History of the Go first move handicap
In the game of Go, the “first move handicap” refers to the historical attempt to balance the natural advantage of going first (playing Black). This has evolved significantly over centuries:
Early Play (Before Komi)
Traditionally, Black always moved first. For most of Go’s history in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), there was no compensation system for White, so Black had a consistent advantage. Stronger players often gave handicaps by letting the weaker player take Black and place multiple stones in advance, but in even games Black’s first move was simply accepted.
Meiji–Taishō Era (Late 19th to Early 20th Century)
As professional play grew in Japan, it became clear that Black had an advantage. Several informal solutions were tried:
- Handicap stone systems (two-stone, three-stone games, etc.) were formalized for difference in rank.
- For even games, early experimentations gave White compensation points or rotated colors between games.
Introduction of Komi (1930s–1940s)
The most lasting solution was komi (compensation points given to White).
- 1920s–1930s: Experimental values ranged from 2.5 to 4.5 points.
- 1940s: Japanese tournaments standardized 4.5 points of komi to offset Black’s first-move advantage.
- This was the official recognition that Black’s first move was a handicap.
Modern Adjustments
Through analysis of professional results:
- 1960s–1970s: Komi was increased to 5.5 points.
- 1990s onward: Most major Go associations standardized on 6.5 or 7.5 points, ensuring that no game could end in a draw and maintaining fairness.
- Computer analysis today suggests that Black’s first move advantage is worth about 6–7 points, confirming the current standards.
Today
- Standard even game: Black moves first, White receives komi (typically 6.5 or 7.5 points).
- Handicap games: Weaker player takes Black with free placements of extra stones, and usually no komi is given to White.
Thus, the idea of the “Go first move handicap” transformed from being unaddressed for centuries, to compensated with komi, which is now a central balancing rule in modern Go.
Would you like me to also trace how Chinese rules versus Japanese rules handled this differently (since China historically used different komi values and scoring methods)?
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