*Not that kind of stone!

Ok, here's my beginner question:

When playing the computer at 9x9, I felt that the game was finished and there was nothing left for me to do so I "passed".

The computer kept laying stones within it's own territory... nothing beneficial, I thought. So I passed agagin, and again. A total of 3 times until the computer finally passed.

Since passed stones count against my score, what is the best way to play this scenario?

If you were using a ruleset that penalizes you for passing, it should also penalize your opponent for playing inside his own territory.

The only rule set I know of that uses pass stones is AGA. If you are using pass stones with AGA rules you are using territory counting. So, if you passed, then your opponent plays an unnecessary move in his own territory then he also loses a point. Hence, there is no change in score.

I think, though, you probably weren't using AGA rules. In most rule sets, passing does not cost a point. In either case, playing after passing does not give your opponent an advantage so you can just continue to pass.

Ok, it makes sense that it balances out. Thanks for your help

It was a weak CPU on SmartGo, so I think I do have it set for AGA.

I still haven't the knack for all the different rule sets. I originally learned from a book published by the AGA (Go Basics) but it still scored by counting area...

And if you use AGA rules, but choose to count the score by area? What is the effect of pass stones? What is the effect of playing inside your own territory?

If you choose to use area scoring under AGA rules you don't use pass stones. Pass stones are used in territory counting to ensure that the score is same despite the counting method.

In area scoring, provided there are no other playable points, playing within your own territory does not lose points.

AGA Rules have area scoring. The pass stones do not alter that. The pass stones only enable another counting procedure for area scoring: Japanese fill-in counting modified for area scoring. Since the scoring is area scoring, playing inside one's territory does not cost points THERE (unless you kill yourself, of course) but can cost points ELSEWHERE when there is still endgame (like 2-sided dame) that you do not take but let your opponent take. (More precisely: If the number of 2-sided gote dame is even, then playing once inside your territory... but playing more than once there while your opponent gets successive dame...)

If you choose to score by area, then you won't be counting prisoners. Therefore, pass stones will not be counted either.

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As far as I know, if you're using AGA rules, you pass stones no matter which way you're going to count. Of course, if you're counting area, the pass stones will not affect the actual counting. (but getting that last dame that your opponent didn't see will!)

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