Handicap

PageType: Path   Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Rules, Go term

Chinese: 让子 (rang4 zi3), 授子 (shou3 zi3)
Japanese: 手合い (te ai)
Korean: 접바둑 (jeop-baduk)

If two players differ in strength (see rank), the weaker player gets a handicap to compensate for the difference.[1] That way, both players have a chance to win. In general, the ideal handicap is equal to the difference in kyu or dan ranks.

[Diagram]

Handicaps on the nine Star Points (typical)

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 whites turn to play the first "real" stone (after the black handicap stones have been placed on the board).

Before the adoption of komi, a different handicap system was in use among top ("pro") players. See: tagai-sen, sen-ai-sen and josen. Various Go clubs in Tokyo use a similar point ranking scheme to track players' results and determine the handicap in games.


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[1] Note that this differs from the usual meaning of the word handicap. In English, a handicap is a disadvantage; but in the context of Go receiving a handicap gives Black an advantage.


This is a copy of the living page "Handicap" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2007 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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