Go on Board Atlas: capture dead stones before you pass
A practical end-of-game guide to the Board Atlas Go table: area scoring with 6.5 komi, positional superko, 9/13/19 boards, and why dead stones must be captured before both players pass.
The one rule that surprises players on Board Atlas Go: there is no "mark dead stones" step after the game. When both players pass, every stone still on the board counts as alive. If your opponent's dead group is sitting in your area, capture it before you pass — under this table's area scoring, doing so costs you nothing.
This guide covers the Go table on Board Atlas as it read on 5 October 2026. Other servers and clubs use other rule sets; this is about ours.
What this version actually does
The rules panel on the Go page says, in short:
| Rule | Board Atlas Go (checked 5 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Moves | Place a stone on an empty intersection |
| Capture | A group with no liberties is captured |
| Repetition | Positional superko: you may not recreate an earlier whole-board position |
| End of game | Both players pass in a row |
| Scoring | Stones on the board plus empty points they surround (area scoring) |
| Komi | 6.5 points for White |
| Dead stones | Capture them before passing — no separate dead-stone agreement phase |
| Board size | Practice games offer 9 × 9, 13 × 13 and 19 × 19 |
Why capturing costs nothing here
Area scoring counts two things for each player: stones on the board and empty points surrounded only by that player's stones (Sensei's Library describes it this way). That has a simple consequence, which is our reasoning rather than a quoted rule:
- Playing a stone inside your own area turns one empty point into one stone. Your score does not change.
- Capturing a dead enemy stone inside your area turns an enemy stone into an empty point you surround. Your score goes up and theirs goes down.
Under territory scoring (Japanese and Korean rules), the arithmetic differs: playing inside your own territory fills a point you would have counted, so players there agree on dead stones instead of playing them out. If you learned on a territory-scoring server, unlearn the reflex to "just pass and mark them".
Before your final pass, ask one question: *is any stone left on the board that I would not want counted as alive?* If yes, capture it first.
A safe end-of-game routine
- Finish the borders. Play the remaining neutral points between groups. Under area scoring, these small points can still decide a close game.
- Scan each of your areas. Look for enemy stones that cannot live. If you find one, remove it by filling its liberties. It takes a few moves; it is still free.
- Scan their areas too. If your own stones are stranded there, they will count for you unless your opponent captures them. Do not throw extra stones in to "help" — that only gives them more to capture.
- Check for repetition. If a ko is still open, superko means you may not immediately recreate an earlier position. Play elsewhere first.
- Then pass. When both players pass in a row, the game ends and the score is computed from the board as it stands.
Komi in context
Komi is the compensation White receives for moving second. Sensei's Library notes that area-scoring rules in China and the American Go Association moved to 7.5, while 6.5 is common under territory scoring. This table uses 6.5 with area scoring. That is a house choice; neither value is "wrong", but do not assume the number you know from another server.
Which board size to start on
For a first game against the practice bot or a friend, start on 9 × 9. Games are short, and you will reach the end-of-game routine above many times before your attention runs out. Move to 13 × 13 once you finish games without being surprised by the count, then 19 × 19.
Quick checklist
- Capture dead stones before passing; nothing is removed afterwards
- Score = your stones + your surrounded empty points, then +6.5 for White
- Superko: no repeating an earlier board position
- New players: 9 × 9 first
Sources & checks
How we write and check articles: Editorial method