The actual rulings:

Case 1
This incident happened during an international women’s match. The referee first ruled that the game should be replayed and recounted – the game was recorded, BTW. The player who would have lost refused and her coach appealed to the chief referee on her behalf. The chief referee changed the initial ruling, and ruled that the game be annulled and a new game be played. To keep with the tournament schedule, a hayago game was assigned as a replacement…

I personally do not agree with the chief referee in this case. I think the first ruling was correct, particularly in light of the fact that replaying and recounting at either player’s request is a common occurrence in professional matches.

Case 2
In all international playing rules, the players are required to remove the dead stones, however many, before pressing the clock. The clock may be stopped only if that player is in overtime AND there are MORE than 2 stones to capture. The problem is, none of the rules states how to penalize the player if a violation occurs. The Chinese referee in this case ruled that the violator would have 2 points taken off her score (1 stone in territory counting), 10 seconds added to her opponent's time, plus a warning that a second violation would cause a forfeiture. The logic for this decision was based on similar penalties established for other violations such as inadvertent moving of stones, ko violation, etc.

Case 3
In this case, the referee refused the protest, citing, as our astute readers pointed out, there are often other offensive odors in playing rooms.

This was apparently not the end of the story. The protesting player later sought help from her home association and the latter promised to raise a stink if something like this happens again in international matches. One of her fellow players declared, “if they do it again, our team will all eat raw garlic just before the games!” I hope he was only joking. ☺

Personally, I sympathize with the protesting player. I would definitely rule in the protester’s favor if she had even the slightest sign of allergic reaction, such as sneezing.

By the way, the fact that this even became an issue speaks well of Go – in Chess tournaments for example, bad odors are a way of life! ☺

Case 4
This was a landmark case. As pointed out by several readers, there are currently no rules against rude playing and the referee really did not have much weapon at her disposal. However, it was also clear that, for everyone to enjoy the game and to maintain the civility in Go, this rudeness must be stopped. This case has led to the establishment of a “code of conduct” with real teeth in enforcement. The code will now be sent to all international players starting 2011.

So, what do you think of these rulings?

I think the referee blew the call on the first case. The game is the game, and the record should be replayed.

The resolution in the second case sounds about right, although I wouldn't award a point penalty because it will actually affect the game result. The only injury in this incident was the loss of time suffered by the complainant. I would assess a time penalty on the offender and credit time to compensate the complainant.

The last two strike me as judgment calls by the referee, although I am glad to see that a code of conduct will go into place. Courtesy in go matches should not be optional.

I agree with pwaldron. The ruling I disagree the most with is the first one. In the second case I think a larger timebonus/timepenalty but no point penalty would have been appropriate.
And I'm happy that the fourth one didn't escalate. That situation sounded pretty explosive.
Rules of conduct are always a difficult call. For example I think that KESPA overdid it a bit with their restrictions.

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Sanity is for the weak.

I happened to read John Fairbairn's "Behind the Scenes at the Meijin" today, and he reports that Sakata was reputed to do "crude things with his toes." So perhaps we win some, we lose some when compared to chess.

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Occupy Babel!

Do we have bad luck or are women more quarrelsome or both?

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I think I am so I think I am.

I don't think that they were all women. I think that the OP used a generic "she" throughout. I have seen a similar case at a European event to case 4, where a referee ruled in favour of the complainant, that the other player was using unsportsmanlike behaviour and that he had forfeited the game. In these days I expect we would have the lawyers in, but then both players accepted the ruling without argument.

Best wishes.

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No aji, keshi, kifu or kikashi has been harmed in the compiling of this post.
http://www.gogod.co.uk

I am just trying for Chess arbiter so i just use chess arbiting rules where applicable: (and fiddle a bit with it:))



is there a game sheet? the game sheet decides.

In absence iof a game sheet did anybody see the stone putting in the wrong bowl ect




Grant the protest. give the complainer some extra time and tell that the clock may be stopped if more than x stones are captured.
It is bad taste to do it in the opponents time.




Sorry you have tio stick with it. If you like maybe i can organise a cventilator for you



Intimidating the opponent is bad practice. as she did first are definitly out of order.

The hard and immediate slamming of stones i would have no problems with that. "rude playing" is a cultural issue. but still it may not distract players at OTHER boards. (but stay at the board does the rude playing move stones? There is a big chance it will cause stones to moves from one place to another and then the rude player has to reinstate the position., what she probably cannot do so she loses

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Promotor and Librarian of Sensei's Library

It was ingenious to penalize with two points of score. However, if I were to invent a new penalty, I might rule that prisoners taken after pressing the clock would not count for the player who takes them and thus penalize the player with number of prisoners taken after pressing the clock, but giving no other penalties.

Did this happen at the WMSG? That ruleset is the only one I know (aside from Ing timing system) that gives 2 points penalty for this kind of thing.

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My name is Gijs, from Utrecht, NL.

When in doubt, play the most aggressive move

Except that in Hsiang's example, they were using area scoring. Not getting the prisoners doesn't affect the score.

I like this thread.

And in none of these examples do I see a need for the referee to be at least a strong amateur or better

Except that I think that the referee must command the respect of the players. And, as things are right now, being a strong player helps. As a friend once said, "Anyone who gives me six stones I call Sir."

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The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

A fine viewpoint, to be sure. But I'd still have trouble giving my full respect to a teenaged referee, no matter how strong they are on the board

At this point of my go playing career, I will give respect to anyone the tournament organizers have appointed as referee. (S)he must have done something to earn their respect, and I'm not going to disagree.

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Offending ad removed

You think so? Let's try this. The first case took place in an international pro tournament and was well publicized. The reporter, in her original story, stated that "At the end of the game, B took the last dame. Yet the count showed W with a 0.5 point win. Everyone in the room immediately knew the score was wrong..."

Do you know why?

This is not something that only strong players would know, but I dare say the absolute majority of our kyu friends would have no idea what the reporter was talking about. Similarly, an amateur 5d up would know this without hesitation...

Case 1:
It's very suspicious that she put only ONE stone but not all of the prisioners back to her opponent's box, when it is claimed that her action was due to the different habit under different rules. Also as the information later shows it's a pro game, i doubt that a well-trained pro would have no knowledge that prisioners are used to count to final results under territory scoring.

I would put her, who did not keep her prisioner well, lost.

Case 2:
We all know the rule does not allow it, the only thing is what the penalty should be. I think the tournament TD should write it in their rules next time for easy reference.

Case 3:
Noise, smells can affect the thinking process. Because Go is a sport which one really need to think hard, I would not allow unnatural noise or smells during the game, unless mutual agreed by both players and also their neighbour players, if any. "Commonly used in some countries" is not a good excuse. Penalty? I'll ask her to erase the smells outside, and the time is taken from her game time.


Case 4:
Play fast or slow or how to put the stones on board that's all depends on what the player like. I would say nothing wrong with it. But commenting with others is not allowed. I would give her a warning, and if she did it again, i would put her in lost.

Does women have more complains over their opponents than men does? At least case 1&3 are women players.

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长考出臭棋.

Unnatural? Interesting choice of words. So, loud and smelly farting is perfectly ok, but using a smelly cream is not?

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Offending ad removed

Even though i do not feel so, but i think you can not prevent people from farting, so i will still say yes. farting is ok, cream is not.

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长考出臭棋.

What about smoking then?

What about a player smelling strongly of urine because he has pissed his pants? (I've actually seen this in a tournament)