Ing 1996 Rules / Removals

This page discusses how removals under Ing 1996 Rules are performed. The maybe most interesting question is whether or not removals depend on hypothetically perfect play.

Citations from the Rules Booklet

To concentrate on the normal removals topic, parts related to resignation, breath types (which are very unclear in Ing rules) and ko shapes are mostly omitted.

Section "Rules"

Rule No. 3 - The move

[...]

Pass play: [...] If one side passes [...], play continues. After all the neutral points [dames] are filled, two consecutive pass plays pause the game. After all the dead stones are removed from the board, two more pass plays end the game.

Rule No. 4 - Life and Death

Life and death are determined by breath type; verify by removal.

[...] Spaces next to stones in a life-or-death situation are called "liberties" or "breaths." [...]

Removal: [...] Breathless stones are taken off the board by the player who eliminated their last breath. When stones of both sides become breathless simultaneously, the player removes his opponent’s stones. [...]

Verification:

The game resumes if there is any dispute about life and death after the game is paused as a result of two consecutive passes. Lie and death is verified. Stones that can be removed are dead; stones that cannot be removed are alive. Any disputed shape should be verified for life and death by removal, no adjudication.

Section "Glossary of Goe Terminology"

Four consecutive pass plays end the game: [...] all games must end after four consecutive pass plays. Two consecutive pass plays after all neutral points are occupied pause the game for removing dead stones. Two more consecutive pass plays end the game.

[...]

Life and death: Stones that cannot be removed are alive; otherwise they are dead. Stones that can be removed but are not removed are also alive. It’s up to the players. A seki is formed if both sides refuse to capture [...two examples...].

Determine life and death by breath type, verify by removal: The presence of real or false breaths determine the life or death of stones, conforming to the principle of life and death. This is verified by removal [...example...] must be verified by removal.

[...] Stones with breaths are alive; stones without breaths are dead.

[...]

Removal or capture is to take the breathless stones off the board. This is the last resort of verifying life and death.

Section "Illustration of Adjudication Versus Ing Rules for Rare Positions"

[...P6]

• Japanese rules | Possible kos must be reinforced at the end of the game
• Ing's rules | To reinforce or not is the players’ decision; no one can interfere.

Ordinary Procedure for Removals in between Successive Passes

The ordinary procedure applied to stones still on the board is implied from an example with diagrams:

1. The players make two successive passes.
2. Then some stones are removed.
3. Then the players make two more successive passes.

Apparently this procedure requires and presumes the players' verbal or averbal agreement. Details are not stated in the rules booklet.

Citations Strongly Supporting That Removals Do Not Depend on Hypothetically Perfect Play

• Any disputed shape should be verified for life and death by removal, no adjudication.
• Stones that can be removed but are not removed are also alive. It’s up to the players. A seki is formed if both sides refuse to capture [...]
• Stones with breaths are alive; stones without breaths are dead.
• Removal or capture is to take the breathless stones off the board. This is the last resort of verifying life and death.