Editable RGG FAQ Part 1 Section 5

    Keywords: Question

This page is part of the rec.games.go FAQ on SL, and can be edited using normal SL methods, but please read the FAQ Format Guidelines first.

For more details on the workings of the FAQ, see rec.games.go FAQ on SL.


1.5: Does perfect play exist?

Yes. Considering that Go is a 'complete knowledge' game, there must be a way to play which is optimal for both players, and which leads to an optimal result.

Despite this result of general game theory, human players are very far from perfect play. It is extremely likely that the best moves (even in the early opening) have yet to be played.

The truth is that Go is so complex that it is impossible to say, for almost any given situation, with 100% certainty, which is the best move. Doing this for a whole game is even harder.

The above is true even for small board sizes.

Gul: Unfortunatly this is not true anymore. Boards up to 6x7 have been solved. You can read about it here.

Several threads on rec.games.go have discussed this for various board sizes and various rule sets. Even for 2x2 boards, this is not a trivial task, and the result varies widely with the basic ruleset applied.

For larger boards, this becomes even harder.

Even the almost obvious postulate: "Black plays first so he should also win" has never been proven nor disproven.

Gul: I think its very easy to show that Black can always win or play a draw. This assumes perfect play exists. If white wins always in perfect play, black can pass. Now it is white's turn. Only option is to pass. Which results in a draw.

It also follows that there is no 'perfect' value for komi at various board sizes, indeed, it is open for argument whether or not komi should be adjusted (and how) according to board size.


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This is a copy of the living page "Editable RGG FAQ Part 1 Section 5" at Sensei's Library.
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