How to Play Go
Go is a game about surrounding space. Players take turns placing stones on the intersections of a grid, and the player who ends up controlling more of the board wins.
The rules are shorter than almost any other board game, which is exactly why it stays interesting for a lifetime. Start on the nine by nine board.
Play GoHow to play
- Black plays first, and stones go on the intersections rather than the squares.
- A stone or a connected group has liberties: the empty points directly beside it.
- When a group's last liberty is filled it is captured and taken off the board.
- You cannot play a stone that would have no liberties, unless that move captures something.
- The ko rule stops endless repetition: you cannot immediately recreate the position that just existed.
- Either player may pass, and when both pass the game ends and the board is counted.
How scoring works
At the end you count the empty points your stones surround, plus the stones you captured. Whoever has more wins, with a small bonus called komi given to White to balance Black playing first.
This is why the game is about influence rather than attack. A wall of stones pointing at empty space is often worth more than capturing a few prisoners.
Beginner advice
Play the corners first, then the sides, then the centre. Corners need the fewest stones to surround territory.
Do not chase a group you cannot catch. Every move spent hunting is a move your opponent spends building.
Keep your groups connected. Two weak groups are far worse than one strong one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Go harder than chess?
The rules are far simpler. The board is bigger and the choices are wider, which is why the game stays deep, but you can play your first game ten minutes after learning the rules.
What board size should a beginner use?
Nine by nine. Games finish quickly and every capture is easy to see, which is how you learn.
What is komi?
A points bonus given to White to make up for Black moving first.