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half-point game

A Go game decided by exactly half a point.

Also known as

half-point winHanmoku

A half-point game is a Go game whose final scores differ by exactly 0.5 point. The result is often called a half-point win, or Hanmoku. This usually happens because komi includes a fractional amount, such as 6.5 points, which makes a half-point difference possible.

Fractional scoring helps ensure that a completed game has a winner instead of ending in a tie. The term describes the final winning margin or result, not the compensation itself: komi is the amount added to White’s score. A game played with half-point komi does not necessarily end as a half-point game; the final margin may be larger.