Willemien/my proposed rules

I am also puzzeling about the best rules for the game of Go.

Here is my idea ( PS can be changed without notice, and are still just a rough sketch )

They are based on the Ikeda Area III Rules with some simplifications (and i hope improvements.)

Differences between this rules and the Ikeda Area III Rules.

• add "all stones are alive" as end condition (no discussion on which groups are alive)
• Simplify rule 7:
  • replace rule 7 with a half point to the first player who passes
  • add 1/2 point to the komi.
• Simplify rule 6 be simplified to just end any game by four consecutive passes

For background see:

• Button Go
• http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=3543

Possible Improvements to think about:

These are NOT included in the rules below

Scoring

territory counting is easier than area counting you just don't have so much to count (only open spaces vs whole board.)

but it looks that you then have to introduce pass stones (to get the number of played (board and pass) the same for both players.

Maybe introduce pass stones with the following special rules:

• If White makes the first pass of the game he doesn't need to give black a pass stone.
• If Black makes the last pass of the 4 ending passes he doesn't need to give White a pass stone.
• Count prisoners and territory.

• remove the half point rule

Need to check if this results in normal territory scoring

Definitions

Definitions (1)

n x n go board

A grid comprising n equally spaced parallel lines and n other parallel lines orthogonally intersecting them is called an n x n go board.

grid line

The parallel lines that intersect orthogonally on the board are called grid lines.

grid point

The points of intersection of grid lines are called grid points.

empty grid point

A grid point not occupied by a stone is called an empty grid point.

occupied grid point

A grid point occupied by a stone is called an occupied grid point.

played stone

A stone occupying a grid point is called a played stone.

adjacent points

On the grid lines incident with a given grid point, the grid points closest to that grid point are called the adjacent points of that grid point.

Definitions (2)

move

To move means to play or pass.

play

To play means to place a stone on an empty grid point.

pass

To pass means to proceed to the next turn without playing.

Definitions (3)

remove

To remove means to remove a played stone from a grid point.

removable state

A set of played stones of the same color is said to be in a removable state if all grid points that are not occupied by the set, but are adjacent points of grid points occupied by the set, are occupied by played stones of the other color.

Definitions (4)

configuration

The arrangement of all stones on the board is called a configuration.

Definitions (5)

territory

If continued motion on the grid lines in a set of empty grid points, starting from any grid point in the set, always leads to played stones of the same color, that set of empty grid points is said to be territory of that color, and those played stones are said to surround that territory.

Rules:

Rule 1 Black and white stones:

One of the two players possesses black stones; the other player possesses white stones. The players play stones of their own possession.

Rule 2 Rule of alternate moves:

The players move alternately. A player who fails to move loses.

Rule 3 Rule of removing:

When a stone has been played, if a set of stones of the other color is in a removable state, that set of played stones is removed before the next move.

Rule 4 Rule prohibiting repeated configurations:

If playing on a grid point places any stones of the other color in a removable state, the configuration resulting from removal of those stones must not be identical to a configuration that has already appeared in the game while the same player has the move (Situational Superko)

Rule 5 Rule prohibiting self-capture:

If playing on a grid point does not place any stones of the other color in a removable state, the played stone itself must not be in a removable state.

Rule 6 End of the game:

The game ends when both players pass twice in succession.( a total of four passes in total)

Rule 7 Rule of scoring:

A player's score is the number of that player's played stones plus the number of grid points in that player's territory. The player who makes the first pass add an extra 1/2 point to its score. The winner is determined by comparing the players' scores.

Rule 8 Rules establishing conditions of play:

Separate rules may be made concerning the first move (e.g. handicap stones) and determination of the winner (komi).