lightvector
【Rule Proposal】Unilateral-Button: enable even komi (like 6-point komi) under Chinese/Area rules
Button: Whether a half-point is awarded to the first player to be able to pass. Then, how about to introduce "Unilateral-Button" rule? Unilateral-Button: A half-point komi is only awarded to BLACK when it becomes the first player eligible to pass. If WHITE is the first player to be able to pass, no additional point is granted. And then, this rule can also be generalized to broader cases, we call it "Flexible Button" rule. Flexible-Button: The Button rule can be liberalized and configured with four possible settings: none, black, white, or both.
We are a group of AI Go enthusiasts from the Lionffen QQ-Group in China. We formally propose the implementation of the Unilateral-Button rule or the Flexible-Button rule in KataGo. It is recommended to introduce the Unilateral-Button rule to enable even komi under Chinese rules, similar to how it's implemented in Japanese rules. We propose the Unilateral-Button rule because Chinese rules, when compared to Japanese rules, lack precision in komi settings. However, Chinese rules are more logically consistent than Japanese rules. This rule would enable Chinese rules to support even komi values just like Japanese rules do, thereby expanding the komi flexibility under Chinese rules.
Under both 9x9 and 19x19 board configurations, the optimal komi in Japanese rules is most likely 6 points. However, current Chinese rules cannot implement 6-point komi, being limited to only 5 or 7 points. If Chinese rules could adopt 6-point komi, this would potentially help bridge the komi discrepancy between Chinese and Japanese rules in future developments.
The original purpose of introducing the button rule was actually to enable Chinese rules to support 6.5-point komi (where 7 points + button is equivalent to 6.5-point komi in Japanese rules). However, 6.5 points + button is not equivalent to 6-point komi in Japanese rules - this is precisely the issue.
Before the era of AI Go, "Chinese rules + button" was likely considered just a mathematical curiosity in rule design - no one anticipated how significant a role the button mechanism would later play.
With 7 points + Unilateral-Button being equivalent to 6-point komi in Japanese rules, this finally completes the last piece needed for Chinese rules to support all komi values.
@lightvector We greatly value your perspective on this proposal and eagerly await your expert insights. Thanks a lot.
