Referee Certification by the EGF Rules and Ratings Commission Q/A Core Rules of Play and Related Tournament Rules by Robert Jasiek 2000-06-08 last update, 2000-05-22 first day Tasks - study Q/A - read relevant core rule sets of play in Q/A - understand their principles and application by using examples - get a general idea of inherent problems by skimming through commentaries (official, Jasiek) and prepare your questions for deeper understanding - read all EGF tournament rule sets in Q/A - understand their application General Q Where to find rule texts? A - The Go Player's Almanac - Ing rules booklet - WWW search for Rules, Baduk, EGF, Hansen, Jasiek, Siivola, Cieply, Lounela - documents are available currently via Q What are core rules of play in contrast to tournament rules? A Core rules of play define what a legal game and its score is. Tournament rules specify everything else, which can be changed more easily. Q Priorities of core rules of play and of tournament rules? A Tournament rules have the highest priority and take precedence over core rules of play. As an exception the concept of unsportsmanlike behaviour applies and only applies whenever neither tournament rules nor core rules of play have a ruling concerning a disputed matter. Q What is the priority of tournament rules for side events? A Principally small side events like pairgo should follow regular tournament rules. However, the nature of a particular side event may require particular rules that should be announced clearly and that then override regular tournament rules. E.g. pairgo requires rotation error rules and those of the international pairgo association should be used. E.g. a rapid tournament requires careful rules for handling participation and results. Q Which sets of core rules of play do exist? A - Japanese Nihon Kiin rules - Japanese World Amateur Go Championship rules - Ing 1991 rules - Chinese 1988 rules - AGA 1991 rules - international rules - others Q What is the general rules history? A - until 1949 virtually only verbal rules - until beginning of 20th century stone scoring and Chinese setup in China and Korean scoring and Korean setup in Korea - Japanese rule sets: Nihon Kiin 1949 with precedents, Korean translation, WAGC 1980 with other precedents and game end handling, Nihon Kiin 1989 with pass for ko rule to replace most precedents - Ing rule sets: 1952 translation of NK 1949, 1975 first generation of Ing rules with superko, ca. 1986 second generation with weird Ing-ko, 1991 revision - Japanese, Chinese, Ing rules spread throughout the world along with migration or sponsoring - last decades: logical rule sets in New Zealand, USA Q Which sets of core rules of play are relevant for EGF tournaments and how? A - Ing 1991 rules are the official EGF rules. - In practice whenever possible Japanese 1989 rules are used. - The used rules are determined by the sponsor's country. - In the EGC main tournament if there are sponsors Ing and from Japan, then boards 1-16 use Japanese, boards 17+ Ing rules. Q What do core rules of play consist of? A - general specifications of the playing material, the players, terms, alternation, move rule - explicit or implicit handicap style - suicide allowed or prohibited - ko rules - specification of game end phases - score definition - explicit or implicit counting method Q Which sets of tournament rules exist, should I read carefully, and what is their contents? A - the EGF Tournament Rules, 1997-08: referees, players, time, game progress, adjournment, irregularities, disputes - the EGF [Fujitsu Grand-Prix] Regulations, 1997-08: tasks of involved bodies for preparation and organization - the EGF [Fujitsu Grand-Prix] Guidelines, 1997-08: specification of tournament systems, tie breaks, unplayed games, pairing, default rules of play - the EGF Toyota-Tour Regulations 1999: particular tournament system - tasks of the EGF rules and ratings commission, 1997-08 - description of the rating system and the effect of time limits Q What is a result agreement? A After using some counting method for determination of the score and after dissolving all doubts by means of reconfirmation (using replay etc.) the result agreement is the players' final agreement about the game's winner, is signed by signatures on the result sheet, and cannot be altered thereafter, unless the result sheet is marked by an active dispute to be solved by a referee. Q Which special game ends may occur? A - resignation before the end of the game - forfeit by time or by violation of the rules - no result due to a no result ko rule - loss of both due to a loss of both rule Q Which special results may be declared by a referee? A - forfeit (e.g. for absence or one-sided violation) - loss of both (e.g. for two-sided violation) - jigo (e.g. for unfinished game with unclear cause) - win of both (practically never, should be jigo) General Comparison of Rule Sets Q What is minimally necessary for playable rules? A - board, colours, players - move and pass - alternation ended by two successive passes - handling of removals of opposing or own stones - simple restriction of repetition - simple definition of scored intersections Q Why are real world rule sets not that simple? A - they traditionally emerged from verbal rules - verbal rules had no clear conception of logic, completeness, simplicity, passes, generalized ko but had exceptions instead - a majority of players traditionally preferred to avoid late removals by means of alternation - ancient history split the scoring into stone scoring, which did not survive, area scoring, territory scoring - modern pragmatism aims at unification using pass stones - go server rules have been implemented carelessly as if being verbal rules Q What are area scoring and territory scoring in principle? A - area scoring = own stones on board + own empty points - territory scoring = opposing prisoners + own empty points Q What are practical consequences of traditional territory scoring? A - neutral points do not score - dissolving removals by playing out is not possible because its approach moves would fill own territory Q Which rule sets do use area scoring? A - Chinese - Ing Q Which rule sets do use territory scoring? A - Japanese Q For which rules sets are area and territory scoring equal? A - AGA - International Q Why are area and territory scoring so close? A Area uses own stones on board while territory uses opposing prisoners. The players alternate. One own stone less on the board equals one prisoner more for the opponent. Q What is the function of pass stones and white passing last? A Thereby unequal numbers of passes and of moves in the game are compensated and area and territory become equal. Q What are the major exceptions of Japanese rules? A - no territory in sekis - long cycles lead to void games Q Which rule sets do use the option of the players' agreement to remove stones before scoring? A - Chinese - Ing - AGA - International Q What can be done if the players disagree in an agreement phase about removal of stones before scoring? A Alternation is resumed for playing out. Q What is the purpose of resumption under Japanese rules? A This allows the players to correct some earlier endgame errors. In practice, it relaxes the game a little even before a first game stop. Q How are removals determined with Japanese rules? A After the game end the rules' life and death definitions define the stones to be removed and the stones to be in seki. Q What does happen to dame under non-Japanese rules? A Each is worth 1 point. They are occupied before a game stop. Q What does happen to dame under Japanese rules? A Japanese rules allow them to be occupied before or after a game stop or to remain unoccupied. However, the EGF tournament rules require them to be occupied alternately before the game end. Q Which rule sets do allow/prohibit suicide? A - allow: Ing - prohibit: Japanese, Chinese, AGA Q What does happen to long cycles under which rule sets? A - Japanese: No Result may occur before a game stop - Chinese: precedents and arbitration - Ing: fighting kos and disturbing kos - AGA: superko Q What are the functions of prohibited suicide? A - It completes the removal rule. - It preserves tradition. - Without superko self-removal of single stones would be possible. Q What are the functions of passes? A They formally allow detection of game stop and game end and thereby avoid confusion caused by verbal statements. No passes at all would lead to extremely long pass fights. Q What is the major function of ko rules? A They restrict variation to make the game practically finite. Q What are game stop and game end? A A game stop is a preliminary end that introduces optional game phases just before scoring and allows resumed alternation. A game end ends any alternation or additional game phases and starts scoring. Q What is a game stop's effect on time? A After a game stop and until any resumption thinking time is stopped. Q Which phases can a game normally consist of? A - setup: handicap placement - alternation - game stop: successive passes - optional phases - game end: e.g. successive passes - scoring - result agreement Q Which types of handicap styles do exist? A - free handicap: free placement; opponent passes H-1 first moves - fixed handicap: Japanese placement; set up at once Q Which types of optional phases do exist? A - agreement phase (non-Japanese): optional verbal agreement about removals - confirmation phase (Japanese): optional dame filling Q How does scoring after the game end proceed? A - non-Japanese: count - Japanese: 1) remove dead stones from territory and add to prisoners due to rules' life and death definitions, 2) count Q What is the difference between scoring and counting? A - scoring: definition of which points determine the winner - counting: mechanical procedure to calculate the score Japanese Nihon Kiin 1989 Rules Q What does happen to long cycles before a game stop? A a) equal number of stones captured during cycle: if the players agree, then the game ends with the result No Result; b) unequal number of stones captured during cycle: one player collects more and more prisoners until he can sacrifice groups. Q What happens to kos after a game stop? A A player has to pass FOR each basic ko before he may recapture in it. Q What is Both Players Lose? A This is an exceptional game end that applies if the players do not end the game and neither player requests resumption because this would lead to a worse score. Q When do life and death and hypothetical play apply? A After the game end. Q When does the pass for ko rule apply? A After a game stop during dame filling or after the game end in hypothetical play. Q What is the meaning of a confirmation phase? A In it remaining dame and defensive moves necessary due to filled dame are played. They could be played before a game stop, but to allow them being played after a game stop and before the game end is meant to relax the game. Dame etc. may only be played until the game end. Their occupation is said to confirm life and death because after the game end for scoring missing dame ensure unconditional life and because dead stones cannot be removed from seki. After the game end life, death, seki, territory, etc. definitions are applied as is. Therefore the players should occupy all dame etc. before the game end to ensure that the definitions define points to be territory that the players want to be territory. Q How is the score given? A After the game end hypothetical play is used to apply the rules' definitions about life, death, seki, territory, etc. to the stones on and the intersections of the board. Q Can you illustrate the following terms or procedures? - game stop, confirmation, resumption, game end, scoring, result agreement - pass for a ko (dead ko, bent-4, bent-5, double ko, bent-4 and double ko seki) - uncapturable life - capturable life - death - eye point - dame - in seki - territory - dead stones in territory - hypothetical play - Japanese territory counting - reconfirmation Ing 1991 Rules Q How is ko handled? A Two-move-cycles are prohibited. Even a pass counts as a move. Local ko positions a) incl. two-sided stable states: disturbing life; b) incl. one-sided removal state: disturbing death; c) incl. alternate removal states: fighting ko. More than one ko position: As long as only ko stones are played each player may only once disturb every fighting ko or disturbing ko. After a non-cyclical ko threat all disturbing actions are available again. Q How is a disturbing life handled? A Playing in it first a ko stone from a stable position makes the player the disturber as long as ko stones are played in it. As soon as its position is recreated since occurrence of the current disturber any further immediate move in it is prohibited for the disturber at that moment. Q How is a disturbing death handled? A Only the dead player can become the disturber by playing a ko stone from a state of threatened immediate removal. Q How is a fighting handled? A After a single ko stone is played in it or after a ko stone has created double ko stones the opponent may not play a ko stone in it immediately. Q Can you illustrate the following terms and possibly related prohibitions? - ending the game using game stop and game end - pass as a ko threat - fighting ko with more than one ko mouth - disturbing life with one ko mouth - disturbing life with more than one ko mouth - disturbing death with one ko mouth - disturbing death with more than ko mouth - several fighting kos and disturbing kos on the board - disturbing life after the game end - Ing counting - stone counting as an emergency measure Other Q How does ko work under Chinese 1988 rules? A one-sided death, No-Result-Draw, Replay, prohibited recycling depending on position and arbitration due to precedents Q Can you illustrate the following? - Chinese counting and half count komi - point by point (half) counting for area scoring - superko Related Tournament Rules Q What about analysis, hints, observations? A - recording the move after it is allowed - studying using tools, mimicking, any kibitz's advice about the game or time or disturbance are prohibited - only a referee in charge may intervene or be informed Q Need a player play all rounds and why? A In exceptional important events like the Ing Cup all rounds have to be played. Else the player has to follow the tournament agreement, if any. Else all players in the MacMahon group below the normal top bar group or above have to play all rounds. Thereby opponents' points for top place getters are more fairly determined. Anyway players have to aim at winning seriously. Q When may a clock be neutralized? A - before the game - after a game stop - due to a referee or if one is needed but not available immediately - during a regular adjournment with a sealed move - the clock malfunctions obviously; if a player objects, then a referee is required - in lightning games for at least 3 prisoners Q When and how is the clock pressed? A After releasing the played stone and removing any prisoners or after putting away one predetermined byoyomi stone for passing or else after announcing "pass" the hand playing the stone presses the clock definitely. Only this finishes the move; a flag fallen before or a clock running on because of slackly pressing the button loses the game on time, because this is the only objective measure. Q What is Canadian Overtime? Q When is the game started? A At the announced starting time. The tournament director or a referee is entitled to enforce this and then the players may not reset the clock. Additionally each player arriving 61 minutes late or with his time run out forfeits on time. Q When is komi accounted for? A During counting. Q How are stones, prisoners, byoyomi stone handled? A Put clearly and unequivocally on an intersection or remain clearly visible to the opponent. Q When must protest be filed? A As soon as possible. Signing a result sheet while not indicating any protest fixes the result. Q What to know about forms? A - Big tournaments should use standardized result sheets and tournament agreements. - In tournaments with long thinking times standardized sealing forms should be used together with envelops and careful handling by the organizers. The players must be informed about the sealing and resumption procedure in advance. - Other forms like dropping forms might be necessary. Q What about having to play the sealed move of a lost sealing sheet and other rarely occurring cases? A Some such rarities are defined in the EGF tournament rules §§8-10. Those include playing with the wrong colour or incorrect handicap, placing stone equivocally carelessly or intentionally, making illegal moves, readjusting time, hindering the opponent, adjourned games, etc. It is hard to remember the details of the laws, so in case of doubt first the rules should be consulted, second a referee should be called, third he should try to mediate, fourth else he has to rule in first instance, fifth if a player declares protest to him and the opponent, then the referee should report to the appeals committee, sixth it should make a judgement binding for the tournament proceedings as quickly as possible, seventh if in a rare case a party is still not satisfied, then the appeals committee should report to the EGF rules and ratings commission, eighth it might decide to revise the case later. Q How available should the appeals committee be? A Readily available during major and minor tournaments. Substitute members are a great help here. Q How to score unplayed games, etc.? A - byes and default wins: 1 point - games missed due to late entry or announced early leave: 0.5 points per game, rounded down to the nearest full point, this after the last round if the program does not allow it at once - default losses: 0 points - undecided, void games: 0.5 points for each player Q Is there any handicap in regular MacMahon tournaments? A As a guideline, handicap should only be used below ca. 20k or 15k. Only in case of a very thin field 10k might be appropriate. Never use handicaps for strong players. Q What should I know about foreign ranking or rating systems? A As much as possible. Do not take any translation tables for granted because the matter is much more complex. Good European rankings for non-Europeans are essential for the European Championship, etc. Q Just when is disturbing behaviour unsportsmanlike?