[computer-go] Re: Should 9x9 komi be 8.0 ?]

[Christoph Birk]

On Tue, 4 Mar 2008, Weston Markham wrote:
> greater loss by the program.  (You also characterize the opponent's
> blunder in (b) as "stupid", but I understand this to simply be a
> subjective characterization based on the fact that it leads to a large
> loss.)

In my own experience it is much easier to make a 1pt mistake
than a 10pt mistake. This may be 'subjective' but it's still true.

> (b), but it is sure to die as long as white responds at (a).  The rest
> of the board is such that black will lose by 0.5 anyway if he plays
> the "normal" move at a, and white responds with (b).  Do MC-based
> programs really favor (b) over (a)?  (I am skeptical.)

No, they don't.

> Or is the
> issue that Christoph and others believe that players should (for
> whatever reason) favor (a)?

Yes ... but not for 'whatever' reason :-)

Christoph