Handicap for smaller board sizes

    Keywords: Equipment

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Two handicap stones
Three handicap stones
Four handicap stones
Handicaps are placed in similar order as on 19x19 board

Handicaps and komi for smaller boards

First possibility

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 weaker player takes black and plays first.

Second possibility (Tim Hunt)

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

Cambridge club

The Cambridge club (see [ext] http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cugos/ for more details) 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
% broken link: "...seems to be correct; details at http://www.cam.ac.uk/societies/cugos/compete/sono.htm [Charles Matthews]"

Old Japanese Recommendation

Around 1985 there was an article in the Japanese magazine Igo Kurabu by Ishikura Noboru (now 9p) on komi and handicaps for both 9x9 and 13x13 boards. His recommendations were based on the results of many pro-pro games on these boards. Here is a table summarizing his recommendations:

 Difference in strength           9x9                13x13
                           handi      komi*    handi      komi*
         0                   0         5.5       0         5.5
         1                   0          3        0          0
         2                   0          0        0         -5
         3                   0         -3        2          5
         4                   0         -6        2          0
         5                   2          3        2         -5
         6                   2          0        3          5
         7                   2         -3        3          0
         8                   2         -6        3         -5
         9                   3          3        4          5
         .                   .          .        .          .
         .                   .          .        .          .
         .                   .          .        .          .
        30                   8          0       11          5
 *komi given by Black, so negative number means reverse komi.

--Bob McGuigan

Placement of handicap stones on smaller boards

9x9

[Diagram]

Two handicap stones

[Diagram]

Three handicap stones

[Diagram]

Four handicap stones


13x13

[Diagram]

Handicaps are placed in similar order as on 19x19 board


Links


This is a copy of the living page "Handicap for smaller board sizes" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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