Why is three handicap placed like that
Tas: Have anyone got an explanation of why the handicap stones in a three handicap game are place as they are...
... and not symetrically like this? Five and seven uses tengen, why not three?
Steve: People can argue about this, but generally players feel it is better (or at least easier to understand) playing in the corners first, before moving into the middle. For 5 and 7 handicap, all the corner points are already taken, and the center stone works well with the influence-oriented handicap stones.
In the case of a 3-handicap, while the center stone may work well with 2 star-point stones, it is usually easier for a player taking 3-stones to make use of another stone in a corner.
Bob McGuigan: In the Chinese rules free placement of handicap stones is allowed so this formation could be used.