Life In 19x19

Consider a Go variant where Black cannot place a stone on a point where its group would have no liberties, not even to make a capture, while White can play as usual.

Two questions:

• How many handicap stones should Black receive to make the game fair?
• Otherwise, which reverse komi value would be needed to make the game fair?

You call this variant "sesqui-eyed go", which appears to suggest that an eye and a half is enough to live.

But actually, unless I misunderstand, even one false eye is enough for White to be definitively alive.

Any White group that manages to make one of these three shapes would be definitively alive:


Thus I believe the name "quarter-of-an-eye go" would be more appropriate than "sesqui-eyed go".

This would make it so easy for White to make live groups, and so hard for Black to kill white stones, that I suspect White would be able to play super aggressively and kill all black stones on the board.

You call this variant "sesqui-eyed go", which appears to suggest that an eye and a half is enough to live.

But actually, unless I misunderstand, even one false eye is enough for White to be definitively alive.

Any White group that manages to make one of these three shapes would be definitively alive:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm8
$$ -------------------
$$ | . O . . O . O . . |
$$ | O . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -------------------[/go]

Thus I believe the name "quarter-of-an-eye go" would be more appropriate than "sesqui-eyed go".

This would make it so easy for White to make live groups, and so hard for Black to kill white stones, that I suspect White would be able to play super aggressively and kill all black stones on the board.

I assume this means for example black cannot capture any Kos etc.

Really a lot of handicaps. I cannot prove it, but I would definitely fancy my chances as white on 9 stones against an equally strong opponent using those rules

Just as an example: it is very hard to kill a white 2-2 stone, even with lots of black stones around. That just means its so tough for black to make a usual base in the corner, cause white can just 2-2 invade, live and take blacks eyes in the corner away.

ArsenLapin wrote:You call this variant "sesqui-eyed go", which appears to suggest that an eye and a half is enough to live.

I called it "sesqui-eyed Go" because one player lives with one eye and the other needs two.