[computer-go] BGA adopts AGA rules

[Nick Wedd]

In message <C821E28E-6B75-4437-BA39-DD6C10CCEFD9 at lclark.edu>, Peter 
Drake <drake at lclark.edu> writes
>From the American Go Association e-journal:
>
>THIS JUST IN: BRITS ADOPT U.S. RULES: The British Go Association 
>officially adopted AGA rules of go at last weekend's British Go 
>Congress at Hastings, reports BGA President Ron Bell, who was re- 
>elected for another term. "AGA rules have two major benefits," Bell 
>tells the E-Journal, "First, they neatly allow either the Japanese or 
>Chinese styles of counting the score to be used. Second, the use of 
>pass stones allows any disagreement between the players to be  resolved 
>by simply resuming play. Since the BGA Council adopted AGA  rules last 
>October, they've been used successfully in about half a  dozen 
>tournaments. We do have some members who wanted to keep the  previous 
>Japanese rule set - but the motion at the AGM to approve the  change 
>was passed with no opposition."
>
>I'm not saying we should adjust our programs just yet, but we may be 
>getting closer to an international standard. Of course, it's irrelevant 
>until Japan, China, and Korea get on board.
>
>You can find the rules in question here:
>
>http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~wjh/go/rules/AGA.html

"Adjust our programs"?  I hope not.

AGA rules are, essentially, Chinese (area) rules, with a bodge (pass 
stones) to allow the counting to be done in the Japanese way.  If there 
is one thing computers can do right, it is to count a game once the dame 
have been filled and the statuses of the groups agreed.  They don't need 
a bodge to help them with the counting.

Nick
-- 
Nick Wedd    nick at maproom.co.uk