3 ms·
> This means that an absolute beginner (roughly 30kyu) has no chance vs me, even with 9 handicap. A beginner will find games on the smaller 9x9 board MUCH more
by tromp 3y ago
> This means that an absolute beginner (roughly 30kyu) has no chance vs me, even with 9 handicap.
A beginner will find games on the smaller 9x9 board MUCH more enjoyable. They will likely have a decent chance vs you at 9 handicap, while reducing the very real risk of feeling lost and getting bored by lengthy play before seeing the result.
And you will probably find small board games more enjoyable as well when playing beginners. When they get a little stronger, I would first try the intermediate 13x13 to see if they like it better than 9x9 (there's a chance they prefer sticking to the small board for a while longer).
Beyond that, there is no reason to limit handicap to 9 stones, especially with free placement.
- dragontamer 3y agoTrue, but I should note that 9x9 games balance with Komi better in my experience, rather than stones. Some combination of stones (~4 stones on the 9x9 board), followed up with severe Komi (30+ stones of Komi) is probably better for both players rather than giving the beginner like... 15 stones... on the tiny board. ----------- The 19x19 board is reasonably balanced up to 9 stone handicap, but I think at that point it makes sense to balance with Komi rather than stones to push the handicap further. Not that I've tried this myself, but severe amounts of stones make the game play very differently and are possibly bad for the beginner player's development.