The bamboo shape is usually considered solid. But in some fighting positions, it’s not as safe as it looks — especially when there are cutting stones nearby.
Here’s a pair of quick puzzles that explore how to break the bamboo and net stones in the middle game:
Puzzle 1:
Black to play and break White’s shape to catch the cutting stones. Think before you peek!
I made these as part of a larger puzzle set focused on nets, which has been really helpful for players in the 10–20k range working on reading and shape understanding.
If you want to try more, the full net problem set is here: Problem
Would love to hear how you’ve seen bamboo shape fail (or save you!) in your own games.
I thought there must be a bamboo there for you to break then it’s called breaking the bamboo… if it’s playing at the spot where a bamboo shape can be formed, it’s preventing the bamboo instead?
The bamboo is not even formed yet, how do you break it?
I think its more a term for abusing the weakpoint of the shape. You break it by not allowing it.
Like when a kid is in the process of building a sand castle and you kick it down.
‘Breaking the sandcastle’ may not the right term either, but it fits from the sense more rather than ‘not allowing the sandcastle’.
Thats how Id interpret it.
And, I think the by far the most important reason is: ‘breaking’ sounds much cooler than ‘not allowing’.
But I agree with you in this way that:
The bamboo shape is usually considered solid. But in some fighting positions, it’s not as safe as it looks — especially when there are cutting stones nearby.
(auto subtitles that I’ve tried to fix below, but listen to it if you want above)
32:01
important moves for the Liberty situation for The Cutting situation for his group. Gu Zihao strikes, he breaks
32:08
the bamboo - you should always think about breaking the bamboo whenever it is at all possible.
32:15
yeah this, this strike is actually putting black into a bit of a bind. it’s very difficult to save these two stones
32:21
but if you don’t then this white group will just save very naturally if black doesn’t get to press this white group
32:27
down and gain quite a lot then he can’t ever win the game so black must save like this and white presses like that
Davies in his book Tesuji calls it the slapping tesuji
Avoid, deny or forbid, all these terms look less confusing as break to me.
At least less confusing. I mean especially in the mind of a player who is not used to this tesuji.
Actually it’s more of a tesuji to capture the stones rather than preventing the bamboo shape. It just happens that the tesuji is the same spot as where the opponent makes the bamboo shape.
So it can be to capture stones and as a way to sacrifice some stones, and it could be that you don’t find the timing for these forcing exchanges later for instance.
If I can remember a recent game, other than that pro game where it’s being used I’ll link it.
Yeah it can be a general tesuji to get a good shape, destroy opponent’s shape or to capture the stones. I still wouldn’t associate it with bamboo, though. It’s like saying capping a stone is “destroying the jump”.
In a way, it’s also similar to the eye-stealing tesuji (I wish there was a better name for this).
I think the point of giving it a simple name which is associated with a shape you already know, is to make it easy to remember, so it’s a good teaching idea.
It’s always the same point, you’re playing at the point where the opponent would play to make a bamboo shape.
It’s pretty straightforward that if you want someone to remember that idea, and they know the bamboo shape, then it should be something bamboo or bamboo something.
Since you’re trying to break the opponents shape, I think breaking the bamboo is a pretty good name. Good enough that I heard it once months ago in a video and I remembered it, even remembered the video it came from.
Puzzle 1:
Think before you peek!
If you want to try more, the full net problem set is here:
Problem
