OK, let's say both players passed and now it's time to score.

My question is about territory. Under the japanese rules, we'll count territory. Black has none. White has 1 point, the eye. Does white win? Or do we say "whites eye is useless, because it does not survive - eventually"???
So I also see, the white group to the right is not living and will never live. Is that important?

In a go program (Drago with Gnugo), under chinese counting, black wins. It says black:11, white 3 stones. But why? Is the black group living? What I see is, it's not living yet?!

I'm totally confused I think with Life/Death and Territory.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bc Who wins?
$$ ------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . X . . .
$$ | . . . . . X X . .
$$ | . . . . X O O X .
$$ | . . . . X O . O O
$$ | . O . . . X O O .
$$ | . . O . . X X X .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . . .[/go]

Edit: Ignore me.

It's too early in the game to make final territory counts here. As a beginner, it's going to be really hard to count at this point.

That said, Black is obviously alive on the right. The capture of the three F16 stones will lead to the formation of one eye and White's H15 stones are going to die. Black will make a second eye and be alive. White can't save these stones by playing G15 because Black can immediately play J16 and capture them if he wants.

But IMO the general question that you are asking is one you should set aside for a while. The answer will be clear to you once you've gained a few stones but it will be confusing now. For now, best to play out the game to the end then count.

You can only meaningfully apply counting to finished games. This game is not finished yet, so you can't count it that way.

You can only estimate the final score. This is often called counting too, but it relies on your go skill to guess who gets points where after the game will be finished. This is completely different from the mechanical counting a the end of the game.

In theory both players could pass now and try score the game. But that won't be meaningful in any way.

_________________
Sanity is for the weak.

OK thanks guys, I understand.