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Rules Beast 1
    Keywords: Rules

John Tromp: On small boards the superko rule has peculiar consequences as exemplified in this 6x6 game:

[Diagram]
strange...

Here, White to move had better connect in the lower left, else Black can exploit the superko rule to capture a white group. Hint: Black aims to make it illegal for White to capture in the top-right a second time. (Play below.)

I don't see these strange consequences as an indication that there's something wrong with the superko rule. In fact it seems to fit right in with the other simply-stated Go rules that yield a game so rich in strategy and subtleties.


Charles Matthews So this page should reference sending two, returning one.

I think the final paragraph is a partisan statement, by the way. If various organisations of standing in the go world have been persuaded to adopt superko, was it really to introduce more 'subtleties', or because it was represented as suppressing others?

Bill: I created this page using John's example in Superko. As one author of an elegant rule set, John has an informed opinion. I felt that it was fair to retain it here.

I am pretty much in agreement with you, Charles. The behavior of this board under most rules sets with a superko rule seems to me to be an unintended consequence.


[Diagram]
White passes (i)

W1 = pass


[Diagram]
White passes (ii)

W9 = pass

Under most superko rules (e. g., AGA, New Zealand, Lasker-Maas, Tromp-Taylor), White cannot now take B8 and B10, since that would repeat the situation after W7.

Under Spight rules White can take the stones, since White's pass (W9) lifted any ko or superko ban.




This is a copy of the living page "Rules Beast 1" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.