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SmallBoardGo

 

5x5 Board
    Keywords: Equipment

[Diagram]
Diag.: 5x5 board

Capture Go is commonly taught initially on this size board. Even this tiny board can be amazingly instructive.

The book [ext] How to Improve on a 5x5 board contains problems ranging from low kyu to high dan. It's by Fukui Masaaki.

Erik van der Werf's MIGOS program has [ext] solved 5x5 Go for optimal play. It's very interesting to see optimal play against non-center openings. Even Cho Chikun can make a mistake!

Bill: All I saw was the first move. :-(

AshleyF: Hummm... yes, they're animated GIFs. I'll post below for reference.

Bill: Thanks, Ashley. :-)


Taken from Erik van der Werf's page (with his permission) claiming that [ext] 5x5 Go is solved:

Optimal Play For Opening At 2-2

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 2-2 (1-10)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 2-2 (11-20)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 2-2 (21-23)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 2-2 (Final Position)


Optimal Play For Opening At 3-2

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 3-2 (1-10)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 3-2 (11-19)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Optimal Play For Opening At 3-2 (Final Position)


Cho Chikun's Mistake (at 6)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Cho Chikun's Mistake In Opening At 3-2 (1-10)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Cho Chikun's Mistake In Opening At 3-2 (11-20)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Cho Chikun's Mistake In Opening At 3-2 (21-22)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Cho Chikun's Mistake In Opening At 3-2 (Final Position)


The program solves for other openings as well but not nearly as interesting. Center opening results in Black taking the entire board. First play on the edge results in White taking the entire board.


[Diagram]
Diag.: White to play

Is the analysis given on that webpage complete? There could be a poorly-placed handicap.

AshleyF I don't know if this has been analyzed. Not everything has. Erik states, "We further solved all other opening moves on the empty board." I don't think that they've gone as far as handicap openings or other random positions. Even on this tiny board there are several hundred-billion unique legal positions!



This is a copy of the living page "5x5 Board" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.