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Play Go Online Game - Cosumi

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Hiroki Mori interactive Go tutorial

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Play Go (Cosumi)Go is an ancient strategy board game. Its history goes back at least 3,000 years. First in China and Japan, and now all over the world, Go occupies the best minds of mankind, capturing its external simplicity, incredible depth and fantastic beauty. More than a thousand books are devoted to the various elements of the game and the analysis of the great games of the past, not one hundred tournaments are held annually around the world.A Brief Summary of Go RulesGo is played with black and white stones on a square wooden board. The board is empty at the beginning of the game. The stones are placed one by one on intersections of lines (the original playing board is 19 by 19, totaling 391 intersections). Each stone standing on the board has dames - breathing points - neighboring intersections horizontally and vertically (4 for the stone standing in the center of the board, 3 for the stone on the edge, 2 in the corner). If you close the last queen on your opponent's stone with your turn, you remove his stone from the board - it is now your captive. Captive stones and territory fenced by you during the game are your points (moku). Whoever has more points at the end of the game wins the game.How do I learn to play Go?Learning how to play the game is really easy, it shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes. But it will take you much longer to finish, as the game lurks behind a seemingly simple set of rules and a depth of skill. You will learn how to determine which stones are truly important, and which can be easily passed on to your opponent. You will learn how to decide which move wins you the most points. You will learn to swiftly attack your opponent's weak stones, but first defend your own. In a difficult situation, among dozens of possible moves you will be able to find the one that will bring you victory.The objective of GoUnlike chess, the goal of Go is not to kill the leader of your opponent's army. All stones on the board are initially of equal value. The goal of the game is to divide an initially empty field among themselves. To win, you need to be as efficient as possible - take as much as you can hold - no more and no less. If you - or your opponent - show greed, weaknesses will form in your position, causing you to lose most of your gains. If you are too frugal, your opponent will simply take a little more than you and take the win - it makes no difference whether you lose 50 or 5 points. The balance between caution and aggression is the key to success.Go is an extremely beautiful game. True masters pay a great deal of attention to the aesthetics of their games. Black and white stones placed harmoniously on the bamboo board form a unique pattern to your game, your own little universe. Playing Go you enjoy both winning and continuously improving your skills.About PlayGOThe project was started in 1999 by Go enthusiast Hiroki Mori, who has been promoting the game of Go throughout the world to the present day. Hiroki Mori is also the author of the most popular interactive Go tutorial.

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1Names of the game

2Overview

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2.1Basic concepts

3Strategy

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3.1Opening strategy

3.2Middlegame and endgame

4Rules

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4.1Basic rules

4.2Liberties and capture

4.3Ko rule

4.4Suicide

4.5Komi

4.6Scoring rules

4.7Life and death

4.8Seki (mutual life)

5Tactics

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5.1Capturing tactics

5.2Reading ahead

5.3Ko fighting

6History

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6.1Origin in China

6.2Spread to Korea and Japan

6.3Internationalization

7Competitive play

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7.1Ranks and ratings

7.2Tournament and match rules

7.3Time control

7.4Notation and recording games

7.5Top players and professional Go

8Equipment

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8.1Traditional equipment

8.1.1Boards

8.1.2Stones

8.1.3Bowls

8.2Playing technique and etiquette

9Computers and Go

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9.1Software players

9.2Software assistance

10In popular culture

11Psychological perspectives

12Analyses of the game

13Comparisons to other games

14See also

15Notes

16References

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16.1Citations

16.2Sources

17Further reading

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17.1Introductory books

17.2Historical interest

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Go (game)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abstract strategy board game for two players

This article is about the board game. For other uses, see Go (disambiguation).

GoGo is played on a grid (usually 19×19). Game pieces (stones) are played on the grid line intersections.Years activeSpring and Autumn period to presentGenresBoard gameAbstract strategy gameMind sportPlayers2Setup timeMinimalPlaying timeCasual: 20–90 minutesProfessional: 1–6 hours or more[a]ChanceNoneSkillsStrategy, tactics, elementary arithmeticSynonymsWeiqiⓘIgoPaduk / Baduka Some professional games exceed 16 hours and are played in sessions spread over two days.

GoChinese nameTraditional Chinese圍棋Simplified Chinese围棋Literal meaning'encirclement board game'TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinwéiqíWade–Gileswei2-ch'i2IPA[wěɪ.tɕʰǐ] ⓘWuSuzhounesewé-jíYue: CantoneseYale Romanizationwàih-kèihJyutpingwai4-kei4IPA[wɐi˩kʰei˩]Southern MinHokkien POJuî-kîMiddle ChineseMiddle ChinesehwigiOld ChineseBaxter–Sagart (2014)*[ɢ]ʷə[j] [ɡ](r)əZhengzhang*ɢʷɯl ɡɯTibetan nameTibetanམིག་མངསTranscriptionsWyliemig mangsVietnamese nameVietnamese alphabetcờ vâyHán-Nôm碁圍Korean nameHangul바둑TranscriptionsRevised RomanizationbadukMcCune–ReischauerpadukJapanese nameKanji囲碁 or 碁Hiraganaいご or ごTranscriptionsRomanizationigo or go

Go is an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the aim is to capture more territory than the opponent by fencing off empty space. The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game continuously played to the present day.[1][2][3][4][5] A 2016 survey by the International Go Federation's 75 member nations found that there are over 46 million people worldwide who know how to play Go, and over 20 million current players, the majority of whom live in East Asia.[6]

The playing pieces are called stones. One player uses the white stones and the other black. The players take turns placing their stones on the vacant intersections (points) on the board. Once placed, stones may not be moved, but captured stones are immediately removed from the board. A single stone (or connected group of stones) is captured when surrounded by the opponent's stones on all orthogonally adjacent points. [7] The game proceeds until neither player wishes to make another move.

When a game concludes, the winner is determined by counting each player's surrounded territory along with captured stones and komi (points added to the score of the player with the white stones as compensation for playing second).[8] Games may also end by resignation.[9]

The standard Go board has a 19×19 grid of lines, containing 361 points. Beginners often play on smaller 9×9 and 13×13 boards,[10] and archaeological evidence shows that the game was played in earlier centuries on a board with a 17×17 grid. Boards with a 19×19 grid had become standard, however, by the time the game reached Korea in the 5th century CE and Japan in the 7th century CE.[11]

Go was considered one of the four essential arts of the cultured aristocratic Chinese scholars in antiquity. The earliest written reference to the game is generally recognized as the historical annal Zuo Zhuan[12][13] (c. 4th century BCE).[14]

Despite its relatively simple rules, Go is extremely complex. Compared to chess, Go has both a larger board with more scope for play and longer games and, on average, many more alternatives to consider per move. The number of legal board positions in Go has been calculated to be approximately 2.1×10170,[15][a] which is far greater than the number of atoms in the observable universe, which is estimated to be on the order of 1080.[17]

Part of a series onGo

Game specifics

Rules

Handicaps

professional

Proverbs

List of terms

Strategy and tactics

Opening (theory; strategy)

Fuseki (whole-board openings)

Joseki (corner-based openings)

Life and death

Tsumego (Go puzzles)

History and culture

History

Equipment

Variants

Four go houses

List of games

Players and organizations

Players

European

Female

Ranks and ratings

Professionals

Organizations

Competitions

Computers and mathematics

Go and mathematics

Computer Go

Go software

Internet Go servers

AlphaGo versus Lee Sedol

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Names of the game[edit]

The name Go is a short form of the Japanese word igo (囲碁; いご), which derives from earlier wigo (ゐご), in turn from Middle Chinese ɦʉi gi (圍棋, Mandarin: wéiqí, lit. 'encirclement board game' or 'board game of surrounding'). In English, the name Go when used for the game is often capitalized to differentiate it from the common word go.[18] In events sponsored by the Ing Chang-ki Foundation, it is spelled goe.[19]

The Korean word baduk (바둑) derives from the Middle Korean word Badok, the origin of which is controversial; the more plausible etymologies include the suffix dok added to Ba to mean 'flat and wide board', or the joining of Bat, meaning 'field', and Dok, meaning 'stone'. Less plausible etymologies include a derivation of Badukdok, referring to the playing pieces of the game, or a derivation from Chinese páizi (排子), meaning 'to arrange pieces'.[20]

Overview[edit]

The first 150 moves of a Go game animated. (Click on the board to restart the animation in a larger window.)

Go is an adversarial game between two players with the objective of capturing territory. That is, occupying and surrounding a larger total empty area of the board with one's stones than the opponent.[21] As the game progresses, the players place stones on the board creating stone "formations" and enclosing spaces. Stones are never moved on the board, but when "captured" are removed from the board. Stones are linked together into a formation by being adjacent along the black lines, not on diagonals (of which there are none). Contests between opposing formations are often extremely complex and may result in the expansion, reduction, or wholesale capture and loss of formations and their enclosed empty spaces (called "eyes"). Another essential component of the game is control of the sente (that is, controlling the offense, so that one's opponent is forced into defensive moves); this usually changes several times during play.

The illustration [A] displays the four "liberties" (adjacent empty points) of a single black stone. Illustrations [B], [C], and [D] show White reducing those liberties progressively by one. In [D], when Black has only one liberty left, that stone is under attack and about to be captured and eliminated (a state called atari).[22] White may capture that stone (remove it from the board) with a play on its last liberty (at D-1).

Initially the board is bare, and players alternate turns to place one stone per turn. As the game proceeds, players try to link their stones together into "living" formations (meaning that they are permanently safe from capture), as well as threaten their opponent's stones and formations. Stones have both offensive and defensive characteristics, depending on the situation.

An essential rule is that a formation of stones must incorporate at least two open points (known as eyes) to preserve itself from elimination on the board. Two or more eyes incorporated into a group (called a liberty) and a group with two or more eyes cannot be captured, even if it's surrounded on the outside. [23] Such groups are said to be unconditionally alive.[24]

The general strategy is to place stones to fence-off territory, attack the opponent's weak groups (trying to kill them so they will be removed), and always stay mindful of the life status of one's own groups.[25][26] The liberties of groups are countable. Situations where mutually opposing groups must capture each other or die are called capturing races, or semeai.[27] In a capturing race, the group with more liberties will ultimately be able to capture the opponent's stones.[27][28][b] Capturing races and the elements of life or death are the primary challenges of Go.

In the end game players may pass rather than place a stone if they think there are no further opportunities for profitable play.[29] The game ends when both players pass[30] or when one player resigns. In general, to score the game, each player counts the number of unoccupied points surrounded by their stones and then subtracts the number of stones that were captured by the opponent. The player with the greater score (after adjusting for handicapping called komi) wins the game.

In the opening stages of the game, players typically establish groups of stones (or bases) near the corners and around the sides of the board, usually starting on the third or fourth line in from the board edge rather than at the very edge of the board. The edges and corners make it easier to develop groups which have better options for life (self-viability for a group of stones that prevents capture) and establish formations for potential territory.[31] Players usually start near the corners because establishing territory is easier with the aid of two edges of the board.[32] Established corner opening sequences are called joseki and are often studied independently.[33] However, in the mid-game, stone groups must also reach in towards the large central area of the board to capture more territory.

Dame are points that lie in between the boundary walls of black and white, and as such are considered to be of no value to either side. Seki are mutually alive pairs of white and black groups where neither has two eyes.

Ko (Chinese and Japanese: 劫) is a potentially indefinitely repeated stone-capture position. The rules do not allow a board position to be repeated. Therefore, any move which would restore the previous board position would not be allowed, and the next player would be forced to play somewhere else. If the play requires a strategic response by the first player, further changing the board, then the second player could "retake the ko," and the first player would be in the same situation of needing to change the board before trying to take the ko back. And so on. [34] Some of these ko fights may be important and decide the life of a large group, while others may be worth just one or two points. Some ko fights are referred to as picnic kos when only one side has a lot to lose.[35] The Japanese call it a hanami (flower-viewing) ko.[36]

Playing with others usually requires a knowledge of each player's strength, indicated by the player's rank (increasing from 30 kyu to 1 kyu, then 1 dan to 7 dan, then 1 dan pro to 9 dan pro). A difference in rank may be compensated by a handicap—Black is allowed to place two or more stones on the board to compensate for White's greater strength.[37][38] There are different rulesets (Korean, Japanese, Chinese, AGA, etc.), which are almost entirely equivalent, except for certain special-case positions and the method of scoring at the end.

Basic concepts[edit]

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Main article: Go terms

Basic strategic aspects include the following:

Connection: Keeping one's own stones connected means that fewer groups need to make living shape, and one has fewer groups to defend.

Cut: Keeping opposing stones disconnected means that the opponent needs to defend and make living shape for more groups.

Stay alive: The simplest way to stay alive is to establish a foothold in the corner or along one of the sides. At a minimum, a group must have two eyes (separate open points) to be alive.[9] An opponent cannot fill in either eye, as any such move is suicidal and prohibited in the rules.

Mutual life (seki) is better than dying: A situation in which neither player can play on a particular point without then allowing the other player to play at another point to capture. The most common example is that of adjacent groups that share their last few liberties—if either player plays in the shared liberties, they can reduce their own group to a single liberty (putting themselves in atari), allowing their opponent to capture it on the next move.

Death: A group that lacks living shape is eventually removed from the board as captured.

Invasion: Set up a new living group inside an area where the opponent has greater influence, means one reduces the opponent's score in proportion to the area one occupies.

Reduction: Placing a stone far enough into the opponent's area of influence to reduce the amount of territory they eventually get, but not so far that it can be cut off from friendly stones outside.

Sente: A play that forces one's opponent to respond (gote). A player who can regularly play sente has the initiative and can control the flow of the game.

Sacrifice: Allowing a group to die in order to carry out a play, or plan, in a more important area.

The strategy involved can become very abstract and complex. High-level players spend years improving their understanding of strategy, and a novice may play many hundreds of games against opponents before being able to win regularly.

Strategy[edit]

Main article: Go strategy and tactics

Strategy deals with global influence, the interaction between distant stones, keeping the whole board in mind during local fights, and other issues that involve the overall game. It is therefore possible to allow a tactical loss when it confers a strategic advantage.

Novices often start by randomly placing stones on the board, as if it were a game of chance. An understanding of how stones connect for greater power develops, and then a few basic common opening sequences may be understood. Learning the ways of life and death helps in a fundamental way to develop one's strategic understanding of weak groups.[c] A player who both plays aggressively and can handle adversity is said to display kiai, or fighting spirit, in the game.

Opening strategy[edit]

Main article: Go opening

In the opening of the game, players usually play and gain territory in the corners of the board first, as the presence of two edges makes it easier for them to surround territory and establish the eyes they need.[39] From a secure position in a corner, it is possible to lay claim to more territory by extending along the side of the board.[40] The opening is the most theoretically difficult part of the game and takes a large proportion of professional players' thinking time.[41][42] The first stone played at a corner of the board is generally placed on the third or fourth line from the edge. Players tend to play on or near the 4–4 star point during the opening. Playing nearer to the edge does not produce enough territory to be efficient, and playing further from the edge does not safely secure the territory.[43]

In the opening, players often play established sequences called joseki, which are locally balanced exchanges;[44] however, the joseki chosen should also produce a satisfactory result on a global scale. It is generally advisable to keep a balance between territory and influence. Which of these gets precedence is often a matter of individual taste.

Middlegame and endgame[edit]

The middle phase of the game is the most combative, and usually lasts for more than 100 moves. During the middlegame, the players invade each other's territories, and attack formations that lack the necessary two eyes for viability. Such groups may be saved or sacrificed for something more significant on the board.[45] It is possible that one player may succeed in capturing a large weak group of the opponent's, which often proves decisive and ends the game by a resignation. However, matters may be more complex yet, with major trade-offs, apparently dead groups reviving, and skillful play to attack in such a way as to construct territories rather than kill.[46]

The end of the middlegame and transition to the endgame is marked by a few features. Near the end of a game, play becomes divided into localized fights that do not affect each other,[47] with the exception of ko fights, where before the central area of the board related to all parts of it. No large weak groups are still in serious danger. Moves can reasonably be attributed some definite value, such as 20 points or fewer, rather than simply being necessary to compete. Both players set limited objectives in their plans, in making or destroying territory, capturing or saving stones. These changing aspects of the game usually occur at much the same time, for strong players. In brief, the middlegame switches into the endgame when the concepts of strategy and influence need reassessment in terms of concrete final results on the board.

Rules[edit]

Main article: Rules of Go

Aside from the order of play (alternating moves, Black moves first or takes a handicap) and scoring rules, there are essentially only two rules in Go:

Liberty rule states that every stone remaining on the board must have at least one open point (a liberty) directly orthogonally adjacent (up, down, left, or right), or must be part of a connected group that has at least one such open point (liberty) next to it. Stones or groups of stones which lose their last liberty are removed from the board.

Repetition Rule (the ko rule) states that a stone on the board must never immediately repeat a previous position of a captured stone, thus only a move elsewhere on the board is permitted that turn. Since without this rule such a pattern of the two players repeating their prior moves (capturing stones in same places) could continue indefinitely, this rule prevents a stalemate.

Almost all other information about how the game is played is heuristic, meaning it is learned information about how the patterns of the stones on the board function, rather than a rule. Other rules are specialized, as they come about through different rulesets, but the above two rules cover almost all of any played game.

Although there are some minor differences between rulesets used in different countries,[48] most notably in Chinese and Japanese scoring rules,[49] these differences do not greatly affect the tactics and strategy of the game.

Except where noted, the basic rules presented here are valid independent of the scoring rules used. The scoring rules are explained separately. Go terms for which there is no ready English equivalent are commonly called by their Japanese names.

Basic rules[edit]

One black chain and two white chains, with their liberties marked with dots. Liberties are shared among all stones of a chain and can be counted. Here the black group has 5 liberties, while the two white chains have 4 liberties each.

The two players, Black and White, take turns placing stones of their color on the intersections of the board, one stone at a time. The usual board size is a 19×19 grid, but for beginners or for playing quick games,[50] the smaller board sizes of 13×13[51] and 9×9 are also popular.[52]

The board is empty to begin with.[53] Black plays first unless given a handicap of two or more stones, in which case White plays first. The players may choose any unoccupied intersection to play on except for those forbidden by the ko and suicide rules (see below). Once played, a stone can never be moved and can be taken off the board only if it is captured.[54] A player may pass their turn, declining to place a stone, though this is usually only done at the end of the game when both players believe nothing more can be accomplished with further play. When both players pass consecutively, the game ends[55] and is then scored.

Liberties and capture[edit]

The Black stone group has only one liberty (at point A), so it is very vulnerable to capture. If Black plays at A, the chain would then have 3 liberties, and so is much safer. However, if White plays at A first, the Black chain loses its last liberty, and thus it is captured and immediately removed from the board, leaving White's stones as shown to the right.

Vertically and horizontally adjacent stones of the same color form a chain (also called a string or group),[56] forming a discrete unit that cannot then be divided.[57] Only stones connected to one another by the lines on the board create a chain; stones that are diagonally adjacent are not connected. Chains may be expanded by placing additional stones on adjacent intersections, and they can be connected together by placing a stone on an intersection that is adjacent to two or more chains of the same color.[58]

A vacant point adjacent to a stone, along one of the grid lines of the board, is called a liberty for that stone.[59][60] Stones in a chain share their liberties.[56] A chain of stones must have at least one liberty to remain on the board. When a chain is surrounded by opposing stones so that it has no liberties, it is captured and removed from the board.[61]

Ko rule[edit]

Main article: Ko fight

An example of a situation in which the ko rule applies

Players are not allowed to make a move that returns the game to the immediately prior position. This rule, called the ko rule, prevents unending repetition (a stalemate).[62] As shown in the example pictured: White had a stone where the red circle was, and Black has just captured it by playing a stone at 1 (so the White stone has been removed). However, it is readily apparent that now Black's stone at 1 is immediately threatened by the three surrounding White stones. If White were allowed to play again on the red circle, it would return the situation to the original one, but the ko rule forbids that kind of endless repetition. Thus, White is forced to move elsewhere, or pass. If White wants to recapture Black's stone at 1, White must attack Black somewhere else on the board so forcefully that Black moves elsewhere to counter that, giving White that chance. If White's forcing move is successful, it is termed "gaining the sente"; if Black responds elsewhere on the board, then White can retake Black's stone at 1, and the ko continues, but this time Black must move elsewhere. A repetition of such exchanges is called a ko fight.[63] To stop the potential for ko fights, two stones of the same color would need to be added to the group, making either a group of 5 Black or 5 White stones.

While the various rulesets agree on the ko rule prohibiting returning the board to an immediately previous position, they deal in different ways with the relatively uncommon situation in which a player might recreate a past position that is further removed. See Rules of Go § Repetition for further information.

Suicide[edit]

Under normal rules, White cannot play at A because that point has no liberties. Under the Ing[64] and New Zealand rules,[65] White may play A, a suicide stone that kills itself and the two neighboring white stones, leaving an empty three-space eye. Black naturally answers by playing at A, creating two eyes to live.

A player may not place a stone such that it or its group immediately has no liberties unless doing so immediately deprives an enemy group of its final liberty. In the second case, the enemy group is captured, leaving the new stone with at least one liberty, so the new stone can be placed.[66] This rule is responsible for the all-important difference between one and two eyes: if a group with only one eye is fully surrounded on the outside, it can be killed with a stone placed in its single eye. (An eye is an empty point or group of points surrounded by a group of stones).

The Ing and New Zealand rules do not have this rule,[67] and there a player might destroy one of its own groups (commit suicide). This play would only be useful in limited sets of situations involving a small interior space or planning.[68] In the example at right, it may be useful as a ko threat.

Komi[edit]

Main article: Komi (Go)

Because Black has the advantage of playing the first move, the idea of awarding White some compensation came into being during the 20th century. This is called komi, which gives white a 5.5-point compensation under Japanese rules, 6.5-point under Korean rules, and 15/4 stones, or 7.5-point under Chinese rules(number of points varies by rule set).[69] Under handicap play, White receives only a 0.5-point komi, to break a possible tie (jigo).

Scoring rules[edit]

A simplified game at its end. Black's territory (A) + (C) and prisoners (D) is counted and compared to White's territory (B) only (no prisoners). In this example, both Black and White attempted to invade and live (C and D groups) to reduce the other's total territory. Only Black's invading group (C) was successful in living, as White's group (D) was killed with a black stone at (E). The points in the middle (F) are dame, meaning they belong to neither player.

Two general types of scoring procedures are used, and players determine which to use before play. Both procedures almost always give the same winner.

Area scoring procedure (including Chinese): counts the number of points a player's stones occupy and surround. It is associated with contemporary Chinese play and was probably established there during the Ming dynasty in the 15th or 16th century.[70] Beginner-friendly, but takes longer to count. A player's score is the number of stones that the player has on the board, plus the number of empty intersections surrounded by that player's stones. If there is disagreement about which stones are dead, then under area scoring rules, the players simply resume play to resolve the matter. The score is computed using the position after the next time the players pass consecutively.

Territory scoring procedure (including Japanese and Korean): counts the number of empty points a player's stones surround, together with the number of stones the player captured. In the course of the game, each player retains the stones they capture, termed prisoners. Any dead stones removed at the end of the game become prisoners. The score is the number of empty points enclosed by a player's stones, plus the number of prisoners captured by that player.[d] Under territory scoring there can be an extra penalty for playing inside ones' territory, so if there is a disagreement extra play to resolve it would, in tournament settings, happen on a separate board, where the player claiming a group is dead would play first, and would demonstrate how to capture those stones. For further information, see Rules of Go.

Both procedures are counted after both players have passed consecutively, the stones that are still on the board but unable to avoid capture, called dead stones, are removed. Given that the number of stones a player has on the board is directly related to the number of prisoners their opponent has taken, the resulting net score, that is, the difference between Black's and White's scores is identical under both rulesets (unless the players have passed different numbers of times during the course of the game). Thus, the net result given by the two scoring systems rarely differs by more than a point.[71]

Life and death[edit]

How to Play Go — A Modern Tutorial to Learn Go Rules

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2022-11-16

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Go is an ancient strategy board game that was invented in China more than 3000 years ago . The rules of Go are extremely simple. You can easily learn them in 5–10 minutes. However, this simplicity brings a huge number of possibilities and produces a vast field for creativity and imagination! It’s the case where something basic and elementary gives birth to something ingeniously complex. And this complexity is of a more fundamental order: the game of Go is no less complex than, for example, mathematics, music or philosophy, and just as interesting as all of these sciences. ‍If the intrigue of Go’s strategic depth and cultural heritage has captured your interest, follow the link to our site for a deeper exploration into the world of this ancient game: Discover the World of Go.On our site you can learn to play Go by taking a short interactive course that covers Go rules and fundamentals. It consists of bite-sized video lessons and quizzes to test your new skills ‍. Check out the first lesson from the course:If you enjoyed the video, you can start learning on the course page or continue reading this article if you like reading more than watching.The rules of Go in 10 easy steps. Let’s Go! ✈Step 1. Basic RulesStep 2. What’s the Point?Step 3. Capturing StonesStep 4. Liberties and GroupsStep 5. No Suicide Allowed!Step 6. The Magic of Two EyesStep 7. The Ko RuleStep 8. SummaryStep 9. Sample Game and ScoringStep 10. A More Complex GameThe True GoWhat’s Next?Step 1. Basic RulesFirst of all, remember the following:Two players (Black and White) take turns and Black plays first. At each turn one stone is placed on the board. The stones are placed on line intersections.Once played, the stones are not moved! ‍♂️Look at the board. It’s waiting for you to make your first move! Congratulations! Now you know half the rules of Go!Step 2. What’s the Point?Players place stones on the board to surround as much territory as possible. The stones are used as a kind of wall-building material. The player with more territory wins. Territory is vacant board points (intersections) surrounded by stones of one color. For example, in this game Black has 28 points and White has 24 points. Therefore Black won by 4 points!Keep in mind that there is no need to destroy your opponent to win in Go. ☝ It is enough to score one point more! This makes the game creative and even philosophical.It seems like the easiest thing in the world: you place stones and surround some area. But if it all ended there, the game would be too boring and simple… Step 3. Capturing StonesThis rule is quite simple. In fact, let’s try to understand it intuitively.Look at the board. These white stones can be captured in one move. Easy, right? Now let’s figure out how it happens! Step 4. Liberties and GroupsEach stone placed on the board has the so-called “liberties”. They are the adjacent empty intersections surrounding the stones. In the following diagram the liberties are marked with crosses. ☝ As you can see, the stone in the center has 4 liberties, the one at the edge has 3, and the stone in the corner has 2 liberties only. When all the liberties are occupied by the opponent, the stone is removed from the board.☠ ⚡ Each captured stone gives you one extra point! ⚡The stone with one liberty left is said to be in atari, meaning it is about to be captured.The game of Go came to Europe and America from Japan, that is why we often use Japanese terminology. However, we will refrain from using these special terms unless there is no way to replace them. For now you only need to know the term atari.By the way, you may be familiar with the word “Atari”. In fact, this was the name of a popular video game manufacturer in the 1970s and 80s. The company got this name because its founder Nolan Bushnell was a big fan of Go.Nolan BushnellAtari, Inc. founderIf it’s White’s turn now, they can save their stone. Give it a try. White adds a stone (“extends”) and now has a group of two stones. How many liberties does this group have? That’s right, three liberties. Note that the stones are connected only along the horizontal and vertical lines.⚡ Diagonals DO NOT count as connections! ⚡Well, now you know the second half of the rules of Go! It wasn’t hard at all, was it?Before we move on, let’s practice a little. ‍ Step 5. No Suicide Allowed!There are virtually no restrictions in Go. You may place a stone on any empty intersection on the board. You can also skip a move at any time by saying “pass”. Still, there are two perfectly logical and natural restrictions in Go. And the first one prohibits suicide.Take a look at this position: If Black played at A, their stone would have no liberties and would be immediately removed. This is a suicide — a pointless and prohibited move. The computer won’t allow you to play a stone at A. ‍♂️Please note that the white group has only two liberties: one inside and one outside. If you close the external liberty, the move at A becomes legal, because with this move Black can capture the whole group. Try it yourself! ☝ Therefore, if a stone or a group of stones is in atari, it can always be captured!Step 6. The Magic of Two EyesBecause of “the forbidden suicide” rule, it is possible to build a group that cannot be captured even if the opponent completely surrounds it! ‍♂️ Such a group must contain at least two separate spaces in which the opponent is not allowed to play a stone. Such a group is referred to as a living or a two-eyed group.Examples of groups that cannot be captured are shown on the board below. Notice that groups 1 and 2 are not formally connected, but still create two eyes. Group 3 is also “immortal”. ‍♀️Take a look at group 4. Where should Black play to avoid the capture of their stones? Try experimenting with the position on the board to figure out how it works.In actual games you don’t need to think about making two eyes all the time. The main objective is to surround territory. If you have a large area, you can always create two eyes if necessary.Finally, a trick question for you. Does this white group have two eyes? ☝ It might look like a living group, but in fact it is not. Look carefully. These stones are actually not connected, they are down to their last liberties and can be captured by the opponent at any moment. You can try and capture these white stones.Step 7. The Ko Rule✌ The second and final restriction in Go is the prohibition to recreate an earlier board position. It is called the ko rule, and it is as logical and necessary as the rule prohibiting suicide.⚡ You can play your first games without knowing this rule. We mention it now only to let you know that it exists. Ko occurs quite rarely, so you can safely skip this step and come back later, when the need arises. ⚡Let’s look at the following example. Black to play. Capture the White stone by making a move to A. Now it is White’s turn. The computer won’t allow you to recapture Black’s stone, since the position would revert to the one you started with. ‍♂️ If it were not for the Ko rule, there would be nothing to prevent this capture and recapture from continuing indefinitely, so the game would never end. That is why in such situations it is only possible to recapture a stone only one move later. Try to figure out for yourself how this rule works by experimenting with the position on the board.There you go, now you know everything for sure! Or maybe… almost everything

Go Premium to disable ads Step 8. SummaryWell, we’ve learned all the rules of Go. In fact there are only three of them:Rule of alternation — two players take turns and place stones at intersections. Rule of capture — the stones are removed from the board if the last liberty is occupied. Rule of illegal moves — prohibition of suicide and Ko rule. ‍♂️ The goal of the game is to surround as much territory and as many enemy stones as possible. Each prisoner adds one point. Each free board intersection surrounded by stones also makes one point. At the end of the game the points are counted. The player with the most points wins. In popular board games like checkers or chess ♟, the main goal is to capture pieces. However, this is not the case in Go. In Go you can win without capturing a single stone! During the game you have to think big and choose the move that brings maximum profit, for example, capturing some stones or surrounding some territory. But usually building territory is a more advantageous strategy.Step 9. Sample Game and ScoringWatch the game using the navigation buttons below the board. The game ends when the board is completely divided between two players and no useful moves are left. ☝ Useful moves are the ones that increase your territory or decrease your opponent’s territory. A move into your own area will take points away from you, while a move into your opponent’s area will give points to them.When there are no useful moves left, players say “pass” to skip a move. When both players have passed consecutively the game stops and scoring begins. ✍Black: 28 points of territory + 0 captures = 28 points.White: 26 points of territory + 1 captured stone = 27 points. Black won because they have 1 point more!? But there is a catch! Since Black plays first, they have a slight initial advantage: they can occupy the corners first, they can attack first, etc. In order to make up for this, it was decided that White gets 6.5 points of compensation. The fractional value allows to avoid a tied game. Such compensation is called komi.⚡ Komi — White gets 6.5 points of compensation ⚡In this way, if we count the score in the last game with the komi, then White got not 27, but 33.5 points and hence won by 5.5 points!When you play over a real board, you can use a trick to count the score: place prisoners inside the opponent’s territory, thus reducing it. That way you’ll have to count less. There’s no difference between adding those points to yourself or subtracting them from your opponent. Moreover, when counting, stones can be rearranged to form rectangular areas that can easily be counted by multiplication. You can see how to do this in Lesson 3 of the Rules of Go course.Step 10. A More Complex GameWatch the game using the navigation buttons at the bottom of the board. There was a lot more fighting in this game!⚔ Note that not all stones were captured and removed from the board during the game. If stones can’t make two eyes and avoid being captured, there is no need to “execute” them. They are considered dead and will be removed from the board at the counting stage and put together with the rest of the captured stones. Let’s count. ✍Black: 21 points of territory + 3 prisoners = 24 points. White: 12 points of territory + 1 captured stone + 3 prisoners + 6.5 komi = 22.5 points. Black won by 1.5 points! The True GoIn this article all games and problems are shown on a 9×9 board for your convenience. Theoretically, a Go board can be absolutely any size (and even shape!), but traditionally a 19×19 board is used. And this is where the real Go begins! Japanese 19×19 Go boardWhen you play on a board of this size, you have to think globally and creatively ‍ when making plans to surround territory. When black and white stones start to fight, you have to calculate moves in advance. And you always have to watch the whole board , trying not to miss a single important move. It is very challenging, but extremely exciting as well! It is no wonder that Go is not only the most complex game in the world, but also one of the most popular.Here is a game played in 1683 between two Japanese masters ‍♂️: Honinbo Dosaku and Inoue Inseki. Try to follow it and understand the general flow of the game. In this game White won by 13 points. There was no komi in those days.What’s Next?Now that you know the rules, the limitless and diverse world of Go opens up before you ✨. You will learn the basic strategic principles, discover the great masters of Go, find your own style and play many exciting games!If you haven’t seen the anime “Hikaru no Go” or “AlphaGo” documentary, we highly recommend watching them. You will find these and other movies in the Motivation section. Once you immerse yourself in the culture and spirit of the game, it will be easier to start moving to the heights of Go mastery.We have designed three special courses for beginners ‍. They will introduce you to the rules of Go and teach you all the basic principles of the game. Usually, beginners start learning to play Go on a small 9×9 board, then switch to a 13×13 board and only then to a classic 19×19 board. Our courses are based on the same principle: 9–13–19. The goal of this trilogy is to make you feel confident on the big board and to help you understand everything that happens in the game. The knowledge you will gain is enough to reach the level of ~10 kyu.☝ All the courses consist of short video lessons and quizzes. You can study at your own pace and always come back if you need to revise something.

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(106) In addition to the courses we have developed a Skill Tree, in which you will find a variety of different Go problems. The problems are conveniently structured and will help you improve your Go skill in a fun, RPG-like fashion. ‍♂️Find and join a community of Go players in your city. Feel free to use the map on baduk.club to search for Go clubs around the world. Play Go online! Find a list of recommended servers on the useful links page. Join our friendly Discord community! You can ask any questions and meet the founders and other users of the Go Magic platform there. ‍‍‍Good luck in your Go adventure!

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The Cinematic Journey of Go: Movies, Asian Dramas, Documentaries, and AnimeFrom intense dramas to heartwarming stories, discover how Go’s strategic depth and cultural heritage inspire fascinating narratives.

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Go: The Game That Has Captivated Minds for MillenniaThe timeless game, where simplicity meets depth, and fun meets wisdom.

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Go vs Chess: Which Game Tests Your Strategy Skills Better?Explore how each game develops cognitive skills differently and why these ancient games continue to captivate minds worldwide.

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PRISCILLA MALDONADO 2023-05-09Excelente manera de aprender este maravilloso juego por la manera clara y precisa de cada explicación y cada ejercicio. Agradecida.

PRISCILLA MALDONADO 2023-05-18Excelente metodologia muy clara y precisa que facilita la comprension y disfrute de este maravilloso juego. Gracias por tan agradable manera de aprender y jugar.

Mahmoud slaan 2023-10-07Class Game

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An Introduction to Go

How to Play

Although the normal size of a Go board is 19 by 19 lines, it

is possible to use smaller sizes. A quick game can be played on a

13 by 13 board without losing the essential character of the

game. The following examples all use a 9 by 9 board.

We recommend that beginners learn the

basics on a 9 by 9 board, moving up to a 13 by 13 board after a few games and only playing on a 19 by 19 board if you can play

a complete game within 15 minutes and are comfortable with some of the strategic concepts.

These images show boards at different sizes - the dots are the handicap points (see below)

The rules

A game of Go starts with an empty board. Each player has an effectively

unlimited supply of pieces (called stones), one taking the black stones, the other taking white.

The main object of the game is to use your stones to form territories by surrounding

vacant areas of the board. It is also possible to capture your opponent's

stones by completely surrounding them.

Players take turns, placing one of their stones on a vacant point at each

turn, with Black playing first. Note that stones are placed on the intersections of

the lines rather than in the squares and once played stones are not moved. However

they may be captured, in which case they are removed from the board, and kept by

the capturing player as prisoners.

Diagram 1

At the end of the game, the players count one point for each vacant point inside

their own territory, and one point for every stone they have captured. The

player with the larger total of territory plus prisoners is the winner.

Diagram 1 shows the position at the end of a game on a 9 by 9 board, during

which Black captured one white stone at a.

Black has surrounded 15 points of territory, 10 in the lower right corner and 5

towards the top of the board. Black's territory includes the point a formerly

occupied by the white stone Black has captured. Adding this prisoner, Black has a total of

16 points.

White's territory is 17 points, so White wins the game by one point.

Capturing stones and counting liberties

The empty points which are horizontally and vertically

adjacent to a stone, or a solidly connected string of stones, are

known as liberties. An isolated stone or solidly connected string

of stones is captured when all of its liberties

are occupied by enemy stones.

Diagram 2

Diagram 3

Diagram 4

Diagram 2 shows three isolated white stones with their liberties marked by

crosses. Stones which are on the edge of the board have fewer liberties

than those in the centre of the board. A single stone on the side has

three liberties, and a stone in the corner has only two liberties.

Diagram 3 shows the same three stones of Diagram 2 each with only one liberty

left and therefore subject to capture on Black's next turn. Each of these white

stones is said to be in atari, meaning they are about to be captured.

Diagram 4 shows the position which would arise if Black went on to play at

b in Diagram 3. Black has taken the captured stone from the board, and in a real

game would keep it as a prisoner. The same remarks would apply to the

other two white stones, should Black play at c or d in Diagram 4.

Diagram 5

Strings

Stones occupying adjacent points constitute a solidly

connected string. Two examples of such solidly connected

strings of stones are shown in Diagram 5. It is

important to remember that only stones which are

horizontally or vertically adjacent are solidly connected;

diagonals do not count as connections. Thus,

for example, the two marked black stones in the top

left of Diagram 5 are two separate strings, not a single one.

Several strings close together, which belong to the same player, are often described as a group. So these two strings form a group.

Diagram 6Diagram 7

Capturing strings

As far as capturing is concerned, a string

of stones is treated as a single unit. As with isolated stones,

a string is captured when all of its liberties are occupied by

enemy stones.

In Diagram 6 the strings of Diagram 5 have both been

reduced to just one liberty. Note that the black string in

the top right is not yet captured because of the internal

liberty at f. The two stones at the top left of Diagram 6

can each be captured independently at g or h.

In Diagram 7 we see the position which would result if

Black captured at e and White captured at f and at

g. The remaining black stone could be captured at h.

As with the capture of a single stone, the points formerly occupied

by the black string have become white territory, and vice versa.

A player may not self-capture, that is

play a stone into a position where it would

have no liberties or form part of a string

which would thereby have no liberties,

unless, as a result, one or more of the

stones surrounding it is captured.

Diagrams 8 and 9 illustrate the rule governing self-capture.

In Diagram 8, White may not play at i or j, since either

of these plays would be self-capture; the stones would

then have no liberties. However, if the outside liberties

have been filled, as shown in Diagram 9, then the plays at

i and j become legal; they fill the last black liberty in

each case, and result in the black stones being captured and

removed from the board as White's prisoners.

Diagram 8Diagram 9

Diagram 10Life and death and the concept of eyes

In Diagram 9, White was able to play at i and j because

these plays result in the capture of the adjacent black stones.

Since White's plays capture some stones, they do not

count as self-capture.

A different situation is shown in Diagram 10. The black

string here could only be captured if White were able to

play at both m and n. Since the first of these plays would be

self-capture, there is no way that White can carry out the

capture. These two separate spaces within the group are

known as eyes.

Any string or group of stones which has two or more eyes

is permanently safe from capture and is referred

to as a live string or live group. Conversely, a string of stones

which is unable to make two eyes, and is cut off

and surrounded by live enemy strings, is called a

dead string since it is hopeless and unable to avoid

eventual capture.

Diagram 11

In Diagram 11, the black string at the bottom is in

danger of being captured. To ensure that Black's string has

two eyes, Black needs to play at o. If White plays at o,

the black string will no longer be able to make two eyes,

and cannot avoid eventual capture; White can always fill

in the outside liberties and then play at p and at q. Black

plays at p or q would only hasten the string's death.

The black string at the top left of Diagram 11 is already

alive even though there is a White stone inside one of its

eyes. Since White can never capture the black stones, the

White stone caught inside the string cannot be saved.

In the course of a real game, players are not obliged to complete the capture of an

isolated dead string once it is clear to both players that the string is dead. We call this a hopeless string. In

Diagram 11, once White has played at o, the situation may be left as

it is until the end of the game. Then, the hopeless strings are simply removed from the

board and counted together with the capturing player's other prisoners.

Diagram 12The ko rule

At the top of Diagram 12, Black can capture a stone by

playing at r. This results in the situation at the top of

Diagram 13. However, this stone is itself vulnerable to

capture by a White play at u in Diagram 13. If White

were allowed to recapture immediately at u, the

position would revert to that in Diagram 12, and there

would be nothing to prevent this capture and recapture

continuing indefinitely. This pattern of stones is

called ko - a Japanese term meaning eternity. Two other

possible shapes for a ko, on the edge of the board and in

the corner, are also shown in this diagram.

Diagram 13

The ko rule removes this possibility of indefinite repetition

by forbidding the recapture of the ko, in this case

a play at u in Diagram 13, until White has made at

least one play elsewhere. Black may then fill the ko,

but if Black chooses not to do so, instead answering

White's intervening turn elsewhere, White is then permitted

to retake the ko. Similar remarks apply to the

other two positions in these diagrams; the corresponding

plays at w and v in Diagram 13 must also be delayed

by one turn.

Diagram 14Seki - a kind of local stalemate

Usually a string which cannot make two eyes will die

unless one of the surrounding enemy strings also lacks

two eyes. This often leads to a race to capture, but can

also result in a stand-off situation, known as seki, in

which neither string has two eyes, but neither can

capture the other due to a shortage of liberties. Two

examples of seki are shown in Diagram 14. Neither

player can afford to play at x, y or z,

since to do so would enable the other to make a capture.

The end of the game

When you think your territories are all safe, you can't gain any more territory, reduce your opponent's territory or capture more strings, instead of playing a stone on the board you pass and hand a stone to your opponent as a prisoner. Two consecutive passes ends the game.

Any hopeless strings are removed and become prisoners. If you cannot agree whether a string is dead or not, then continue playing; you can then complete capture of disputed strings or confirm they are alive. (Playing during a continuation does not change the score as each play is the same as a pass.) Since Black played first, White must play last and may need to make a further pass.

Now you know how to play. However there are a few other things you should know:

The handicap system

As remarked in the introduction, one of the best features of the game of Go is its

handicap system. A weaker player may be given an advantage of anything up to

nine stones. These are placed on the board in lieu of Black's first turn.

Once all the handicap stones have been placed in position it is White's turn to play.

Through the grading system, any two players can easily establish the difference

in their strength, and therefore how many stones the weaker player should take in

order to compensate for this difference. Since a player's grade is measured

in terms of stones, the number of stones for the handicap is simply the difference

in grade between the two players.

There is an established pattern for the placement of handicap stones, shown

by the dots which are marked on any Go board. This is shown

in Diagram 15 (Black is facing the board from the bottom),

for each of 1 to 9 stones handicap.

Diagram 15

Komi

Black has a natural advantage in playing first. So in games between players of the same

strength, it is usual to compensate White for the disadvantage of playing second by adding

points to White's score. These points are called komi. From experience the value of playing first

is about 7 points, so this is the normal size of komi.

In tournaments, komi is often set at 7.5 points to avoid draws.

In a 1 stone handicap the weaker player is Black but no komi is given to White.

Next: An Example Game

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CategoriesHobbies and CraftsGamesBoard GamesStrategy Board GamesA Beginner’s Guide to Go: Setup, Rules, & Gameplay

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Believed to be at least 2,500 years old, Go is one of the oldest board games in the world. It’s the ultimate game to engage your mind, and while it might seem a little confusing at first, it’s actually super easy to learn! In this article, we’ll walk you through the ancient art of Go so you can play with everyone you know.

Things You Should Know

Number of Players: 2

Materials Needed: 19 x 19 Go game board, 360 Go game stones (181 black stones and 180 white stones)

Objective: Control the most territory on the board & capture your opponent’s stones.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Setup

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Set out the Go board and distribute the stones. Place a 19 x 19 Go game board in between the players. Choose who wants to play as black and who wants to play as white, then distribute the Go stones: 181 black stones to one player and 180 white stones to the other. Traditionally, the most experienced player uses black stones and goes first.[1]

Research source

For beginners, start learning the basics on a 9 x 9 board, then move up to a 13 x 13 board after a few games. Once you feel more comfortable with the strategy of the game, feel free to play on a standard 19 x 19 board.

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Agree on the number of compensation points for a traditional game. Since black has an advantage by playing first, white is compensated by taking komi (コミ)—additional points added to white’s score at the end of the game. Black’s first move is often considered equal to 5-7 points, but most tournaments use half points to avoid ties.[2]

Research source

Most Westerners follow Japanese and Korean rules, where standard komi is set at 6.5. Under Chinese, Ing, and AGA rules, standard komi is 7.5.

The Korean term for komi is deom (덤), while the Chinese term is tiē mù (贴目).[3]

Research source

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Place white stones on the “star points” of the board for handicap games. If one player is more experienced than the other, place a handicap on the game to offset the differences in strength and rank. Agree on the number of handicap stones before playing, then place them on the star points of the board (the dotted points on the 4th, 10th, and 16th lines). In handicap games, the stronger player uses white stones, while the weaker player uses black.[4]

Research source

Handicap stones serve as reference points to help the weaker player understand the strategy of the game.

The number of handicap stones is equal to one stone per difference in rank. For example, the handicap between a 5 kyu and 4 dan player is 8 stones. If there is only a one-rank difference, both players often agree on a 0.5 point komi.[5]

Research source

Leave the board empty if both players are at the same level, or if komi is used in place of handicap stones. Give the weaker player 8 or more points to even out the playing field.[6]

Research source

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Strategy & Terminology

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Try to control more area on the board than your opponent. The main objective of Go is to control more territory than your opponent by enclosing areas on the board with your stones. Territory includes empty intersections that are bordered by stones of the same color, as well as intersections that are surrounded by the same colored stones and the edges of the board. Each empty intersection within your territory is worth one point (or moku).[7]

Research source

To conceptualize the game, think of the board as an island where both players want to claim as much land as possible.

If a player places a stone inside their own territory, they lose a point.

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Surround your opponent’s stones to capture them as “prisoners.” Form strings around the board to shape and claim your territory, and surround your opponent. Once you fill all the adjacent intersections around your opponent’s stones, remove them from the board and keep them in a separate pile. These captured stones are called “prisoners,” and they are worth one point each, on top of the point you receive from each empty intersection.[8]

Research source

A string is a group of the same colored stones that are connected along grid lines vertically and horizontally—not diagonally. Once you form a string, it cannot be divided unless your partner surrounds it with their stones.

A player cannot self-capture their stones by placing them inside their territory. If so, they lose one point.

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Familiarize yourself with the terminology of the game. Go over the key terms of the game to better understand the gameplay and strategy:[9]

Research source

Intersection: every crossing of lines on the board (including edges); there are 361 intersections on a 19 x 19 board

Liberties: empty intersections that are horizontally and vertically adjacent to a stone

String: a group of stones of the same color that are connected along board lines vertically and horizontally, forming a unit that cannot be divided

Capture: when a string’s liberties are occupied by opponent markers, they’re captured

Prisoners: the stones you capture from your opponent (from acquiring territory)

Ko: a rule that removes the possibility of infinite recapture and capture; no recapture can occur until one play is made elsewhere on the board

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Gameplay

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Take turns placing a stone on the intersection of the board. After choosing your stone color and agreeing on the number of compensation or handicap points, place a stone on an intersection of a grid line—not inside an empty square on the board. Alternate putting down stones with your opponent, with the goal of gaining more territory on the board.[10]

Research source

Intersections also include the T-shaped crossings at the edges of the board.

Your stones will not move unless your opponent surrounds and captures them.

This first move stakes out which side you want to claim. Traditionally, black places their stone in the upper right hand quadrant.

In a handicap game, the weaker player goes after the stronger player puts their stones on the star points of the board.

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Decide on your strategy to win the most points. There are generally 2 options: claiming the most territory or invading your opponent's territory (to capture their stones and them into "prisoners"). Although gaining territory is usually considered the main goal, the points earned from captured stones can change the outcome of the game.[11]

Research source

If a player places a stone that removes the last liberty (empty intersection adjacent to the stone) from a connected group of the opponent's stones, then that group is dead and captured.

The exception to the above rule is that you cannot capture a single stone that just captured one of your stones without playing elsewhere first. This is called the rule of ko ("ko" means "eternity" in Japanese), and it prevents the game from coming to a stalemate.

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End the game when both players can't gain anymore territory. When you can’t increase your territory, capture anymore of your opponent’s stones, or reduce your opponent’s territory, give one stone to your opponent to “pass” your turn. Two consecutive passes end the game, then you and your opponent can start counting points.[12]

Research source

Either player can pass if they don’t see any benefit to making a move.

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Win the game if you earn the most points. Score points by counting the number of intersections inside your territory and the stones you’ve collected from your opponent (“prisoners”). Each intersection is worth one point, and each collected stone is worth an additional point. If you agreed to use komi at the beginning of the game, add the additional points to calculate your final score.[13]

Research source

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Can I play against myself?

Channa231

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Playing against yourself can be difficult, you have to think for two. However, you can set up a single board with already-placed stones and practice against a certain layout you've been struggling with. This can help you also learn new techniques against a certain play style.

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What does a "living stone" mean?

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A living stone could be a monster or npc in your game that is made up of stones, or it could be a item to help your character regain life.

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Tips

Find an opponent for in-person games by looking for a local club of an organization like the American Go Association or British Go Association. For online games, check out the following servers: IGS, KGS, OGS, DGS, Yahoo, MSN Zone, Go shrine, 361points, Break Base.

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References

↑ https://www.gobook.eu/pdf/A%20Go%20guide%20by%20a%20beginner%20-%20cond%20greyscale%20version.pdf

↑ https://gobase.org/studying/rules/doc/a4.pdf

↑ https://gameofgo.app/learn/what-is-komi-in-go-game

↑ https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~wjh/go/rules/AGA.html

↑ https://senseis.xmp.net/?Handicap

↑ https://gameofgo.app/learn/what-is-komi-in-go-game

↑ https://www.buffalolib.org/sites/default/files/gaming-unplugged/inst/Go%20Deluxe%20Short%20Version%20of%20Game%20Rules.pdf

↑ https://www.gobook.eu/pdf/A%20Go%20guide%20by%20a%20beginner%20-%20cond%20greyscale%20version.pdf

↑ https://www.buffalolib.org/sites/default/files/gaming-unplugged/inst/Go%20Deluxe%20Short%20Version%20of%20Game%20Rules.pdf

More References (4)

↑ https://www.buffalolib.org/sites/default/files/gaming-unplugged/inst/Go%20Deluxe%20Short%20Version%20of%20Game%20Rules.pdf

↑ https://www.gobook.eu/pdf/A%20Go%20guide%20by%20a%20beginner%20-%20cond%20greyscale%20version.pdf

About This Article

Co-authored by:

Bailey Cho

wikiHow Staff Writer

14 votes - 47%

Co-authors: 50

Updated: July 21, 2023

Views: 229,525

Categories: Featured Articles | Strategy Board Games

Article SummaryXGo is a fun 2-player board game where players compete to take over the most territory on the board. The board features a 19 by 19 grid. The game also comes with 181 black stones and 180 white stones. There is 1 more black stone than white stone because black always goes first. To play the game, black takes the first turn by placing a stone on one of the intersections on the board. Stones can be placed on any open 4-way intersection or any open T-shaped intersection at the edge of the board. After black takes their turn, white goes next. Play alternates back and forth throughout the game. The goal of the game is to acquire territory, which is done by surrounding empty intersections with stones of the same color. Each empty intersection that is surrounded is worth 1 point for the player whose stones surround it. Corners can be used as a border when surrounding empty intersections. A player can also capture their opponent’s stones by surrounding them with their own stones. If one or more stones are completely surrounded by the other player’s, those stones are removed from the board and set aside in the prisoner’s pile. The player who captured the stones adds all of the newly empty intersections to their territory. The game continues until all of the available territory has been claimed. At the end of the game, each player takes all of the stones they captured and places them in their opponent’s territory to reduce their number of empty intersections and points. Whoever has the most points wins the game! For tips on how to practice playing Go online, read on!

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Why is Go Special? | British Go Association

Why is Go Special? | British Go Association

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An Introduction to Go

Why is Go Special?

Go is unique among games

The history of Go stretches back some 3-4,000 years and the rules have

remained essentially unchanged throughout this very long period.

The game probably originated in China and

the future of Tibet was once decided over a Go

board when the Buddhist ruler refused to go into battle; instead he

challenged the aggressor to a game of Go.

In the Far East, where it originated, Go enjoys great popularity today,

and interest in the game is growing steadily in Europe and America.

Like Chess, Go is a game of skill - it has been described as being like four

Chess games going on together on the same board - but it differs from

Chess in many ways. The rules of Go are very simple and though, like

Chess, it is a challenge to players' analytical skills, there is far more

scope in Go for intuition.

Go is a territorial game. The board, marked with a grid of 19 lines by 19 lines,

may be thought of as a piece of land to be shared between the two players.

One player has a supply of black pieces, called stones, the other a supply

of white. The game starts with an empty board and the players take turns,

placing one stone at each turn on a vacant point. Black plays first, and the

stones are placed on the intersections of the lines rather than in the

squares. Once played, stones are not moved. However they may be surrounded

and so captured, in which case they are removed from the board as prisoners.

The players normally start by staking out their claims to

parts of the board which they intend eventually to surround

and thereby make into territory. However, fights between enemy

groups of stones provide much of the excitement in a game, and can result

in dramatic exchanges of territory. At the end of the game the players

count one point for each vacant intersection inside their own territory,

and one point for every stone they have captured. The one with

the larger total is the winner.

Capturing stones is certainly one way of gaining territory, but one of

the subtleties of Go is that aggression doesn't always pay. The

strategic and tactical possibilities of the game are endless, providing a

challenge and enjoyment to players at every level. The personalities

of the players emerge very clearly on the Go board. The game reflects

the skills of the players in balancing attack and defence, making stones

work efficiently, remaining flexible in response to changing situations,

timing, analysing accurately and recognising the strengths and weaknesses

of the opponent. In short, Go is a game it is impossible to outgrow.

What makes Go extraordinary?

As an intellectual challenge Go is extraordinary. The rules are very

simple, yet it resists all attempts to program computers to play Go.

Even the best programs, the results of many years development,

are still beaten by experienced players.

Apart from a chance to beat the computer, Go offers major attractions to

anyone who enjoys games of skill:

There is great scope for intuition

and experiment in a game of Go, especially in the opening. Like

Chess, Go has its opening strategies and tactics but players

can become quite strong knowing no more than a few basic patterns.

A great advantage of Go is the very effective handicapping

system. This enables players of widely differing strengths to play

each other on equal terms without distorting the character

of the game.

The object in Go is to make more territory than the other player by

surrounding it more efficiently, or by attacking the opponent's

stones to greater effect. On such a large board, it's possible to do

somewhat badly in one area but still to win the game by doing

better on the board as a whole.

Every game of Go quickly takes on a character of its own - no two

games are alike. Since a player needs only to have more territory

than the opponent in order to win, there are very few drawn games,

though the outcome may hang in the balance until the very end.

NEXT: A Brief History or How to Play

This page is part of the online version of our Play Go Leaflet.

Book traversal links for Why is Go Special?

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A Brief History of Go ›

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Go Game | Baduk | Weiqi : Introduction to the Classic Board Game
ame | Baduk | Weiqi : Introduction to the Classic Board Game
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Sign upGo: The Game That Has Captivated Minds for Millennia

Go Magic
2023-11-17
Professional Go Players: Ayumi Suzuki and Kanketsu Rin. Photo sourceWelcome to the world of Go, an ancient game that’s as simple as it is profound. Played by emperors, philosophers and war commanders in the past, Go continues to engage and captivate modern intellectuals today. More than just a game — Go is a masterclass in efficient thinking, sharpening your mind with every play. “Go” comes from the Japanese 囲碁 (Igo), and is also known as 圍棋 (wéiqí) in China and 바둑 (baduk) in Korea.Cool Facts about GoOriginating in China, Go has a history of over 3000 years
Simple rules, but over 10171 possible variations, making it the most complex board game everTop professional Go players earn up to $1.3M annuallyGreat Minds Fascinated by GoConfuciusCHINESE PHILOSOPHEREmanuel LaskerCHESS WORLD CHAMPIONAlbert EinsteinTHEORETICAL PHYSICISTSergey BrinGOOGLE CO-FOUNDERLeft And Right Brain Unite to Play GoLeft HemisphereStrategic PlanningLogical ReasoningAnalytical ThinkingMathematical SkillsRight HemisphereCreativity and InnovationPattern RecognitionSpatial IntelligenceIntuition and InsightPlaying Go does wonders for your brain! It not only boosts your memory and helps you focus better, but it also makes you a great problem solver. Plus, it’s great for keeping your emotions in check and keeping your mind sharp and flexible. All these benefits might even help in slowing down the aging process of the brain, reducing the risk of dementia. ‍♂️Proof 2020: Neural substrate of a cognitive intervention program using Go game: a positron emission tomography studyhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40520-019-01462-62018: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Go Game Intervention on Cognitive Functionhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15333175177533622017: Higher extrinsic and lower intrinsic connectivity in resting state networks for professional Baduk (Go) playershttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/brb3.8532015: The impacts of a Go game (Chinese chess) intervention on Alzheimer disease in a Northeast Chinese populationhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2015.00163/full2014: Baduk (the Game of Go) Improved Cognitive Function and Brain Activity in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorderhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023088/2013: Exploring the brains of Baduk (Go) experts: gray matter morphometry, resting-state functional connectivity, and graph theoretical analysishttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00633/full2010: A study on the effect of the brain activation and emotion by child Baduk studyhttps://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201026359283816.page2010: White matter neuroplastic changes in long-term trained players of the game of Go https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.elsevier-c18ea08b-2ec3-3db8-ae0c-836aad6bf7ac2010: The Study on the Effect of Neuro-feedback Trainings on the Brain Waves of Baduk Playershttps://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-35270-6_372010: White matter neuroplastic changes in long-term trained players of the game of “Baduk” (GO): A voxel-based diffusion-tensor imaging studyhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S10538119100040882008: A Study on the Effect of Neurofeedback Training on the Improvement of Brain Function & Baduk Strength for Child Baduk Playershttps://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO200801440610366.page2008: A Study on the Brain wave Characteristics of Baduk Expert by BCI (Brain Computer Interface)https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO200827053487436.page2003: A functional MRI study of high-level cognition: II. The game of GOhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926641002002069Hide the list
Go Premium to disable ads Charming Simplicity of the RulesThink you can’t play Go without knowing the rules? Let’s put that to the test! Pretty straightforward, right? You’ve just learned a key part of the Go rules. In Go, players take turns placing black and white stones at the line intersections.The Objective Outscore your opponent by controlling more territory and capturing their stones.Capturing Stones ⚫⚪You capture stones by completely surrounding them. Each captured stone adds a point to your score. This is a fundamental aspect of tactical gameplay.Controlling Territories Capturing stones is just one part of Go. Equally, if not more, important is controlling as much of the board as you can. The more territory you secure, the more points you gain. This brings a deep strategic layer to the game. Go Game Video TutorialYou can learn to play Go by taking a short interactive course that covers Go rules and fundamentals. It consists of bite-sized video lessons and quizzes to test your new skills. Check out the first lesson from the course:Chess vs Go: A Quick ComparisonWhile the Baroque rules of Chess could only have been created by humans, the rules of Go are so elegant, organic, and rigorously logical that if intelligent life forms exist elsewhere in the universe they almost certainly play Go— Edward Lasker, International Chess MasterChessGoOrigin~1,500 years ago in India~3,000 years ago in ChinaBoard Size8×8 grid19×19 gridGame Pieces6 types of pieces per colorBlack and white stonesEase of EntrySimple objective; detailed piece-specific rulesSimple rules; complex strategic objectiveAverage Game Length~80 moves~200 movesGame Complexity~1044 possible positions~10171 possible positionsAI Surpasses Human Level1997, IBM’s DeepBlue2016, Google’s AlphaGoPlayer Population~500 million worldwide~25 million worldwideProfessional Players~1700 worldwide~2000 worldwideIf a single grain represented every possible chess position, Go complexity would be comparable to the entire Sahara Desert.Why Isn’t Go as Popular as Chess? It’s a historical curiosity why Go isn’t as widely played as chess, especially considering its rich strategic depth. Chess got a head start in the West, becoming a staple in culture and education. Go, hailing from East Asia, only garnered Western attention over the last 100 years. But times are changing! With movies, anime, and epic AI battles, Go is rapidly gaining global popularity.The AI Milestone: AlphaGoThe 2016 match where Google’s AlphaGo defeated world champion Lee Sedol was a watershed moment, showcasing the incredible potential of artificial intelligence. That was the beginning of the widespread use of neural networks.Congrats to DeepMind! Many experts in the field thought AI was 10 years away from achieving this. https://t.co/5gGZZkud3K— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2016 Interested in the full story? Check out the documentary “AlphaGo”. It’s a fascinating look at this historic AI-human showdown. Here it is, watch it now or save it for later.
Go Premium to disable ads Go in Movies and AnimeDid you see Go in “A Beautiful Mind” or “Pi”? It’s also sneaked into scenes in “Tetris” and “Knives Out.” But where Go really scores big is in the anime world. Enter “Hikaru no Go” — it’s this awesome series about a kid, Hikaru, who stumbles upon a Go board, but there’s a twist: it’s haunted by a Go master’s spirit from the past. Even though the anime is more than 20 years old, it’s still a hit, boasting an 8.2 on IMDB. Want more movies centered about Go? Check out the whole list of them! Ready to Make Your First Move?Jumpstart your Go adventure with Go Magic! Our platform makes learning Go a breeze with Interactive Courses and a structured Skill Tree. Start your journey with the first course of our Go fundamentals trilogy, covering the rules and basics on 9×9 and then keep progressing to greater challenges in the art of Go.Learning Go has never been more fun and accessible! ✨
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Categories: Overview, Tutorials
Tagged: Baduk, Go Game, Weiqi
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The Cinematic Journey of Go: Movies, Asian Dramas, Documentaries, and AnimeFrom intense dramas to heartwarming stories, discover how Go’s strategic depth and cultural heritage inspire fascinating narratives.

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Go vs Chess: Which Game Tests Your Strategy Skills Better?Explore how each game develops cognitive skills differently and why these ancient games continue to captivate minds worldwide.

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