Equivalence Scoring and Ikeda's Rule

Ikeda's Rule and Equivalence Scoring can be combined in a very convenient way:

• If White passes and no one passed before then this pass is free and requires no pass stone.^[2]

thus we gain:

• all advantages of Ikeda's Rule^[1]

at the cost of

• requirement to determine the score by counting territory and prisoners.
• use of typical territory komi (1 moku less than area komi)

See also:

• IkedaToshio
• Ikeda's Rule
• Equivalence Scoring

[1] To behave exactly as Ikeda's Rule does, it would also be necessary that the first pass does not count as one of the two alternation-ending passes. - Pledger

[2] I think a clearer procedure would be for White, if passing first, to extend a hand with a white stone--universally signaling a pass--but rather than hand it to Black, place it to White's right side of the board. This would signify that this stone is added to White's area for passing first, and is not a prisoner. Of course, White must also make the last pass per usual as noted above. hzamir