The Game of Margo

Margo is an interesting extension of the game of Go. It is one of a series of excellent games created by Cameron Browne [ cambolbro.com ]. Margo is played like Go but with marbles that can stack upwards. Margo is one of the games played online on my game server, Gorrion [ dashstofsk.net ]. This page gives an introduction to the game.

The game can be played on a range of board sizes. 9x9 should be the minimum. 11x11 allows for plenty of rounds of attack and counter-attack. 13x13 is professional size.

Two players take turns to place a marble of their colour on the board shown above, initially on the grid lines, or stacked higher when there is a base of supporting marbles. White goes first.

Game Objective.  Players aim to capture their opponent's marbles and to have the majority of marbles at the end. Marbles that are hidden under a stack are included in the count. The game ends when a player has no legal move.

Game Position Repeat Rule.  As in the game of Go, positions cannot be repeated. Marbles that are hidden underneath a stack are not considered to be an element of the position. Positions are as viewed from above.

Self Capture.  Self-capture is not permitted. You may not stack a marble unless it is connected to a live group.

Capture.  You may capture an opponent group only if it has no board-level liberties. When a group is captured all the opponent's marbles in the stacked group that can be lifted freely are removed. Marbles that are trapped are to remain in place. Trapped marbles may still have an influence later in the game.

Groups.  Marbles are connected if they touch on a visible level or if there is is no visible break in colour when viewed from above. Groups of marbles that are connected by a path hidden underneath a stack are counted as separate groups.

Passing.  Passing at Margo is not permitted.

Swapping Colours.  The second player ( White ) has the option to swap colours immediately after the first player has made his first move. The first player will take the white pieces and will play against his own first move. The second player is given a swap option in order to counter the first play advantage that the first player would otherwise have.

Under the rules the final result is based on a marble count. Alternatively the game could be decided on the number of captures. Because passing is not allowed, the difference in the two ways of scoring will only be at most one point. Captures are easier to count. The players will understand that in order to win they will need to make a capture. Additionally, as in the game of Go, the number of points of territory could also be added to the captures. It feels right that the player who gets more territory should be given the extra points. Moreover, give the second player a komi of some small value ( perhaps 1.5 ) to avoid draws and as an alternative to swapping. This system of scoring will be familiar to players of Go and might raise the interest for Margo in their community.

Here are a few guidelines.

The stacking mechanism is what gives the game its particular flavour. You will be able to connect groups by forming a bridge over a line of your opponent's marbles. Both players will usually end up with very few groups. A corner group will not be able to survive as easy as it can do in a game of Go. The sequence of activity of corner first, then side, then centre, as usually played in Go, does not seem to work in Margo. The game is won on marble count, and not by territory.

It might be possible that the outcome of a game depends on the colours of marbles that are hidden underneath a stack. If hidden then how can you know what their colours are? The only way is to go back over the moves.

The game ends when the current player has no legal move, but often once a player has suffered a significant capture it will be futile for him to continue to the very end. He will have fewer bases on which to stack higher and will eventually run out of moves.

Only occasionally will players need to engage in a race for the end, building the stacks higher until one player is forced to move inside his own territory. In the following position White cannot occupy any of the remaining board level nodes and cannot make a stacking move and so has no valid move. The game ended with a marginal win for Black who has the greater number of pieces.



( No valid move for White. )

Margo is one of the games played online on my game server, Gorrion. [ gorrion.php ]. Please do join in the fun. Games are played in correspondence mode. Games can be played under both the standard and alternative rules. Although the standard rules do not allow, passing it is permitted on Gorrion Online in order to allow users to exchange messages in case of dispute. Board sizes of 9, 11 and 13 are supported. I am 'dashstofsk' at the server and will welcome all challenges to a game.

Play by eMail.  Margo can also be played by eMail at Richard Rognlie's PBeM server [ http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/ ]. I am 'dashstofsk' at the PBeM server also.

Visit Cameron Browne's Margo page [ http://cambolbro.com/games/margo/ ] for further information on this game.