Traditionally, handicap stones are placed on the star points, but one can also play with free placement of the handicap stones. In contrast to an even game it is White's turn to play the first "real" stone (after the black handicap stones have been placed on the board), except in an one-handicap-stone game where black makes the first move.

Before the adoption of komi, a different handicap system was in use among top ("pro") players. See: tagai-sen, sen-ai-sen and josen.

Many Go clubs and salons in Japan use a handicap system integrated into a rating system.

Starting a handicap game

How to determine the handicap

• Rank and handicap — How the rank-difference of players normally determines the handicap
• Rank first comments — How to keep track of your rank
• Points Rating System — How Japanese amateurs handicap games
• Dutch class system — An older ranking system used in some Dutch clubs
• Rank - amateur and professional — Comments on the strength of amateurs and professionals
  • Amateur Honinbo vs Pro Honinbo 2002 — Kato Masao v. Samejima Ichiro with a 2-stone handicap
• Match handicap system — The old multi-game (jubango etc.) handicap system
  • tagai-sen — Alternating black and white stones (level)
  • sen-ai-sen — Black in two games out of three
  • josen — Black in every game
  • kadoban — A game which can lead to a change in handicap between two players
• Handicap for smaller board sizes
• Discussions and proposals
  • Jewdan's Handicap System — (proposal) Various calculations and statistics about appropriate handicaps on various board sizes
  • ProperHandicap/Discussion?

Alternatives to extra stones

• Reverse komi — When White gives Black komi
• Kokose — Allowing one player to determine some of the other’s moves
• Switching Colors Go — Swapping colours every so many moves
• Proper Handicap — An attempt to improve handicapping with stones by komi

How to place handicap stones

• Handicap placement — The conventional positions of 1 to 9 handicap stones
• Free Handicap — Placing handicap stones where Black wishes
• Handicaps beyond nine stones
• Handicap stone placement on smaller boards

Etiquette

• It is considered a Bad Habit to Refuse To Take Handicap
• Order of placement of handicap stones — The polite order in which to place a 9 stone handicap on the board

Playing handicap games

How to play handicap games skilfully

Advice to Black

• Use Handicap Stones — General tips
• Live small — Force White to make small live groups
• Force White Into The Center — Based on an idea in The Second Book of Go by Richard Bozulich
• High Handicap Games - White is weak — How to pressure White for one’s own benefit
• Following the opponent around — Particularly common in handicap games!
• How To Respond To Kakari In a four Stone Handicap Game — A medley of ideas
• How to win with a 9 stone handicap

Advice to White

• Playing White In Handicap
• How to win against 9 stone handicap

General discussion

• Ten Commandments of Handicap Go — A discussion inspired by an article in the American Go Journal
• Handicap Fuseki — Discussions of the first moves in handicap games

Other relevant topics

• Bermuda triangle — A weak double keima often seen in handicap games
• Overplay — Includes some comments on overplays in handicap games, mainly from White’s viewpoint

How to make handicap games useful

• Large Handicap Games Discussion — How to make them more helpful to the weaker player

Games and Analysis

• Chess Whiz against lavalyn
• TeachingGame22/Moves1Thru20
• Teaching Game 53
• Teaching Game 361
• Game 33
• BQM30

Books

• Get Strong At Handicap Go
• Handicap Go - the book
• Basic Techniques of Go
• Kage's Secret Chronicles Of Handicap Go
• Pro Pro Handicap Go
• The breakthrough to shodan
• How to Play Against the Stronger Player, two volumes downloadable from the Wings Go Club
• Handicap Go Strategy (in Japanese).
• Sanzi Pu by Guo Bailing, translated into English under the title "Three-Stone Games"
• Masterpieces of Handicap Go