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Handicap for smaller board sizes
Path: Handicap   · Prev: HandicapPlacement   · Next: LargeHandicapGamesDiscussion
    Keywords: Equipment

Regarding handicap games, the following table gives one possible way of allocating handicap and komi on 13x13 boards. First column: Strength difference on 19x19 goban, second column, handicap on 13x13 goban, third column, komi to white.

 Difference  13x13   Komi   Difference   13x13   Komi
    0         0      5.5       10        4       5.5
    1(*)      0      5.5       11        4       2.5
    2         0      2.5       12        4       0.5
    3         0      0.5       13        5       5.5
    4         2      5.5       14        5       2.5
    5         2      2.5       15        5       0.5
    6         2      0.5       16        6       5.5
    7         3      5.5       17        6       2.5
    8         3      2.5       18        6       0.5
    9         3      0.5       19        6      -3.5

(*) In the case of a one stone difference in strength, the weakest player takes black and plays first.


The Cambridge club ([ext] http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cugos/) uses a different system for its end-of-term 13x13 handicap competitions. These are played with fast time limits of 10 minutes each. In that case

 2.5 grades = 1 handicap stone

seems to be correct; details at [ext] http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cugos/compete/sono.htm Charles Matthews


On RGG, Tim Hunt posted his recommendations

 Grade          13x13 board          9x9 board
 Difference     Handicap   Komi     Handicap   Komi
    0              1        6          1        6
    1              1        2          1        4
    2              1       -2          1        2
    3              2        4          1        0
    4              2        0          1       -2
    5              2       -4          1       -4
    6              3        2          2        4
    7              3       -2          2        2
    8              4        4          2        0
    9              4        0          2       -2
   10              4       -4          2       -4

Charles Tim was a Cambridge player for many years. This is a 'smoothed' version of the system, adopting a Japanese practice of reverse komi. Actually I think this makes it easier for White.

Tim Hunt There is more of the same on my web site: [ext] http://www.timhunt.me.uk/go/handicaps/

Vesa We had recently a round-robin 9x9 tournament with 14 players from 15 kyu to 5 dan. The results indicate that the handicap is not easy for White. The results are available in [ext] Helsinki Go Club page

The top right vs. bottom left is 36.5 - 54.5. This might not be statistically good enough sample but anyway some kind of response to the "easier for white" argument.

Charles The page [ext] http://jakobsen.dyndns.dk/edo/pages_english/handicaptables.htm has the full handicap table.

The politics is usually that the stronger players argue about the system until White has an easier time. 'Correct' handicap systems will mean the events are won by undergraded players. After a while the stronger players normally have understood more about what you have to do, to win.



Path: Handicap   · Prev: HandicapPlacement   · Next: LargeHandicapGamesDiscussion
This is a copy of the living page "Handicap for smaller board sizes" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.