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III. A Detailed Explanation of the Rules (continued)
 
5. Scoring (continued)

 
Note that only empty points count as territory. The black territory in Figure 17 below is worth 4 points. But if Black plays stone number 1 inside this territory, it will only be worth 3 points. So you should not play inside your own territory, because you will lose a point.

Figure 17: Playing inside your own territory
What if you play a stone inside your opponent's territory? In Figure 18, below, White's territory is worth 4 points. If Black plays stone number 1 inside this territory, White will simply ignore it. At the end of the game, the black stone will be removed, since it is dead. White will get the same 4 points of territory, plus one black captive, for a total of 5 points. Black has given White an extra point. So you will also lose a point if you play inside your opponent's territory.

Figure 18: Playing inside your opponent's territory
But sometimes you can play a stone which will make a threat, and your opponent will have to play a stone inside the same territory. In Figure 18, above, Black plays 2 inside White's territory and says "atari". White must play 3 to capture the invader and save the two white stones. Black gave White an extra captive worth 1 point, but White lost a point by playing inside this territory. So the score does not change. White still has 5 points (one dead stone still on the board, one captive, and 3 points of territory). The things to remember are:

- If you play inside your own territory, you lose one point.
- If you play inside your opponent's territory, you lose one point.
- If both players play inside the same territory, the score doesn't change.

During a game, both players try to surround territory, keep their opponent from surrounding territory, capture stones, and save their own stones from being captured. This is how points are earned. But when the entire board is divided into white and black territory, and all of the stones are either alive or dead, there will be nothing left to do which will give the players any more points. The dame (neutral) points can be filled in, but after that is done, any more moves will lose points because they will be played inside territory. When this happens, the players will both pass, and the game will be over. Let's look at the game from the last section that ended with the ko fight. The final position is shown in Figure 19, and White has just filled in the ko with 10. It is Black's turn to play.

Figure 19: Counting Score
Black does not want to play inside the black territory, there are no legal moves at all in the white territory, and there are no dame points to play, so Black must pass. White could play a stone on one of the points marked A, and say "atari", but Black would just capture the invading white stone by playing on the other point marked A. The score would not change because both players would have played inside the same territory. There is nothing else to do, and so White passes too. This means that the game is over, and the score can be counted. Although the rules state that both players must pass to end the game, it is usually not done that way. The players simply agree that the game is over. At the end of the game, the players are likely to say something like:
"Well, that's all. The game is over."
"Yes it is. Let's count the score."

The two stones marked with X's are dead in Figure 19, and they will be removed as captives. It is very rare for the players to disagree about whether stones are dead or not at the end of the game, but beginners may sometimes disagree. A simple way to settle any arguments will be given on the next page. In this game, White has 4 points of territory and 3 black captives for a total of 7 points. Black has 4 points of territory and 2 white captives for a total of 6 points. White wins by one point. In this game, the ko fight decided who would win.

 

 

 

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