Go vs. Scrabble
Comparing 2 standards across 18 specifications. 18 key differences identified.
Go (Weiqi / Baduk) is an ancient two-player abstract strategy board game governed internationally by the International Go Federation (IGF). Played on a 19×19 grid (361 intersections), players place black and white stones to surround territory and capture enemy stones by removing all their 'liberties', governed by standard Komi compensation (6.5 or 7.5 points to White) and the Ko rule.
Scrabble is a word-forming board game for 2–4 players governed by WESPA and Hasbro tournament standards. Played on a 15×15 grid (225 squares), players draw from a standard bag of 100 tiles to construct intersecting words using premium letter/word multipliers. Blank tiles score 0 points and retain their assigned letter identity for the entire match.
Specification Comparison Table
18 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
International Go Federation (IGF) | WESPA / Hasbro |
|
Standard Grid Size
|
19 × 19 361 intersections | — |
|
Beginner Grid Sizes
|
9 × 9 (81 points) or 13 × 13 (169 points) | — |
|
Standard Grid Pitch
|
22.0 mm (W) × 23.7 mm (L) non-square rectangle to correct viewing angle | — |
|
Total Stones in Set
|
361 181 Black, 180 White | — |
|
Standard Stone Diameter
|
21.5 to 22.0 mm | — |
|
Komi (Japanese Rules)
|
6.5 points added to White (prevents draws) | — |
|
Komi (Chinese Rules)
|
7.5 points added to White | — |
|
Suicide Rule
|
Prohibited (Illegal) cannot play a move with zero liberties unless capturing | — |
|
Total Tiles in Bag
|
— | 100 tiles (98 letters, 2 blanks) |
|
Board Dimensions
|
— | 15 × 15 grid 225 total squares |
|
Rack Capacity
|
— | 7 tiles per player |
|
Bingo (50-Point Bonus)
|
— | Play all 7 tiles in one turn +50 points bonus |
|
Blank Tile Point Value
|
— | 0 points (remains assigned letter forever) |
|
Triple Word Squares (TW)
|
— | 8 red squares (score × 3) |
|
Double Word Squares (DW)
|
— | 17 pink squares (including center star × 2) |
|
Triple Letter Squares (TL)
|
— | 12 blue squares (letter × 3) |
|
Double Letter Squares (DL)
|
— | 24 cyan squares (letter × 2) |