Damezumari

Damezumari is a shortage of liberties affecting a stone or group, usually making it difficult to connect, escape, or avoid capture. The effective liberties may become insufficient because of surrounding stones, the group’s own stones, or forced moves that fill liberties. This can create tactical weaknesses such as self-atari or direct capture.

Players exploit damezumari to restrict an opposing group, force it to play, or win a capturing race, while avoiding it in their own groups. It is broader than atari: atari specifically means that a group has one liberty remaining, whereas damezumari describes cramped or insufficient liberties and does not require exactly one. A group with few liberties is not automatically in immediate danger; connection options, capturing races, ko threats, and ways to relieve the shortage all affect the result.