, as is the goshawk.

The Tesuji

Black to win the capturing race (Gokyo Shumyo, Section 4, Problem 76)  

This problem from Gokyo Shumyo illustrates the basic pattern.

Yellow Oriole captures a butterfly, Raccoon dog drums his belly  

Here is the tesuji. Critically, the marked black stones have three liberties. Any fewer and the tesuji would not work. After , a and b are miai as are c and d. White can even capture the two stones on the edge, but will never get more than two liberties.

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Other Examples

SegoeTesujiDictionary - Oki section  

This example is from Segoe Tesuji Dictionary. There are many problems requiring this tesuji in that collection.

tesuji in hamete  

Knowledge of this tesuji is also a prerequisite for playing and responding to this hamete. Black must decide now between answering at a or b. See 4463 enclosure second-line side attachment, trick play chapter.

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Examples from games

• qsefthuko 9d vs. sususu 8d (KGS), move 102
• Honinbo Satsugen vs. Inoue Shuntatsu Inseki, move 134 - 1773 castle game
  

Part of this castle game is analyzed in the book Weird and Wonderful - Volume 1 - Extraordinary Moves by Professional Go Players.

• Rin Kaiho 9p (Honorary Tengen) vs. Kataoka Satoshi 9p - 45th Japanese Judan, preliminary round, 2006-02-16

Rin Kaiho 9p (black) vs. Kataoka Satoshi 9p move 157  

Linguistic notes

Japanese raccoon-dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)

A tsuzumi (Japanese traditional drum)

Tanuki statues at a temple in Kamakura

Tanuki no hara tsuzumi is sometimes mistranslated as patting the raccoon's belly. A tanuki (raccoon-dog) is a canid, related to wolves and foxes; it is not a raccoon.

A tsuzumi is a traditional Japanese drum.