Mark-
A problem caused by IYT not using certain standards of the games has confused me when I read your post here. You'll do best to avoid the terms White or Black when talking about which side you played from in Pente games. Apparently almost everyone else uses the White dudes for moving first. The major exception being IYT, which has Black going first. Because of this most people say "Player 1" or "the player with the first move" instead of just saying the color of their side.
Assuming your posting is using the IYT colors, it would still seem that going second has a harder time of it than when you've been first to move. Though the difference in your stats isn't as clear cut as it is in mine. Gary didn't use my side games stats when he compiled the list from my charts. Perhaps I should do that myself and also just with the same players involved. You're a good start! We've completed 6 games. You're up 4 to 2 in them. Of the 2 games that I won, both times I had the first move. In the 4 that you've won, I was first in 1 game and second in the other 3. The two games we have going at the moment also look like first to move's game. Not enough to say it proves anything (aside from the fact that I'm one of the 3% percent who have beat you when you've gone first :) ) but it sure looks like Gary's point in the early stages if nothing else. He also argues that the stronger the play of the players the more this tends to be so! I tried to check your stats on IYT, but you've got them blocked or they do if not you.
I'm curious, did you as I did, first play Keryo Pente at IYT? It seems that players that do, learn the game with a different point of view than those that started out on a 19 X 19 board. Some of whom get quite shrill and strident in their argument about any deviation from what they consider the only way it should be played, I might add. It'd be cool to try other size boards. I think 9 X 9 would be trippy. Larger than say 25 X 25 would amount to infinity in serious play since I doubt if there'd be much reason to stray so far from the action without losing the game by doing so. I like the Knight analogy. On the 13 X 13 board, I avoid the edge unless necessity compels me to move there. I imagine on a 19 X 19 board an edge move would be even rarer. Also, the game has move restrictions as played in some places, and from what I've seen, by most of the good players. I wish they would play you on the 13 X 13 board without the move restriction. I think the smaller board cuts down on the advantage of going first in Keryo Pente, but not in regular Pente. Gary and Dmitri agrue otherwise and considering their knowledge in the matter they're probably speaking from past experience. Whether or not they accept your challenge to play them on the 13 X 13 board, we should try a few games on the 19 X 19 that is on this site. I don't know if it has the move restriction or if it does if it can be shut on or off as the players decide. Aside from it lessening the importance of the edge, I doubt if the game will change much. Though lessening the importance of the edge is a major change in a lot of ways and our play will probably reflect that. If it were possible to play on a 9 X 9 on this or another site (Since I could play it at home that way if I knew someone that played Pente, that is) I imagine edge play would would greatly dictate how the game would go from the very beginning.

I guess this is getting to the opint where I am being a pain in the as about this, and I don't want to become known for being difficult to get aliong with. But, I just don't uinderstand why this thread of discussion is going onas long as it has. my thoughts:

a 9 X 9 board? what is the point??? I really don't see the logic in that.

also, you say "I think the smaller board cuts down on the advantage of going first in Keryo Pente, but not in regular Pente. Gary and Dmitri agrue otherwise ..."

of course we argue otherwise, you are not presenting any reasons whatsoever for WHY this would reducep layer 1's advantage! Are you trying to say that player 1 naturally tends to "Branch out " more and neeed the extra space more than player 2? I don't understand how you came to that conclusion, and it doesn't make any sense to me. You hope that Gayr or I accpet a challenge on a 13 By 13 board without the restriction. WHy? what purpose is served by this? As it is, Player 1 wins more often than not WITH the restriction, so why would player 2 do better WITHOUT it?

In my games with the restriction, most of the time, as player 1, I am immediately in a powerful and dominating position. As player 2, I win because player 1 screws up.

I am very frustrated that we are STILL discussing a 13X13 board. There is no such game! you say

"Dmitri...Official rules or not? Is Keryo supposed to be played on 19x19 board? the game is complicated enough on the 13x13 board!....the edge can be used, which has a advantage and a disadvantage...."

The 19X19 board (the CORRECT ONE) does not make the game any more complicated, it just makes the game function better. Running out of room is NOT supposed to be part of the game, that just isn't what it is about!

As for your stats.. I had a bit of trouble following what you were saying. Were those your IYT stats? I have to disagree with your assessment that the advantage of going first is slim. It is huge! player 1 has an extra stone! it only takes three stones to take the iniattive if not defensded, whereas two stones cannot provide a serious threat. So, after 5 stones, player 2 is defending the 3 stones player 1 has, and then player 1 places a 4th stone, andp layer 2 is trying to stay alive, etc.

As for Pro pente, the advantage of player 1 is huge. at IYT, I was something like 160-6 as player 1 in my last 166 games. $ of those 6 llosses were careless screwups of the misclick variety in games where I had a winning line worked out but carelessly misplayed it. My win% as player 2 is nowhere near that 96 or 97% percent that it is wiht player 1. when top players meet, they often split, as has happened in the October Main IYT tournament. but for mid level and lower level players, the advantage is not as great.