Hi. I’m a beginer, and I’m trying to understand the counting rules under Chinese rules. In this game (https://online-go.com/game/view/28992272) it said the score was 41-44.5, but I would think white has 40 + 3.5 = 43.5. Thanks in advance.
You’re forgetting the handicap point that white gets. In Chinese scoring, stones are worth a point, so every handicap stone that black gets would also give black an extra point. Therefore the white player gets a point in compensation per handicap stone.
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Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation.
But black doesn’t get any handicap stone. The only difference is that komi is 3.5 instead of 5.5
(I was going to make a thread because I had the same question, here is the game https://online-go.com/game/29023714)
Chinese counting on this game
Black and white big territories have same size: 32 points
Then white has one more territory of 17 points and the komi.
So white wins by 17+komi=21.5
So I guess the komi here is 4.5.
Now I check game info
Komi=3.5
Handicap=1
When handicap, the stones placed in advance are removed from the black score (or added to white, the same) So here white score is inflated by 1 So it’s like the komi of 3.5+1 more point for white (which is finally like a 4.5 komi.)
For counting: count all the intersections, occupied by a stone or not. Discard and don’t care the prisoners.
Note: to chose to play with handicap 1 and keep the komi makes the game more difficult for Black as with no handicap! That’s a bit weird… Normally when playing with handicap, the komi is reduced to 0.5, just to ensure that white wins if there is same quantity of points for both players.
Yeah the weird thing here is that 1 stone handicap is supposed to be reduced komi, usually 0.5 in 19x19, like you said, but giving White a free one point is a bit odd. It’s giving slightly extra komi. I wonder was that intended?
I don’t know offhand how the handicaps are different for different board sizes. Maybe 0.5 komi is too harsh?