A free handicap of N points is a black colouring of N arbitrary but different points of the graph. A Japanese handicap of N points is a black colouring of N fixed points of the graph. The Move A move of a player is a board play or a pass play. A board play colours one empty point black respectively white and includes possible removals. A pass play just ceases the right to move instead of colouring and alternation continues with the opponent.
Suicide is removal of stones of the moving colour.
Move rules may allow or forbid suicide. If suicide is allowed, then removals of opponent's stones precede those of own stones. Else the former may never lead to the possibility of the latter. The following terms are necessary for study of prohibition rule sets. A cycle is a finite move-sequence so that the positions before and after it are the same.