Sample Game of Go and Territory Scoring

It’s time to move on from theory to actual gameplay. Let’s see a complete game of Go from start to finish and count the score. Doing it comfortably gives you the knowledge how to play on your own.
#GoGame #Baduk #Weiqi #Igo #GoMagic #GoLessons #Learning #BoardGame #MindGame #MindSport #TraditionalGame #AncientGame #StrategyGame #ChineseGame #JapaneseGame #Atari
This lesson is part of a free Go introduction course on gomagic.org
If you want to learn how to play Go, we recommend you to take the course there with interactive questions and practical quizzes.
Go Rules playlist: • Go Rules & Basics
Go Magic - A modern platform for learning Go
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00:00:00 Game start
00:01:49 Atari on the second line
00:02:44 Down to the first line
00:04:54 A late invasion
00:06:59 Counting territory

[@glennclapp2537]

This is the best tutorial on KZbin. Can't believe how few views it has

[@GoMagic]

Maybe because it's not a guitar tutorial? =)

[@archananaga8581]

Am also thinking why

[@silasgramer6153]

Maybe people are afraid of Go

[@icyboy771z]

5-10 years later return here and he will be one of the biggest board game channels.

[@yukinehoshino4943]

I agree. I haven't really looked up many videos before finding this one (along with the previous two), but you really explained a lot of important points within a short time. This is easily one of the best tutorials there is in English. I was looking for some beginner videos to teach some friends I'm introducing Go to, and I'll definitely use these three videos. Thank you for posting these! They're really helpful 😄

[@jekmuncada]

Still waiting for the ghost of a Japanese Go Master to haunt me and teach me Go.

[@GoMagic]

Aren't we all =) might as well learn some basics while waiting 🤩

[@markwinfield5377]

I've been dabbling in Go and trying to get my head around the rules. You just summarised and clarified everything I'd picked up - and introduced a few new ideas - in 10 mins. Awesome video, guys 😎

[@GoMagic]

Thanks! That was the plan exactly!

[@Mizai]

i will probably never play this game but this was a relaxing video to watch

[@GoMagic]

Why not, give it a shot!

[@alphaglucopyranose6928]

Hi I come from China. The rules for scoring of territory is very different there. We score the entire area. We count both the empty space and the stones on board, and we don’t count the stones that were captured. For example, if I count the black territory, I would include the empty spaces belong to black, the isolated black stones in this territory, and the black boundaries. During the game, captured stones would be simply put back into the bowl, ready to be reused.

[@GoMagic]

Hi, in these videos we explain counting according to Japanese rules. But we tried to explain Chinese rules too in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/maOyYqWOg9B7bdE What do you think?

[@claraosc3876]

I'm finally understanding the game now. Thank you so much.

[@GoMagic]

Happy this was helpful!

[@ReikaHisui]

I tried playing Go in the past and could never wrap my head around it. But these videos are so helpful. Things that went completely over my head I finally understand and for the first time I feel like I can actually play a game of Go! Thank you so much!

[@GoMagic]

🧐

[@Y13AS_SAR]

This is so underated. very good and simplified explanation keep it up❤

[@GoMagic]

It's great to know our video was helpful for you ☺

[@supisim]

Thanks for the instructions. You have answered all my questions.

[@GoMagic]

☺

[@Bearbok]

Just discovered your videos. Great! Best Go tutorials and explanations i have seen. But also some of the best structured content in general. Great job and thanks for making these videos!

[@GoMagic]

Thanks a lot for such high praise!

[@244.harshittiwari2]

That was the most simplified tutorial I ever saw for counting points, especially that fluid animation thing for territory was cherry on the top. Thank you for that !!😊🙏 Have shared this with my friends too :)

[@GoMagic]

we keep working on new cake recipes! 🙃

[@chibigirl8545]

This is the learning style i need. I need yo get a feel for how a game is. Sometimes seeing mistakes and how to recover from them helps too.

[@gotophealthcareptyltd8305]

So good!

[@Kyle-nm1kh]

You did a good job with the 3 videos i just watched about Go. I always thought Go was a different game with drawing lines to create squares, but this clears things up. And this version also looks more fun. Thanks

[@GoMagic]

This is Go. So simple, yet so challenging =)

[@mattg2091]

Really great video! I've been playing a lot of Shogi over the years and wanted to learn more about Go. These are the most straight-forward videos I've found on the rules!

[@GoMagic]

Thank you!

[@sandrozozo9857]

Thank you for the fantastic explanations and helpful animation! A perfect example of presentation! I feel I finally started to grasp the rule of scoring. 🤩

[@GoMagic]

Scoring can be tough at first, just try it out a few time and you'll get the hang of it =)

[@KagatoIuchi]

I am just starting to learn about Go. The editing and explanation here is great. Thank you.

[@GoMagic]

🤩

[@user-eq2ex9mj1o]

This series was so easy to understand

[@wilderroyal114]

Love the simple and interactive teaching ❤ U got a new subscriber

[@GoMagic]

Glad to hear that. Welcome!

[@YanZiviani]

I actually enjoyed these videos a lot. Thanks

[@GoMagic]

🤘

[@NineByNineBaduk]

Thank you for the great 9x9 content!

[@GoMagic]

😉

[@chrisyoung4282]

This is such a great video and Go chanel! Well done!

[@GoMagic]

🤩

[@mynameisearlb]

Awesome video! Thank you for the explanation, subscribed!

[@GoMagic]

Ooof! Happy to help!

[@arbonransom8992]

I've watched 3 of your videos and actually feel like I could give go a shot now. I've watched several other tutorials and always felt confused, don't know how, since your video makes so much sense. Anyway, thank you!

[@GoMagic]

Now give it a shot and keep watching the series with Fundamentals on 13x13. This should make it pretty smooth =)

[@Horizon3165]

Thank you. You made sense of the game.

[@GoMagic]

Now you play some more until it stops making sense... Then it starts to become really fun =)

[@vanjones5512]

Awesome 👏 Thanks 🤙

[@perrymalcolm3802]

You are a superb teacher!

[@GoMagic]

You're too kind =)

[@soyuncacahuate1810]

Notable, muy bien explicado.

[@GoMagic]

¡Gracias!

[@exploredivine]

Finally makes sense

[@GoMagic]

👍

[@arshdhillon4934]

i like your way of teaching i watched so many videos but unable to learn this game but now i have a lot of clearity because of you thank you

[@GoMagic]

sounds greaaaat!

[@244.harshittiwari2]

Hey are you from India too ? Finally I saw someone from India who plays Go too!! Let's make this Go community in India bigger 🙌

[@VanFanelLinux]

The best tutorial in any languajes

[@GoMagic]

Thanks! 😊

[@ArtLover1369]

Thank you

[@GoMagic]

👍

[@joshuasims5421]

I love how Go ends with an exchange of prisoners…quite poetic.

[@morganpew8911]

Great video, i dont play 9x9 a lot but basically 19x19 but just bigger lol

[@GoMagic]

It's faster and less scary for beginners =)

[@sebastianbal1008]

9x9 has a lot of fighting and contact, 19x19 has a lot of strategy (which can be confusing at first), you'll like 9x9

[@hajisaiku]

At this point, after watching this, i want to make custom Go pieces, but i definitely want to play this, and Shogi

[@GameAdmin90]

I liked your way of explaining this game I have already learned some of the basics of this game and played it a few times Unfortunately, I didn't go into it very deeply I follow some explanations from time to time, but I liked your explanation and I liked your channel So I subscribed to your channel And I hope that you will make lessons with the same simple and distinctive explanation Thanks

[@GoMagic]

we have plenty of lessons explaining many things in Go you can check them out on gomagic.org

[@abcde...7960]

Great tutorial thanks a lot.

[@GoMagic]

You're welcome!

[@najdorf]

Great video man

[@GoMagic]

Thanks!

[@Lone_Wolf_91]

Thx🙌

[@GoMagic]

🤩

[@RepCom1140]

brilliant explanation

[@GoMagic]

Thanks =)

[@VadimSchulz]

really well explained

[@GoMagic]

Thank you!

[@celvienkurniawan5900]

Thanks for the info about go. I'm already struggling in searching good go course.

[@GoMagic]

I guess you've just found some =)

[@docoftheworld]

You are so good

[@GoMagic]

Thank you so much!

[@Wargulf2838]

that's funny. i checked the rules of go, because i play in a DnD campaign set in a japanese fantasy setting. and my character is of noble birth and go (or similar board games) are teaching tools for strategy and diplomacy. but now i'm genuinely interested in this game. funny how a coincidence can change one's self.

[@GoMagic]

Indeed! Life actually seems to be full of such incredible coincidences, which is incredible in its own right.

[@smhdpt12]

I can see how this game is filled with strategy, but I find chess to be a lot more intriguing. I like the fact that the pieces in chess all have different "powers" and you need to take that into consideration with each move. Go is, in essence, trying to simply surround your opponents stones. Not nearly as dynamic.

[@GoMagic]

Try to get to know the game a little better. You'll be surprised at how dynamic and deep it can be. 🧐

[@antzzors126]

I get why you feel like that. I also thought that but digging deeper it's just a drastically different game. Chess is more linear while Go is more fluid. Go incorparets tactics that someone would you use on a larger scale with a much slower pace in a long war while chess is more about tactics in a straightforward battle against the enemy.

[@jeehungmah3171]

I used to think Go was a game similar to checkers or chess. Then I watched this and you started talking about territory and my mind went "What?"

[@GoMagic]

Yeah, it's only similar to chess or checkers in a sense that they are all mind games. Other than that the rules of Go are quite unique =)

[@theonionwizard8686]

Thanks

[@GoMagic]

🤩

[@PingPingTravel]

Thanks for this video. Very helpful for a newbie like me. Can you please make a video on the differences between Japanese rules and Chinese rules and why your videos (I think) follow the Japanese rules? I see from the scoring system that it appears to be so, but I am a newbie, so I am unsure. I really like your 9x9 board and 13x13 board demonstrations (between professionals). really helps. Will subscribe!

[@GoMagic]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/maOyYqWOg9B7bdE Are you talking about something like this?

[@PingPingTravel]

Yes! I actually saw this video today, so I apologize for not seeing this video earlier. Very helpful. I prefer the Chinese rules myself. But it is interesting to note the similarities between Shogi rules and Go Japanese rules. Kind of reminds me of prisoners of Native Americans.@@GoMagic

[@AoiMuzitori]

best tutorial yet I cried the moment I need to multiply as hell

[@GoMagic]

Multiply as hell lol

[@M9sih9h]

I understand how to play 😋

[@GoMagic]

Goooood!

[@psicologiadamatrix]

Obrigado por disponibilizar legendas em português brasileiro😊

[@GoMagic]

👍

[@psicologiadamatrix]

@@GoMagic Faz vídeos de Hikaru no Go

[@GoMagic]

We're actually planning on doing one soon.

[@Zurround]

Fun fact, the game ZURROUND was inspired by go and is in its own way very territorial but not in the exact same way as go.

[@DeepFriedDave]

go looks interesting if dry. I dont think id have the patience to get really good at this game though i can see how it could be fun for two well versed players

[@GoMagic]

Indeed!

[@mattt180]

I gently clicked the subscribe button, hope that's ok.

[@GoMagic]

Gently clicked the subscribe button and then SMASHED a stone on the board!

[@am_0x2a]

I love your videos! Fantastic work on these tutorials! One thing wasn't clear in this video: why did black play in the neutral territory? It didn't seem to add any benefit for it.

[@GoMagic]

Thanks! Do you mean why Black took the neutral point that didn't belong to anyone? Technically it's not necessary. Players sometimes do it just to make the finished game look more "clean", this way the territories are more obvious, as there are no empty spots between them.

[@am_0x2a]

@@GoMagic Yes, that's what I was referring to. Thanks for the clarification!

[@MrJoyholland]

Great video series and supreme editing, awesome!.. Do please help me refresh, I thought the best way to count, is including all your stones and the ones captured, on top of the empty spaces?! If in your example the black space was fully filled with black stones except for two eyes, it would be weird to say black only has two points, while it would clearly occupy the most space and win.. Not fully sure but this could be the difference between Chinese and Japanese counting, please do correct my wrongs.. I just happen to get confused when only counting empty spaces.. o,0..

[@GoMagic]

In Japanese rules we don't count living stones as either territory. In Chinese rules we count living stones, but we don't count the captured ones - just the spaces. For example, a captured stone in Japanese rules gives you 2 points: 1 for the stone and 1 for the territory, because the stone is removed and now it's your territory. But in Chinese rules it gives you only 1 point, only for territory. However, in Chinese rules your living stones give you points, even in your territory. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to help :)

[@MrJoyholland]

​@@GoMagic Thank you very much for reaching out!.. Great explanation, this should add some more value to this video.. So the counting can be considered a personal preference I assumed, it should have the same outcome - points in difference that determine win/loss and rank.. However the counting method should be considered before the game itself.. Since the Japanese and Korean standard would be 6.5 Komi and the Chinese standard would be 7.5 Komi.. Not sure where this difference comes from, but I should assume both counting methods are just balanced if taken into count?! But can you elaborate some more why to choose Japanese/Korean rulesets over Chinese? Since the game of Go/Baduk originated from Weichi China.. When it comes to craftmanship surrounding GO, I already figured the Japanese added some significant value to the game and philosophy of the finest.. I guess the rules used at the world championship, should be the global standard would make sense.. Further wondering if the standard happens to be Japanese, if we also convinced the founding Chinese to play that way, haha.. Interesting and fundamental, Cheers!

[@GoMagic]

I personally like the idea of being careful when playing inside my own territory. Extra moves inside cost extra points. It just seems to add extra elegance to the game.

[@meelash1]

At 6:50, isn't it advantage for white to go on playing pieces inside black and forcing black to add pieces and capture, because then black will have more pieces in his territory and have a lower score?

[@GoMagic]

It evens out. White plays a stone inside this black territory = since this stone will die, Black will get one point for it at the end, but Black responds and loses that extra point. So...nobody gained anything.

[@meelash1]

@@GoMagic Thanks, I got it now!

[@storm-ed9ht]

​@@GoMagic here is what i don't get doe, you just removed the stones because you said both players agree they would eventually be removed anyway. But by doing that does it not mean white loses 2 points even doe they could have played until black had to remove them by playing.

[@gniewomirkosiacki2927]

@@storm-ed9ht Mo, because black too loses 2 points by playing stones in it's teritory, making it smaller - with a bit of visualisation you can find, that it all evens out while the difference in teritories still stays the same

[@tharusmc9177]

The game itself is simple but after seeing a lot of videos it feels strategically overwhelming. I don't think I can do it.

[@GoMagic]

Yeah, Go can seem quite complex when you watch numerous videos about it. Instead, consider playing a few games yourself. Don't worry about future difficulties. If the game captivates you, you'll naturally learn the complexities over time, often without even realizing it. Eventually, you could become a very skilled player.

[@ekinderen35710]

I won a match for the first time right after watching this video

[@GoMagic]

Yo congratz!

[@ekinderen35710]

Thanks to you🙏

[@GoMagic]

🤘

[@colbyboucher6391]

1:39 Stuff like this is why teaching Go seems really hard, because I don't doubt that this is really obvious to someone who's played a bunch, but I'm looking at it and it's wild to me that that's just obvious. Like, if I play it out in my head I can see how white would just creep around in black's territory while being connected to a living group, but it's weird to think that someone would just know that instantly.

[@GoMagic]

Yeah, we do realize that it is not obvious to someone who is learning the rules for the first time. But some corners had to be cut not to explain every single bit of Go oddity. Trust me, this WILL become obvious after a short while.

[@2019inuyasha]

Although normally white would get 6.5 points on a 19×19 board I think that would be a bit high amount on this smaller board

[@GoMagic]

Everyone feels that. Just roll with it =)

[@meelash1]

The scoring is so ooooooo confusing, I hope this clears it up.

[@MattCarlson-hw7vm]

Is there a way to link or at least name the link of the "next lesson" you mention at the end of each video? So I can find the right one. TY

[@GoMagic]

If you take this as a course on gomagic.org, it will be easier to follow along =)

[@aappaapp6627]

Do you have to announce atari like in chess where you say "check" or is that just you verbalizing it for the demonstration? Jc

[@GoMagic]

You don't really have to say it in chess either, but it's common. In Go we only said it in the video to make it easier to follow, players don't normally say "atari".

[@josephkauslick5034]

What do first and second lines refer to? The actual lines on the board or metaphorical lines of territory?

[@GoMagic]

Lines are counted from the edge of the board. The one closest to the edge is first line, next one is second.

[@iwancizx3810]

Hi.. just started play GO with my daughter and found your channel. I'm completely beginner and would you mind to elaborate in quick detail at minute 5:44, you mentioned "All of blacks territories are basically gone"? if there are 2 white eyes inside? As I learned from other tutorial, the black still has its territories and deduct those all white stones (2 eyes) which mean black stone doesn't loss its territories right? Perhaps I missing something here, would you mind to elaborate. Thank you and appreciate it!

[@GoMagic]

If that white group is not there, Black has more than 30 points. But if White is alive inside there, Black won't get any points that are directly adjacent to the white group, right? So how many points will Black have? Maybe 2-3-4...that's a lot less than the original 30...

[@iwancizx3810]

​@@GoMagicThanks for your reply 👍 And I have follow up question for clear understanding. Let say white is alive there (minute 5:44) is it correct that black will only has 19 points because bottom left is not counts as black and white directly adjacent there? Please correct me if I'm wrong, I hope you will help my understanding. Thank you

[@GoMagic]

I have no idea how you counted 19 points. It's a bit hard to explain without diagrams and coordinates. But if White makes life (like at 5:44), Black will barely have 2-3 points, maybe barely alive.

[@MultiZelda13]

I like this tutorial a lot! I only get confused at the point when the game is reaching its end. When you talk about white making several moves in a row inside of Black's territory: is that something that can actually happen? If black were to pass would white just have free reign over whats left of the board, and able to make several uncontested moves? Furthermore once black passes are they allowed to take turns at a later time, in the event that white makes moves like in this video? I've looked for rules about passing and haven't found anything definitive about this.

[@GoMagic]

Great question! In Go, once a player passes, they can still play later if the opponent makes a move. So, if Black passes and White decides to make a move inside Black's territory, Black can respond on their next turn. However, if both players pass consecutively, the game ends and the board is scored as it is. In the scenario you mentioned, if Black passes and White starts playing inside Black's territory, Black would typically respond to prevent White from reducing their territory. If Black continues to pass while White makes effective moves, Black could lose significant territory.

[@MultiZelda13]

@@GoMagic thanks so much for replying! Me and a friend just got into go together but neither of us have any experience with the game and the amount of resources out there is a little overwhelming and not always as direct as I'd like. This channel has been really helpful so far!

[@GoMagic]

I'm really glad to hear that you and your friend are finding our channel helpful! Go can indeed be a bit overwhelming when you're starting out, but it's great that you're diving in and learning together. In addition to our videos, I highly recommend checking out our website gomagic.org. There you'll find practical exercises that can significantly help improve your understanding of Go. Remember, every Go player was once a beginner. Keep playing, keep learning, and most importantly, keep enjoying the game. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Happy playing!

[@nubisfamily]

Hello Go Magic !! This video is great for me! But one part that I doesn't understand is, why did white not keep playing, since everytime white put stones its a minus score for black?

[@GoMagic]

I'm glad you're enjoying the video! If White played inside Black's territory, Black could capture these stones, thus gaining points. Stones can only survive if they have "eyes," which would be impossible to build in such a small area.

[@kaleb_of_gondor]

In your example it’s easy to see black has more territory than white and gets the win. What about when it’s more of 50/50 split and each color controls the same amount of territory?

[@GoMagic]

That's why White always gets 6,5 points of compensation, so somebody always wins at least half a point.

[@sung-yulpark3258]

6.5 points for white is the rule for 19 by 19. Should it be different with different size of the board?

[@GoMagic]

We get asked this a lot =) Nope, 6.5 is standard for all 3 boards.

[@sosogamer771]

Is Komi applied to every game. I ask because if black wins by 1 point then white gets that added on they then win right?

[@GoMagic]

Yes, komi is applied to every EVEN game (if there is no handicap). And yes, if Black wins by one point, White will get +6.5 and win the game by 5.5

[@djdraz7169]

If white has a square. And black has a square around that square and there’s one spot open in the middle. Can black play in the middle spot to take the white pieces even though it’s an eye?

[@GoMagic]

Yes, they can.

[@golbzrtmontzgn7927]

Great video ! I have a very dumb question, but if black plays inside his own terrory, black’s losing points, then why isn’t white playing inside black’s territory only to make black respond and so, lose points on purpose ?

[@GoMagic]

Because 1. play inside opponent's territory and they respond - you both lose one point, so the score is the same 2. play inside opponent's territory and they don't respond - you lose one point so gotta be careful with that =)

[@paulfanning6860]

I'm just starting to get into go and I'm having trouble with some of the same concepts as the people who have posted in the comments. (Like, why not place stones in your opponent's territory). But one thing I haven't heard explained clearly is the definition of "territory." When I first started, I thought an area had to be completely surrounded with stone on four (or more) sides to be considered mine. But the example above (and most other videos) seems to say that if you make a line of stones all the way across the board, anything on one side of the line belongs to a particular color--with no need to place stones on the edges of the board. I can't get my head around this.

[@GoMagic]

Any fence of stones that is put on the board might claim what's behind it as territory. And that claim remains valid until the opponent comes along and lives inside. So it's only territory if the opponents admits they can't invade and live inside. And it's my job as a player to make my territory as big as possible without risk of losing it over an invasion. It's a beautiful rope walk without simple definitions.

[@Irvinning]

Yeah, it's something that comes with more experience. A way to look at it is that it's basically an implicit agreement between both players that the territory is theirs or not. That was exemplified in 4:55. where Black said "this is my territory" while White disagreed and tried invading, but soon came to the conclusion that "it's yours indeed" and stopped the invasion. The more you play, the more you start to get a feel for things like that.

[@GoMagic]

That's exactly what it was in the lesson and yes, a few more games, some more experience and you'll be able to tell which is which.

[@paulfanning6860]

Okay, thanks! I'll keep playing and hopefully I'll get the feel for the game.@@GoMagic

[@ivobo6227]

Can you recommend a good online option to play + vs AI?

[@GoMagic]

Have you tried OGS?

[@meeduoh]

I'm still struggling to figure how come playing in the opposite territory is either neutral or counterproductive. Given that a single centerboard stone has four liberties, wouldn't capturing it remove four points while only giving back two? Could you make a full video explaining this whole dynamic? Thanks!!

[@GoMagic]

Thanks for the suggestion. We might make a short video on this one day. In short, you play a stone inside opponent's territory and IF you can't prove it's alive, IF you can't save it, your opponent will just claim it to be dead without spending a single stone capturing it.

[@meeduoh]

@@GoMagic Thank you for your answer! It does help, although I still got so many questions! Such as: - Why was this rule invented? For example, is it a way to bar the possibility of both adversaries just playing in the opposite territory to alter their score (and ending up just making the game longer without changing the result)? - What happens when you keep playing and try to make them alive, though end up failing? Wouldn't there be cases where you still end up gaining score by forcing them to play in their territory? When a beginner such as I look at a professional game of go, it often feels like there is some kind of "etiquette" to it, which makes it appear like they are playing suboptimal strategies. For me, this is what prevents my entry into learning the game more seriously.

[@GoMagic]

In short, there is some elegance in knowing that you "can't" just play inside any territory or do anything...some of that could be punished by loss of points...but some of that could also be rewarded. When you're a beginner, there's no need to hold back from any invasions. Experiment is the best teacher here. Alright, experiment and Go Magic, tied.

[@meeduoh]

@@GoMagic Thanks for the explanation! It's a relief to know that experimentation is alright and could end up rewarding. With that said, this is still by far the strangest and most arbitrary rule of Go.

[@thecapn_uk8034]

Have I missed something....but in the next game would players switch colours, black then taking a turn as as white and white then playing as black?

[@GoMagic]

It depends. There might be no next game between these players

[@FearScared]

Now i understand I've always struggled why I cant just prevent points with entering the enemy territory, since he need much more stones to capture mine and meanwhile blocking himself. So it is valid to say, they are prisoners as long as the enemy does not have 2 eyes?

[@GoMagic]

Yes, if you can't prove life of your stones by creating two eyes, the stones will be considered dead.

[@slorgdulschmodus]

I need to know how that 6.5 compensation was calculated. What's the math behind it?

[@GoMagic]

Historically, the game of Go was played without komi, and the player with the black stones, who plays first, was thought to have a natural advantage. The calculation and adjustment of komi over years is a result of both historical tradition and statistical analysis from professional games. In theory, the perfect komi is number of points by which Black would win given optimal play by both sides.

[@amirjaballah6335]

That's what we call a tutorial

[@mekkler]

Is komi the same for 9, 13, 19 board?

[@GoMagic]

Yes

[@tubsy.]

7:15 Wait, why are the 2 white stones taken off the board? They weren't captured. And if white tried to create a bigger structure with them, sure they might get captured in the end, but black will also have to put his stones down in his own territory to capture them and take away points from his territory, no?

[@GoMagic]

Short answer - no =) It's an agreement that both players share. White can't find a way to escape out of there OR make two eyes to live, so how can those two stones survive? It's as if Black will tell you: 'Hey, can you make those stones live? If not, they're dead' =)

[@wsant2872]

Is Komi the same regardless of the size of the board?

[@GoMagic]

Yes, it's the same - 6.5 points

[@dashyz3293]

Does the size of Komi depend on the board?

[@GoMagic]

As far as we know, it doesn't.

[@blackdog8248]

Is Komi 6.5 regardless of the board size - 9x9, 13x13, 19x19?

[@GoMagic]

It's often decided by opponents. On 9x9 it can be 3.5, for example

[@Bearbok]

Question: in the example of white trying to invade black territory at the end of the game you state that every piece black puts down to defend reduces their points at the end of the game. So why wouldn't white press the attack even knowing its hopeless? By doing so it would force black to put down more pieces and lose more points. I feel like im missing something here

[@GoMagic]

haha we need to make a separate video answering this and a couple other typical questions we get asked all the time =) every time white plays a stone inside black's territory (those white stones will die, remember?), white loses a point...then black responds and loses a point too...so the score stays the same

[@Hello-kr8gj]

The video is good but imho should mention that komi varies and is not fixed.

[@GoMagic]

This video is for complete beginners. Maybe this sort of detail is a nit too overwhelming. =)

[@Hello-kr8gj]

@@GoMagic Okay, I just thought someone might be confused if they play someone and think they got the komi wrong if it is different according to the rules where they are playing. In the video it mentions the komi so that is why I thought it would be good to mention it. I look forward to further videos, I don't know if there are any in the works but if you are open to ideas from viewers concepts that can be applied as general rules are helpful imho.

[@tomcruise1387]

First Time I hear we only count empty territory cell. We usually count living stones too

[@GoMagic]

That is the difference between Japanese and Chinese rules. Either count all the stones or only count the empty spaces.

[@scruffalumps]

is there ever situations where you would knowingly play a losing grab for territory so that your opponent will decrease their territory size by playing in it?

[@GoMagic]

If you play and don't make two eyes, your stones will be captured, so your opponent will receive bonus points for that, which will result in the same score. But if you do play, make two eyes and survive, your opponent's territory will decrease. That's why people invade in Go games. :)

[@scruffalumps]

I see so in these situations there's no real downside to invading but unless you can make 2 eyes you don't improve the situation either. @@GoMagic

[@GoMagic]

Yes, invasions are good =) Unless you invade and your opponent ignores it. This way you're just losing points.

[@darbyl3872]

What's the 2 Eye thing? Is that a special rule?

[@GoMagic]

It's not so much a special rule, more like a logical consequence. When you see that one can still get surrounded and captured, you realize that two eyes will solve that problem.

[@ey.9329]

6:47 how has black 33 points there but at the end he gets subtracted 1 point and starts with 30 points when counting?

[@GoMagic]

Haha good point, I had to check and count there. Those 33 points at 6:47, that is if we count the two dead white stones for black. At the end however those stones are subtracted from White, not added to Black. Plus White also has a captured stone that gets subtracted from Black. That's how we get 30.

[@ey.9329]

@@GoMagic Ahh right, I counted 31 for black in the end, I was missing that white stone that had to be subtracted.

[@TXKurt]

is komi 6.5 points even on the little board?

[@GoMagic]

Yes. Sometimes even more (like 7.5). Since the board is smaller, playing the first move make even more difference.

[@passinico6085]

6:58 - Couldn't white have attacked the 5 black stones in the bottom left corner there?

[@GoMagic]

They could give it a try, but Black is too strong there and their bottom group has way too many liberties.

[@expl0sive296]

1:00 why did black play twice?

[@GoMagic]

Vadim was showing what Black was planning to do next. That second move wasn't actually played in the game.

[@Quincy_Morris]

I still don’t quite understand what makes a game end.

[@GoMagic]

Not being able to get any more territory =)

[@darthskixx2263]

What I don't understand about the end of the game is this: Why should they stop playing there? I see why if they don't make big mistakes, they won't win new territory, but can't they both invade and make the others territory worse? Why should they just take the white stones off the board as prisoners? In the current position black would need to place 5 pieces to capture those 2, which results in costs him 5 spaces on his territory which he blocks himself, why shouldn't white resist on making him loose those points? Edit: I did read the response that those stones would be dead, but why would they he that? I understood the rules that way, that stones are only dead when theyre completely surrounded, and that happening would severely change the score.

[@GoMagic]

"I understood the rules that way, that stones are only dead when theyre completely surrounded, and that happening would severely change the score." -- this is a basic understanding of the rules, but in reality if a player can't make two eyes, their stones are considered dead without any extra moves. No need to spend extra stones to physically capture them. So however many stones you put inside the opponent's territory, if they all die, nothing really changes.

[@nasrinasri-zg2tf]

how can one stone make black lose all his territory?

[@GoMagic]

It's not just one stone. When more stones are added to it and together they make two eyes, that's when this living group will naturally eliminate all of the surrounding territory.

[@sankethbhaskar4236]

Still trying to understand when a game is over... couldn't white continue it's invasion for the sake of reducing Black's final score? Wouldn't each player keep doing so?

[@sankethbhaskar4236]

Referring to 6:50

[@GoMagic]

If White doesn't get two eyes, it's points for Black

[@tyroneloki5131]

i love that komi has .5 points....komi be like this is not baseball. there is no tie. one must win. and the other a loser

[@GoMagic]

Exactly!

[@yapibolers]

why does black lose all territory when white has 2 eyes on that side, wouldnt there still be territories left for black

[@GoMagic]

Maybe not all, they will have significantly less than they did before.