Gonnect is a popular connection game that incorporates the rules of Go. It was invented by Joao Pedro Neto in 2000 and featured in an article in Issue 6 of Abstract Games Magazine. The game is available for e-mail play at Richard's PBeM server at www.gamerz.net, and game strategy is discussed at Neto's World of Abstract Games site.
 
The game is played on the points of a 13x13 square grid. The players take turns placing stones on empty points on the board, with Black going first. The object of the game is to form a chain of friendly stones connecting two opposite sides of the board. A player can win by connecting the top edge to the bottom edge, or the left edge to the right edge. The four corner points count in both left-right and top-bottom connections. Diagonally adjacent stones are not connected.
 
Gonnect incorporates the capture rules of Go. If placing a stone results in the complete surrounding of an enemy group of stones, with no holes in that group, then the entire enemy group is captured and removed from the board. Both friendly stones and the board edge are counted when determining whether an enemy group is surrounded. The empty points adjacent to a group of connected friendly stones are called that group's 'liberties.' Capturing occurs when the liberty of a group is reduced to zero. A single stone is considered a group of one. Only orthogonal connnections are considered in determining captures and counting liberties. A player cannot commit suicide by placing a stone into a group whose liberties are reduced to zero as a result of the move. Capturing moves are always permitted and can never constitute a prohibited suicide.
 
Gonnect also uses the Go rule of "Ko," which is described in detail in the "Game Description" section under the Help menu. Unlike in Go, players cannot pass in Gonnect. This means that the two-eyed groups considered uncapturable in Go can in fact be captured in Gonnect. As the board fills up, a player may be forced to drop a stone into one of two eyes in a friendly group, thus permitting the opponent to play a stone in the remaining eye and capture the group.
 
Gonnect adopts the 'pie' rule commonly used in Hex. White has the option of changing places with Black on the first turn. This rule discourages Black from seeking a first-move advantage.
 
 
Please send any comments or bug reports to dtroyka@justice.com.