Square Squared

   

SquareSquared (or s2 for short)

SiouxDenim: I've recently been reading about [ext] *Star, a perfect information turn based game, with similarities to Hex and Gonnect. So similar in fact, I wondered if it can be converted into a Go variant game on a square board (it's a 5 sided star shape in *star, oddly enough).

This is my attempt:

In *star, the object is to own as many edge points as possible. I take this rule directly into SquareSquared. No other points on the board can score. In fact, I'll go further and decree Go rules apply in all respects except scoring. Go rules being TrompTaylor?, in case you're wondering.

[Diagram]

W has 4 edge points, B has 7 edge points. B wins by 2.

In *star, there is a two point group tax. Thus a group that touches the edge in only one place actually costs its owner a point ( 1 edge point - 2 points tax). A group that touches in two places scores no points (2 edge points - 2 points tax). Again, I take this rule into SquareSquared. As a larger example, a group that touches the edge in 7 places is worth 5 points. In the example above, each side had one group, so the group taxes cancel out and the score is still B+2.

It's often not obvious how many groups there are in a seki. As far as s2 is concerned, it's a group if it has eternal life. Stones that are not connected in the usual sense are not a single group. The most common sekis on the edge consist of very few stones, so after group tax these will cost the group owners.

In *star, groups that do not touch the edge are not taxed and so are worth 0-0=0 points. Taken directly into s2.

In *star, if the score based on the system described above is tied, then the owner of the majority of the 5 corners of the star wins. Not such a useful idea on a square board. For the moment, I'll allow Jigo instead.

Well that's all really.


OK, maybe I need to clarify a few things that are Go related, but don't come up in *star.

I decree that points are given according to the number of stones actually on the edge. Where possible, make your eyes away from the edge, so these don't waste points.

[Diagram]

W has 5-2 points, B has 1-2 points on the left and 5-2 points on the right, a total of 2. W wins by 1.


Discussion- (Please don't shunt this into a sub-page until the rules stabilise.)

If Jigo is disallowed, it would seem natural to award the win to the owner of the majority of the corners and the centre point to win. This assumes that the board is odd, so there is a centre point. It also assumes that ownership of each point can be decided. Sekis will appear where the corners/centre are unplayable, so Jigo might still be possible. Another approach might be to resolve jugo by looking at the 2nd line etc until a winner emerges.

I've played a few games against myself, I suggest 6x6 or 7x7 boards are a good place to start.

The game *star (pronounced star-star) and played on a star shape, was created by someone called Ea Ea. Hence, as my game is on a square, SquareSquared vaguely fits the pattern.

SiouxDenim


I've played a few more games of this now and I've (hopefully) improved the rules. Previously, I said ignore groups in seki. This has now changed to the more simple rule above: stones on the edge count as a point. Thus, different to go, sekis score points. The group tax applies to these groups like all of the others. I can well imagine there will be some very complicated seki where defining what are groups is hard. I'll ponder this some more. I have a suspicion the way to resolve disputes is to make the players to play on, banning passes.


This is a copy of the living page "Square Squared" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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