Go handicap
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In an even game of Go, the board is empty, and Black plays first. In a handicap game, the weaker player takes Black, but has an appropriate number of stones on the board before play starts. White then plays first.
On a 19 x 19 go board there are nine handicap points marked on the board - in each corner on the (4,4) point, in the middle of each side on the fourth line, the (4,10) point, and the very center of the board, (10,10). Odd handicaps use the center stone (apart from three stones), even handicaps do not. A handicap of two or three stones uses opposite corners; in Japan the third stone in a three-stone handicap is at (4,4) by Black's right hand, while in China it has traditionally been at the center. Four or more stones uses all four corners. Six or seven stones uses opposite sides. Eight or nine stones use all four sides.
Another type of handicap is the reverse komi or gyaku komi, where the weaker player takes black, and is given both the first move and some compensation points, usually 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 points (moku). See Go rules for more on komi.pl:Handicap (go)