In handicap games, White moves first after Black has placed his or her handicap stones. A move consists in playing a stone of one's color on an empty intersection (including edges and corners), or in passing. Certain moves are illegal (Rules 5 and 6), but a pass is always legal (Rule 7). Points are awarded for controlling space in a manner described below (Rule 12). The object of the game is to end with the greater total number of points.

3) Compensation: In an even (non-handicap) game, Black gives White a compensation of 5 1/2 points for the advantage of the first move. This compensation is added to White's score at the end of the game. In handicap games, Black gives White 1/2 point compensation. This avoids draws.

4) Handicaps: The game may be played with a handicap to compensate for differences in player strengths. The weaker player takes Black, and either moves first, giving only 1/2 point compensation to White, as in Rule 3 (this is known as a "one stone handicap"), or places from 2 to 9 stones on the board before the first White move.

{The nine intersections corresponding to the horizontal lines 4, 10, and 16 and the vertical lines D, K, and Q are called star points, and are ordered as follows: (See Figure 1.)

1st star point Q-16 5th star point Q-10

2nd star point D-4 6th star point D-10

3rd star point Q-4 7th star point K-16

4th star point D-16 8th star point K-4

9th star point K-10 (center point)

Figure 1

The handicap stones are traditionally played as follows:

2 stones on the 1st and 2nd star points

3 stones on the 1st through 3rd star points

4 stones on the 1st through 4th star points