If you do a search, you can find past posts regarding bulb chipping. It looks like folks who started with big, healthy bulbs had better results than folks who used chipping as a means of saving a bulb that wasn't faring well. The chipping that I recall people doing was more severe than what you're suggesting. However, your suggestion is far less likely to result in the mother bulb dying. I'm sure there are more experience folks on the forum who will provide more information!