A Proposed Method for FPA Compensation

First Player Advantage (FPA) Compensation

For instances when a match consists of a single game instead of a pair.

I enjoy playing both as Black and White in casual and tournament settings. The difference in strategies appeals to me, and, on size 6, the FPA is lessened enough (compared to size 5 and smaller) to make playing Black more than an exercise in futility when playing a skilled opponent.

However, this topic comes up frequently on the boards, and, since the playtak database is offline tonight and hindering my puzzle, I decided to flesh out an idea that has been bouncing around my head.

The goal of any FPA "solution" should be to maximize player satisfaction. FPA-compensated Tak should retain all the complexity of the standard game. The only difference should be that you walk away from the table satisfied that, after only 1 game, the declared winner played the better game.

For those unfamiliar with FPA in regards to Tak, it boils down to this: First Player can make a Tak threat first, forcing Second Player to either capture or place a wall. This initial pressure causes 4 intertwined disadvantages for the Second Player:

1. Second Player disrupts their board position in order to defend against this first salvo.

2. Second Player loses the opportunity to place a stone because they use a turn to capture. This affects their reserve stones, meaning that they are at a disadvantage during the end game because the first player with 1 stone remaining can decide when to end the game.

3. Second Player incurs prisoner liability as a result of the capture.

4. Second Player is not able to increase their flat count because of the capture.

These disadvantages can snowball, as a skilled First Player leverages them into an increasingly beneficial board state for themselves.

My presented FPA compensation is a combination of 3 methods that attempts to both reduce the initial momentum of this snowball and lessen its impact on the game's result.

1. Pie start (positional compensation)

First Player places 3 stones of each color.
Second Player chooses which color to play.

2.  Choose Cairn (prisoner liability and reserve stone compensation)

Second Player puts a flat stone from their reserve under an existing pie stone.

3. Komi (flat count compensation)

If the game ends by any means requiring a flat count, Black gets +1 to their flat count.

This solution can be easily adjusted as time goes by and more data is collected. Each part can be tweaked: the number of stones used in the pie start, the number of cairns, and the komi can all be increased or decreased, making this solution adaptable and customizable. It also leaves gameplay mechanics intact except for the initial stone placements.

I look forward to trying this out soon!