Button Go

    Keywords: Rules

Button go has a similar effect as the Taiwan rules, which count area, but do not count the point for Black if he plays the last Japanese dame. In most instances, Button go reconciles area and territory scoring.

Button go was discovered by Barry Phease and independently by me (BillSpight) later.

Button go is played with a token called the button, which is worth 1/2 point. (Barry says that we now have a good use for those broken White stones. ;-)) Area scoring is used. At his turn a player may take the button instead of making a board play or passing. Taking the button lifts any restriction on taking a ko or superko.

To see the usual effect of the button, suppose that each player has the same territory score, a jigo. Because the number of points on the go board is odd, normally Black will fill the last dame, which will give him a 1 point win under area scoring. In Button go, White will then take the button, and the final score will be a 1/2 point win for Black.

Now let's compare that with the case when Black wins by 1 point by territory scoring. Then normally White will fill the last dame, and the result by area scoring is also a 1 point win. In Button go Black will then take the button, and the final score will be a 1 1/2 point win for Black. Usually the score in Button go is 1/2 point more for Black than the territory score.

Territory scoring is sharper than area scoring in that, as here, it differentiates cases that area scoring does not. With area scoring the winner can more often make sloppy plays and still win. Like the Taiwan rules, button go also makes these differentiations, and makes for a sharper game.

Area scoring requires less complex rules than territory scoring, but territory scoring makes for a sharper game. Button go is a practical way to enjoy the benefits of both.

--BillSpight


  • see half-pass for button combined with pass-stones

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