|
If you have anything you think would be nice to add
to this page, or if you have corrections or other remarks, you can
contact the page maintainer
Rengo
Instead of 2 players there are 2 teams of 2 or more players. Within each
tema players must alternate making moves. Undoubtedly the most common
variant on this page. Tournaments are sometimes held in this fashion,
and in pairgo, which is nothing more or less than rengo with 2-person
teams and the extra restriction that the two members must be of opposite
gender, there are even official world championships. See for more
information the page of the Japanese Pairgo Association.
Zengo
Zen go is interesting if you have several players available. For
example, if a dan level player is giving a lesson to several kyu level
players, and wants to analyze a game, have the group of kyu level
players play a quick game of Zen go. It works like this :
Two players are selected at random. Player 1 plays three moves as black
and player 2 playes three moves as white with the players alternating as
in standard go. Then player 2 takes over black for three moves, and a
new player comes in to take white. Keep doing this until everyone has
had a chance to play, and then analyze the game.
Bob Sloane
Zengo (II)
Another variant going by the name of 'Zengo' is simply rengo with an odd
number of players, 3 being most normal. This way each player will
alternate playing black and white moves. Being able to punish your own
overplays and answer your own kikashi gives this game a rather strange
feel.
Tibetan go
1. play is on a 17x17 board instead of a 19x19 board. note: you can
make a 17x17 or any odd sized board by drawing with felt pens (e.g.
sharpie markers) onto cardboard.
2. before the game starts, black and white place stones on the board in
fixed positions: black places stones on the 3-3 point of 2 diagonally
opposite corners, and white places stones on the 3-3
point of the other 2 diagonally opposite corners. black and white also
have starting stones, or "bo" alternating color, in 3-space
jumps all around the board on the 3rd line. e.g black stones on c3, c11,
g15, l3, p7, and p15. white stones on c7, c15, g3, l15, p3, and p11.
17 . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 . . O . . . # . . . O . . . # . .
14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 . . # . . . . . . . . . . . O . .
10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 . . . . . . . . + . . . . . . . .
8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 . . O . . . . . . . . . . . # . .
6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 . . # . . . O . . . # . . . O . .
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
a b c d e f g h j k l m n o p q r
3. white always plays first and wins ties.
4. play begins near the corner, and you must play within one space of a
previous play, or bo. this includes the adjacent intersection, a 1-space
jump, a diagonal move, or a small knight's move, but not a 2 space jump
or a large knight's move or any play greater than one space away from a
previous play or bo.
examples of allowed moves:
adjacent int. 1-space jump
. # . . . . . . . . # . . . . . .
. # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . # . . . . # .
. . . . . # . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . # . . . . . . . . . # . .
diagonal move small knight's move
5. you may not play on a point from which a stone of
yours has just been removed. All these situations (like for example
snap-backs) are regarded as ko-situations.
6. handicaps, if any, are given in points, not extra stones.
7. the center intersection (j9 in the first diagram) is worth 5 points.
whoever controls it at the end of the game gets the bonus.
8. if you lose both of your corners (1-1 point closest to your corner bo),
and your opponent keeps both of his/hers, then there is a 20 point
penalty!
9. other than these exceptions, you play it like go: try to surround
more territory, or capture groups of opponents stones. winner has most
points.
please send corrections to rules to evanb@clark.net
Addendum: Counting is Chinese. I don't know whether or not there is a
2-point penalty for each group.
Capturing game
This game is also called 'atari-go'. Apart from being a fun
variation, it is often regarded as an easier 'starting game' to get new
players started without having to explain territory immediately. The
winner is the first player who captures a stone from his opponent. The
game is like go, but with some remarkable differences. For example, two
connected internal liberties count as two eyes instead of one. If used
for educational purposes, one could then go to the first to capture n
stones is the winner.
Reaction by Mindy McAdams:
There's a really cool handicap position for the
capturing game (9x9):
. . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . x . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . x o x . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
If the teacher, presumably a stronger player, plays
the first white stone in the position of the "o" above, it
takes an adult beginner about four games to master the ladder !
Afterward, you can keep the same handicap position but make white's
opening move one higher, i.e.:
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . x . . . .
. . . . o . . . .
. . . x . x . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Living go
Black starts with a large number of stones already on the board in a
standard configuration. The most common variant is giving black all four
borders (except perhaps the corners), but 2 other possibilities areshown
below. White starts, and must try to make a living group. White wins if
he does so, that is, if at least one white stone is alive at the end of
the game, black wins otherwise.
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
# # # # # # # # # . # # # # # # # # #
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . # . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . # . . . # . . . . . # . . . # . .
. . . # . . . . . # . . . . . # . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . # . . . # . . . . . # . . . # . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . # . . . . . # . . . . . # . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . # . . . # . . . . . # . . . # . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . # . . . . . # . . . . . # . . .
. . # . . . # . . . . . # . . . # . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A variant on the first diagram, in which white
already has stones on the 3-3 points, and black plays first in each
quadrant, is also known as the 'corner game'
Tactic go
There are two players, A and B. Player A puts a number of black stones
on the board, the number and positions to be chosen freely. Then player
B choses whether (s)he wants to play white or black. Next from this
position a game of living go (see above) is played, that is, white
starts and tries to make a living group. During the European Go Congress
of Marseille, 1997, a European Championship was held.
One-colour go
Both players use the same colour of stones, and one just has to remember
which stones are whose. Not really something to play on a light evening
with some beer, but a good way to train one's concentration.
Yose-go
The game is started not with an empty board, but with a situation from
an existing game, for example some little known recent professional game.
The players get some time to study the board, then play out the game,
and count. Then the colours are witched, and the position is played out
once again. Winner is the person who has the largest number of total
points (that is, the one who won twice, or if both players won once, won
with the largest difference. During the European Go Congress 1997 in
Marseille a European Championship was held (results (about half-way on
the page)). Personally I think that the tournament would be nicer if
instead of playing the same game twice, it is played only once, and then
results are compared to those of the other players in the tournament,
for example like is done in a bridge pairs tournament (the player who
had the worst score with his colour gets 0 points, the next worst 2, 4,
etcetera).
Jokergo
Instead of putting a stone you may throw a dice, draw a card, or
something like that. Each throw/draw corresponds to a certain shape
consisting of one or more stones, which you then have to lay on the
board, or some non-standard kind of move. Het paard once sold (or still
sells?) special cards to play this game. At a club this can also be done
by having someone who doesn't play every now and again ordering a change
in the rules ('we now start playing checkers', 'black must play a white
stone on his next turn', 'remove all stones on the tenth rows'...).
Four-colour go
Four players play, each for themselves. Every player has his/her own
colour. Special colours of gostones are sometimes sold for this purpose.
Often the weakest player will win, as he is the one who is feared least,
so has the smallest chance of getting the other three cooperating
against him.
Phantom go
For this variant one needs a third player, acting as a judge. Both
players have their own board, and cannot see one another's. The moves
that you do are not added on the opponent's board, only on your own and
the judge's. The effect is, that you only see your own stones.
The judge tells you when the move you want to do is illegal, i.e. either
on a place already taken or suicide. Sometimes other things are told as
well, like when stones are put in atari or captured.
Go electrique
If you play a move, in all 4 directions the closest stone is
attracted (if your opponent's) or repelled (if your own). That is, it is
moved in a straight line away from or to the stone just played, until it
reaches the edge or another stone (in the case of attraction always the
stone just played).
Atom Go
If a stone is killed all 4 stones around it die also. So if a group
of Stones dies then all surrounding stones are removed, too.
Thomas Hillebrand
Toroidal go
The upper and lower line of the board are the same line, as well as the
right and left line. Changes your normal 19x19 board in an 18x18
borderless board. It's quite hard to make territory or moyo when there
are no edges...
Other boardshapes
In fact toroidal go is only an example of a more general change to
the rules, in which the shape of the board is changed. The smallest
change is using another board size, which is much done in practice, but
one can also think of playing on, say, a hexagonal board. Or any other
kind of graph.
Here is an example by Jim Bonomo:
Well, I did play a few games with a modified board. We arbitrarily
"cut out" the central 5X5 points, leaving a symetric toroid.
The most interesting difference was the new kind of "exterior"
corners produced by the hole. Of course, the hole also isolated joseki
that involved ladders from the diagonally opposite corner. The variant
also has an advantage in that the board is easy to make - just cover the
center with a piece of paper.
All in all though, the variant seemed too simple. The
center obviously was less important, and the games "just"
involved a series of unrelated tactical fights.
Jim Bonomo
I've done similar things, but removing a lot more of
the centre leaving a 4 wide "ring" (IE the handicap points are
these concave points) then the 3-3 points (1-1 from the concave corners)
are VERY powerful.
Steve Bailey
On the go-club of Enschede, each year games are
played on special 'Sinterklaas' and Christmas boards. Instead of normal
go stones they use candies. And because captured stones are being eaten,
it comes as no surprise that they use Chinese counting ...
Round go
A special place among the special boardshapes is taken by round go.
It was very popular during the European Go Congress 1996 in Abano di
Terme, Italia. See the congress bulletin for more information. Saijo
Sensei, 8 dan pro from Japan can be seen playing the game here.
No-go
After a player has made a move, his opponent may refuse it, and he has
to make another one. The opponent may not object to this second move.
Dagger handicaps
There is the variation where one side (the weaker) gets one or more
"daggers", which is the option to force the opponent to pass
after your move, so you get to play two moves in a row. A dagger is said
to be worth 6 handicap stones. Of course the threat of using it is more
useful than its actual use, since the opponent is forced to play
super-solid. John Tromp
Pink Stone Go
White (the weaker player), has a pink stone which he may play at any
time, instead of a normal stone. This stone has two intrinsic eyes, and
so can live anywhere, conferring life to any white neighbours. Used
skilfully, it is said to be worth about five handicap stones.
Nick Wedd
Bidding komi
Both players bid how much komi they want to give. The one who bids
highest gets black (and gives the bid amount of komi).
Connecting go
Play go whith your favourite set of rules. First player succeeding in
connecting either east to west or north to south wins. So, you have to
connect opposite sides of the board, in the strong sense of
connectedness: it takes a chain of at least 19 stones. It does not
matter whether the chain is alive, as long as the finally connecting
move is not an autoatari.
To this, I added the rule that black may not start on tengen. Perhaps,
it is reasonable to add the rule that if white makes an opposite-side
connecting chain *one* move after black, then white wins. This may force
black into really having to capitalize on the advantage of having the
first move. I never played jigo whith this game, that is, no player
succeeding in the goal.
Funny things happen: once it is clear that both players are going to
succeed in connecting two (the same pair of, necessarily) sides, it
becomes very profitable to step in between an ikken-tobi. After this,
the opponent has to play 2 extra moves to connect the two stones forming
the ikken-tobi. However, you can't do this early in the game, as
concepts like thickness play a role just as in normal go.
Stijn van Dongen
Simultaneous play
Both players write down a move on paper. Then they show their moves to
each other and if they didn't both choose the same spot, they place
their pieces on the place they chose.
If they did choose the same spot, that position is "off-limits"
and they choose again. They keep a list of off-limits moves on their
scrap paper until they actually make a move, at which point all moves
become legal again.
Capture is done as in Simultaneous Capture Go. Play ends either when
both players pass or both players use up all available move spaces in
their "off-limits" list (astronomically rare).
Note: No ko rules are necessary, no komi need to be given.
Scott Dossey
Twin move go
Black's first move is normal, but after that both players make 2 moves
in a row. The advantage of this variant is that neither player has a
real advantage of going first. Both moves of a pair of moves are
independent; the first move may not be a suicide to be 'liberated' by
the second, the second may be on a place that has become free through a
capture on the first move.
Sesquito
Whenever a player played only one stone on her previous move, she may
choose to play two stones. They must be played separately, one after the
other.
My limited experience suggests that if the game starts to go
BBWWBWBBWWBW it is to White's advantage. Therefore a player requires a
big incentive ever to play two stones.
Nick Wedd
Bidding go
Players alternate turns, black first. A turn consists of making an
integer number "offer"; and then:-
(i) If the opponent accepts the offer, his score increases by that
amount, and the offerer makes a move on the board (which may be a pass);
(ii) If the opponent refuses the offer, the offerer's score increases by
the amount, and the refuser makes a move (or pass) on the board.
Board moves are as in normal go.
The play ends when EITHER two successive passes are made, (subject to
the usual conventions about agreement on dead stones), OR when either
player's score advantage is greater than the number of points on the
board. After the play ends, the area scores are added to each player's
score.
Bill Taylor
Simultaneous capture
Pondering on the simplicity of current Go rules, I came up with the
following simple variation, that might be called "simultaneous
capture":
After placing a stone, remove ALL (ie. both black and white) stones that
have no liberties.
John Tromp
Elsewhere I have an analysis by Bill Taylor of this
game.
This page is being maintained by Andre Engels (engels@win.tue.nl)
|
