The weaker player takes Black (AGA Rule 4); Black either moves first normally — a one-stone handicap, giving White only ½ point — or places 2 to 9 stones on the board before White's first move (AGA Rule 4); Handicap games are the standard way for players of different ranks to play an even contest
Why people argue about this
People often assume that handicap in Go (AGA) means giving a weaker player an unfair advantage by placing extra stones on the board, but actually it's designed to make the game more fair by allowing weaker players to have a better chance of winning through strategic placement rather than skill difference alone.
