Re: [pbmserv-dev] proposed ko algorithm for pbmserv go

[Lyman Hurd <lhurd@yahoo.com>]

The ko rule depends on which set of go rules one is
following (e.g., Japanese, Chinese...).  The Chinese
rules state that you cannot repeat a board position
(where "position" includes whose move it is).  The
Japanese rules only rule out the shortest form of
repition, and other pathological situations like
triple ko lead to the game being withdrawn (as I
understand it, it is not "drawn", it is simply
considered not to have been played).

The rule that you cannot immediately return to a
previous state (i.e., a simple ko) handles the vast
majority of situations that actually occur (so many
that it is probably not worth coding anything more
elaborate).

Suicide is illegal in go (don't know about gonnect). 
A mathematician friend (and 6 dan) has argued to me
that it would be more elegant to allow suicide in some
situations as a ko threat, but rules are rules.

Cheers,

Lyman

PS The server can't be expected to score a go game
since that depends on which groups are alive.  If you
had a program that could decide that without fail,
you'd have the basis for a really strong player.

--- Richard Rognlie <rrognlie@gamerz.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 06, 2003 at 02:48:19AM -0400, Randall
> Bart wrote:
> > 'Twas 11:21 PM -0400 on Friday 9/5/2003 when
> Richard Rognlie wrote:
> > >> P.S. - Does pbmserv go prevent suicide?
> > >
> > >Only in Gonnect, I think.   Suicide is just a
> "pass".
> > 
> > In regular Go, suicide is not the same as pass. 
> Suicide of a single stone 
> > would be a pass, but suicide of two or more stones
> is different.
> 
> Valid point.  But for pbmserv's purposed, it allows
> a single stone suicide
> (except for Gonnect and OneCaptureGo)
> 
> -- 
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