Anti Atari Go
Anti-Atari Go is a variant of go that is basically the opposite of Atari Go. Play follows the normal rules of go. However, the first to capture any stone loses the game. No passes are allowed.
Warning: do not try this on a large board. You will have a long game with hundreds of meaningless moves. We've tried this variant a few times in the Stupid Room? on KGS. The game plays much like the game of dots and boxes. It's surprisingly interesting on small boards.
Bill: How about these rules?
1) No pass allowed. 2) No capture allowed. 3) No suicide allowed. 4) If you have no move, you lose.
Here is the reason for rule 4.
After Black has no move.
You need a rule to cover such positions. Let the player with no move lose.
impu1se: Nice and simple rules. Having the last to move win seems to fit in nicely with game theory ideas.
unkx80: I presume suicide is not allowed?
Tderz]: B wins
Tderz]: I thought of the equivalent.
Tderz]: also equivalent, funny game, resembles NIM.
impu1se: Yes, very good. I guess that wasn't really a great example since 3 out of 5 possible moves work. So here's a harder one (only one correct move).
Bill: How about this?
impu1se: Correct! Here's some analysis of why this works to make a start at understanding some principles to this game. I'll leave the failed white attempts for someone else.
Now if black tries d3 or e3 white can play c2 leaving black no moves. If black plays c2 or a3 white plays d3 to protect the e3 point.
Now if black plays c2 or d3 white can respond at a4 to create three groups in atari covering all remaining points.
Black at any of the circled points and White a makes one extra move for white at c1.
Now white gets the extra move at e3. If b-d4, w-a3. If b-a4, w-d4.
impu1se: I hacked together a quick program to solve simpler boards. Of course black wins on 2x2. Black also wins on 3x3, regardless of the starting position. 4x4 is a white win. It appears that mirror moves are the simplest way to win - up to a certain point. 5x5 appears to be another win for black. It seems likely that black will win on the odd sized boards.
White can't let two opposing groups form with only shared liberties.
and
are the only winning moves.