nigiri

Nigiri is the traditional color-selection procedure used before an even Go game. One player takes a hidden handful of one or more stones, while the other places one or two stones to indicate a guess of odd or even. The stones are then counted. The correct guess determines which player receives Black; the other player receives White.

Its purpose is to assign the colors randomly and fairly before play. Nigiri determines stone colors, not compensation: it is different from komi, which compensates White for Black’s first-move advantage. The exact parity convention, and which player receives each color after a correct or incorrect guess, can vary according to the ruleset or local practice.