These colors sound great for this color-blind spectator 
4 Likes
I’d like to have blue as my other colour then, to be consistent throughout my games 
Oh, I see yebellz already suggested that. Great!
2 Likes
So I guess that is the colours decided then?
1 Like
Yes.
So, some hypothetical situation that may be enlightening to the kind of considerations that this variant has:
If it’s White / Red who has their turn, they have no way of saving E6. Playing E7 simply kills E6 for having no Blue liberties:
Clearly if it’s White / Blue who has their turn, playing E7 extends the liberties and saves the stones. But there’s a second way of saving the stone as well, since D7 removes the last Red liberty of D6:
Hence, it makes sense for White / Red to play the equivalent of a ko threat somewhere, and let White / Blue save this stone later.
3 Likes
Yes, I think there are many interesting examples. Imagine (Black | Red) just attached underneath with 1, expecting a joseki continuation. But suddenly (White | Red) counterattacks with the inside Hane 2.
Now it’s (Black | Blue) 's turn. Playing at A seems important, but it is also a self-atari …
2 Likes
But then, so is White | Blue, so Black | Blue can just do something else and let Black | Red do the cut.
2 Likes
A good candidate for a “what’s the most breaking mind go variant” poll
5 Likes
Even still playing the self-atari may not be a bad choice for either (Black | Blue) or (White | Blue). Imagine (Black | Blue) does not play A but (White | Blue) does play A:
Now (Black | Red) can capture the (White | Blue) stone, but if they do, (White | Red) will be able to connect afterwards, and the black stones are separated.
2 Likes
Just wait until we play this on an escherian board 
3 Likes
I’ve realised that it’s potentially very important to clarify whether suicide moves are legal or not. This is especially important in this variant because a suicidal move can collapse the liberties of a chain that includes stones of other players. Here’s an example where the life and death of a corner group depends on whether suicide is allowed or not:
Assuming that the players with white stones want this group to survive and players with black stones want to capture it. Player (black | blue) can play J8 to capture the (white | red) stone, but if we assume the playing order
(black | blue) → (white | blue) → (black | red) → (white | red)
… then (white | blue) would be able to immediately re-capture with J7.
Then the question is whether (black | red) is allowed to play J8, which is suicidal for the red chain.
1.) If this move is allowed, then the red chain gets captured and (white | red) is not allowed to immediately re-play J7 due to repetition of the position, and hence (black | blue) will get an opportunity to capture by playing J7.
2.) If this move is not allowed, then the group is unconditionally alive.
It is a bit unfortunate that I did not clarify this before the first game started, but I believe we are still at a point where it’s impossible to say whether one of the possible rules benefit a team.
Personally I’m leaning towards yes, suicide should be allowed, as I feel it potentially creates fun tactics. But I’m interested in your opinion. Should suicide be allowed?
3 Likes
I vote yes as well
3 Likes
I might add one or two more picture for those of us who can’t visualise what you mean 
(I mean me anyway at least)
Do you mean with 1.) something like the following (first image) leading to (second image)?
Ok I see what you mean about repetition now
I think it’s a cool mechanic to allow these suicidal moves. One can maybe think of it more like a sacrifice mechanic instead, because it still is a capture at the end of the day.
Edit:
The question is whether you might also want J8 to be allowed for (red|white) since that would be a proper suicide, and maybe in some odd cases it counts like a ko threat for some superko repetition.
3 Likes
I’m imagining something like
(black | red) → (white | red) → (black | blue) → (white | blue)
and a position like this where (white|red) can suicide to get (black|blue) to answer and let (white | blue) save the group.
(black | red) plays J8 to sacrifice capture.
(white | red) plays A1 to suicide to ruin the eyespace
(black | blue) plays A1 to make two eyes
(white | blue) plays J7 to make two eyes.
2 Likes
Yes this is how it works with suicide allowed.
I didn’t think about distinguishing normal suicide and proper suicide yet. The way I’m thinking of the capture mechanics is this:
After a stone is placed;
1.) Check if any chains not associated with the recently placed stone have no liberties. If there are, remove all simultaneously.
2.) Check if any of the chains associated with the recently placed stone have no liberties.
with suicide allowed: “If yes, remove all of them simultaneously.”
with suicide not allowed: “If yes, then the move is illegal and another move must be played.”
1 Like
Hm the black chain seems to have no liberties 
But regardless, I believe that I understand your point.
1 Like
Woops, I’ll fix it anyway for clarity
In your example only (black | red) can start the capture sequence by playing J8, and unless the outside groups are under attack, they need not be hasty. So it is similar to “bent 4 in the corner”, where only one side can initiate a change. Specifically the black team could fix all ko-threats first before playing (black | red) J8.
I guess one can also imagine unremovable ko threats, like if I add another position to the board like the upper right but flip the colors of white and black and think hard about the move order 
So the bent four-esque group could live in some situations.
1 Like
So far everybody who responded is in favour of suicide being allowed. So I would like to fix the following rules (specifically for clarity in the ongoing game):
- Suicide is allowed.
detailed description of the capture mechanic
Whenever a stone is placed, the following two steps are resolved by the rules:
1.) Check if any chains that don’t include the recently placed stone have no liberties, then remove all of them simultaneously.
2.) Check if any of the chains that include the recently placed stone have no liberties, then remove all of them simultaneously.
- We play with positional superko rule.
FYI @Vsotvep @yebellz @Here_We_Go
I hope this is alright with everybody.
2 Likes