sensei's library programming resources
19x19 board, play on points, Black vs White, Black moves first
turn: pass, or a move that does not recreate an earlier position (called positional superko rule)
game ends after 2 consecutive passes
each player's score: number of stones plus number of empty points that reach only their color
a block is a set of stones all the same color such that there is a path of stones of that color between any two stones in the set. a block can have any positive number of stones. a block is also called a string or connected component.
put your stone on any empty point
remove any opponent captured blocks
then check whether your stone's block has liberties
yes? this is a usual move
no? this is a suicide move, and that block is removed from the board
Tromp-Taylor rules allow suicide
most computer programs use TT rules, with no suicide
some programs use situational superko: a move cannot recreate a position that that player created earlier
no-suicide TT is close to Chinese rules
they stop moving once they agree
that neither player can increase their score by continuing to play
on which blocks can be captured by the opponent (this saves them from having to make those moves)
they remove agreement-captured blocks and apply TT scoring formula
weaker player has a komi (handicap adjustment score) added to her score
between players of equal rank, White usually give komi 6.5
interactive way to go point, stone, liberty, block (or string or connected component), atari, ko, komi, byoyomi (AlphaGo-Lee Sedol match, for each match, each player had 2 hr + 3x 60s byoyomi), positional superko, situational superko, live, dead, eye, life and death problem, semiai, seki
on 5x5 you can win by 24 points (site uses Japanese scoring, TT score would be +25)