No-ko Go

    Keywords: Variant

The idea of this variant is to simply remove the possibility of ko. In the standard rules, ko rule is introduced to forbid to have an infinitely repeating sequence. The idea here is to do the same, but not by forbidding to take back the ko immediately, but by forbidding to start the ko !

It is thus forbidden for player A to make a move which would allow player B (the opponent) to immediately reproduce the inital position (before A made this move). It is thus forbidden to start a ko.

Because there would be no ko, many situations would be much simpler (think tsumego, etc.).

Questions :

- would this variant lead to any inconsistency or problem ?

- has this already been proposed somewhere ?

[Diagram]
White is alive  

Dieter: The game would quite thoroughly change.

Eli Dupree: This could be accomplished, probably more simply, by positional Active Superko - i.e. any player to return the board to a previous situation wins the game. You couldn't capture first in a ko, because the opponent would simply capture back and win instantly.

CBlue: If we want to preserve the concept of false eyes, I'd rather use a rule like "if a move (except for pass) restores the board position from before this player's last move (ie if a move takes back a Ko immediately, which would be allowed), then said Ko is automatically filled with an additional stone of this player." That way you'd still have sort of normal Life & Death apply ^^.

Calil?"- would this variant lead to any inconsistency or problem ? " YES, the game would become impossible to end. If at the previous move the board had an configuration X, by passing, you make the board continue with that configuration X, at the next turn the player will be able to pass and so make the board stay the way it is, configuration X, an configuration that is the same the board had before you moved it. This would make passing a illegal move and because this move is needed to make the game end, would make the game impossible to end.

kmr - that can be easily solved by adding additional rule - "Whoever cant make legal move lose game".


No-ko Go last edited by kmr on January 9, 2022 - 03:26
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