yoyoma/blog

2004-9-21: Occasionally I get the urge to campaign for people to convert people to area scoring. In my own games its rare for territory scoring to be a problem, I'd estimate I've had to discuss the status of a group with my oppponent in less than ten games, and I don't recall any where we didn't eventually agree.

But for beginners its a different matter, they often don't agree on the status of groups, and in area where they can play it out it makes things so much simpler.

The problem is there is just so much momentum behind territory scoring. Most everyone on KGS uses territory rules, so thats what beginners learn. Even if two beginners decide to learn the game and log onto KGS to play, they'll learn territory scoring because that's the default. If I happen to teach someone area scoring, the very next game they play will probably be territory scoring and they will become confused. So I usually just drop it.