![[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]](images/stone-hello.png "Sensei's Library")
I've wondered...
I'm reminded how in poker, there are big tournaments, but also big-money side games as well. Do pro players play _only_ in tournaments, or are there leagues for them to play in? Or do pros just challenge each other? How would a system for this take place?
Thanks!
(moved from QuickQuestions)
Answer: In Japan, at least, pros are paid to play "official" games. The money comes from sponsors of tournaments. Pros don't risk their own money. Challenge matches would be possible if sponsors could be found. In a sense Go Seigen's ten-game matches were of this sort.
Answer: I heard the some Korean players may play Go for money (Bang Neki). But unlike poker, a game of skill (Go) versus one that is half skill and half luck (Poker). The highest ranking player in Go may be more likely to win everygame. Though the Go handicap system may help to equalize a game. The only other problem is getting enough people together that will be willing to gamble that have Go playing skills. Maybe if Go becomes available at Los Vegas or Tahoe/Reno... then gambling for money will catch on for the game of Go.
(moved from QuickQuestions)
Robert Pauli: Japan. Timekeeper. Stone hits board and is released. Move made? Or only after captives have been removed too? With other words, is it possible to lose on time while removing captives in a big Japanese title match?
Bill: Japanese rules, article 5:
Article 5. Capture If, due to a player's move, one or more of his opponent's stones cannot exist on the board according to the preceding article, the player must remove all these opposing stones, which are called "prisoners." In this case, the move is completed when the stones have been removed.
Emphasis mine. :-)
Chris Hayashida: Cheesy to win this way, though. In amateur tournament games, it's sometimes allowed to pause the clock during large captures, just to avoid time-suji wins.
Robert Pauli: Yes, Bill, know, but I still hope that time for the "rest" of the move is not deducted because this rest is a sheer consequence. Would fit to the gentle Japanese way, not? (On the other hand, harakiri . . . :--)
(moved from QuickQuestions)
argybarg?: I found myself wondering today: What is the greatest number of moves into a game that two different professional games have been identical? In other words, game A and game B unfolded identically until, say, move 8. If I had to guess, I would say it would have to be 12, but perhaps someone with a very sophisticated pattern search could find out.
A similar question: What is the farthest into the game that two professional games have resulted in an identical position? This could be later than with the first -- say, move 16.
And my last is one for pure speculation: If we had full access to the record of every game played, anywhere, what would the results be for the above questions, only with games played by anyone? Leaving out games played intentionally the same (i.e., replays), I would guess that no two go games have been identical after move, oh, 26.
What do you think?
(moved from QuickQuestions)
unkx80: 1st world female tournament, finals games 2 and 3, Rui Naiwei vs Feng Yun. These games are identical in the first 34 moves. Between the two games, 35 differs by one line, and then 36 to 47 are identical again.
Mef: Looks like unkx80 gave a nice definitive answer to some of your questions, and I think if you compiled a database of every game ever, you'd actually find quite a few similar games. In fact I wouldn't be suprised if there were games that were the same out to move 50 or more. The problem is that some people play deliberately the same as a previous game because it's a position they're comfortable with. For instance, many people always play the low chinese, or maybe they always play the same pincer against the nirensei. Also I know sometimes when pros play a series of games against each other they like to use the exact same opening play as the last time, except that they will try and put their post-mortem analysis to good use, changing the first move in the game they thought didn't work.
(moved from QuickQuestions)