17.13 THE GAME OF GHODAK
The game of ghodak is considered by many to be ultimate test of strategy. Though its rules are simple, the possibilities of ghodak are limitless. To master the game of ghodak, one must have the intelligence to command a grasp of the entire field of play while simultaneously possessing the subtle cunning necessary to play on many fronts in order to confuse and surround your opponent. Unlike many games, capturing an opponent's stones is secondary to the true goal of controlling the playing area. Some ghodak games are played without capturing even a single stone. In order to play a game of ghodak, you must possess a ghodak board or be in a place which hosts an available board for public use. The game is split into three phases: play, resolution and scoring. During play, players take turns placing stones upon the ghodak board. The goal is to surround and control as much area of the board as possible. A player may pass at any time and not play a stone. Play continues until both players pass in succession. During resolution, players determine if any stones in play are alive or dead. If agreement cannot be achieved between the players, play must continue as normal until the status of any questionable stones is resolved. Once both players agree, dead stones are removed and the score is tallied. For more detailed rules, please read HELP GHODAKRULES. Commands associated with ghodak are as follows: GHODAK LIST - List all games in which you are a player. GHODAK SWITCH <game number> -Switch your active game to another unfinished game. GHODAK PLAY WITH <person> [<board size>] - Start a new game with someone. - By default, the board size is 19x19. You can specify 9x9 (9) or 13x13 (13). GHODAK DISPLAY [<game number>] - Display the specified ghodak game. If game number is omitted, this displays your active game. GHODAK PLAY STONE <row> <column> - Play a ghodak stone upon the board at the specified intersection. - See HELP GHODAKRULES for specific rules. GHODAK PASS - End your turn without playing a stone. GHODAK MARK <row> <column> - Mark the stone at the specified intersection as dead. Repeating this will mark the stone as alive again. GHODAK MARK DONE - Specify that you believe all dead stones have been marked. GHODAK TAKEBACK - Allow your opponent to take back their previous move. GHODAK CONCEDE <game number> - Concede the specified game to your opponent. [Lusternia's ghodak is nearly an exact replica of the common game 'Go'. It cannot identify whether a group of stones is dead or alive currently, but does automatically remove stones with no liberties and calculate final score. It does not include komi in this score. Note that playing ghodak with ansi colour turned on is the preferred way to do things for most people.]
