Should go rules be changed to allow for komi 7 and a draw?

[Harleqin]

Button go is an altogether different topic, as it introduces a new major category of rules in addition to area style rules (Chinese, New Zealand, AGA, Ing...) and territory style rules (Japanese, Korean...) : the button style rules (area plus button, territory plus button), with new strategic concepts related to the button.

No, not a new category. The funny thing is that just by using the button, you can transform area rules effectively to territory rules.

There are only a few corner cases you need to be aware of, but other than the special rulings that were (arguably) introduced into territory rules just to make them explainable without resorting to area origins, only one-sided dame come to my mind right now.

I have already used this at a tournament game under “japanese style” rules, where during the game we discovered a stone that we couldn't say if it was a prisoner or maybe spilled over from a neighbouring board. We played on, filled the dame alternatingly, noticed who passed first (it was White, so White got an extra point), then counted by area.

[Bill Spight]

For territory scoring, Herman Hiddema came up with the idea of two button go, which Professor Berlekamp independently discovered, as well.

Here is how to implement it without any actual buttons at all, from the Two Button Go page on SL ( https://senseis.xmp.net/?TwoButtonGo ).

There is a simple way to implement double button go for territory scoring. Treat the buttons like passes. (Whether any pass lifts a ko or superko ban and how many passes end play can be treated separately.) The first player to pass hands over a pass stone, as usual. If the last player to pass is the same as the first player to pass, she does not hand over a pass stone for the last pass.

Two Button Go allows territory scoring with playing out life and death and also positions like Three Points without Capturing. It is not equivalent to modern Japanese or Korean scoring.