Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: The board and the pieces
• Method 2 of 3: The rules
• Method 3 of 3: Play the game
• Tips
• Warnings

Go is a board game for two players where you try to conquer areas; it is possibly the oldest board game in the world. The rules are very simple and you can learn them in minutes. Many enthusiasts consider Go an art; the almost infinite number of variations is too much for even the most advanced computers. It is very easy to learn to play, but learning to play the game well takes a lot of time and practice. Read on to learn more about this ancient, intriguing and clever game.

To step

Method 1 of 3: The board and the pieces

1. Use a standard 19x19 game board. There are 19 horizontal and vertical lines. You can use an existing board or make your own.
   • Smaller plates. Often smaller boards with a size of 13x13 or 9x9 are also used for faster games or as an educational aid.
   • There should be 9 marked points equidistant on the board (on the 3rd, 9th and 15th lines). These are called "star points" and serve as reference points or markers for games with a barrier.
2. Have 361 black and white stones ready. This number is for a 19x19 game. This number corresponds to the number of crossings on the playing field. If you are using a smaller board, use less stones.
   • Black plays with 181 stones and white with 180. This is because black makes the first move.
   • Keep the bricks in a bowl next to the board.

Method 2 of 3: The rules

1. Take turns. Tradition is that black begins.
   • Stones can also be placed on the edge, where there is a t-junction.
   • Once a stone has been placed, it cannot be moved (unless the stone has been captured and removed).
2. Try to conquer territories. This can be done in two ways:
   • Area is empty space surrounded by stones of the same color. The larger the area you have enclosed, the more points you get.
     • Vertices can also be used as boundaries.
   • You lose a point if you place a stone within your own territory.
3. Try to capture stones. Connect your stones to capture your opponent's stones.
   • Stones of the same color on adjacent points are connected, they belong together. The joint or row can be horizontal or vertical, but not diagonal.
   • Fill in all the adjacent points around your stones to conquer them. Once captured, remove them from the board and keep them in a separate pile.
   • The boundary of your territory must be continuous.
4. The game is over when all areas have been claimed. Both players pass and the game is over. Count how many points (or intersections) each player is guarding.
   • Place all the captured stones in the opponent's territories. His score is thus reduced by the number of intersections he loses.
     • Consequently, it is a conquered stone two worth points. One point that is deducted from the opponent's score and one point for unlocking more territory.
   • Conquering is what makes this game a battle for who is the smartest. While gaining ground is the main goal, it is important to think about your defense all the time.
5. Know the terminology. Since this is an ancient Japanese game, there are many new terms to learn.
   • Freedoms– A crossroads next to a stone
   • Atari - a situation where a piece can be captured on the next move
     • For example, "Your white stone you have there is in atari! Haha!"
   • Eye– a single opening within a group
     • If there is still an opening somewhere in the wall of stones, it is not possible to conquer the area
   • Suicide - place a rock somewhere where it can be captured
   • Ko - a situation where a stone that can be conquered can be immediately recaptured, allowing a particular situation to be repeated infinitely many times. It is not possible to conquer right after a Ko.

Method 3 of 3: Play the game

1. Find an opponent. Someone who is well versed in the game is a better teacher and example.
   • You can search for a game or with an opponent in real life, through a computer program or through an online go server. If you're just starting out, ask someone close to you to join or join an association (if one exists). Online games can be played on the following servers:
   • IGS
   • KGS
   • DGS
   • Yahoo
   • MSN Zone
   • Goshrine
   • 361points
   • BreakBase
2. Start the game by choosing a specific color. In a handicap game, the strongest player White and Black places the 2-9 handicap stones on the 9 points (marked thicker on the board) before White makes a counter move.
   • In a normal game it is randomly determined who starts. Since black has an advantage over white, because black starts, white is offset by komi, a certain number, which will be added to White's score at the end of the game.
   • The number of komi varies, but most competitions use numbers between 5 and 8 points. Sometimes a fractional number such as 6.5 is used to avoid a draw.
3. Place the first stone. This must be done by the player with the black stones. It is customary to place this in the top right quadrant.
   • This first move determines which side each player tries to claim.
   • Handicap stones are used on the first move in a handicap game.
4. Take turns making a move. Remember, the pieces are placed on the intersections, not in the empty spaces of the board.
   • A player may skip a turn if there is no advantage to be gained from a move. This is usually an indication that one of the players wants to end the game, after which the score can be counted.
     • If both players miss their turn, the game is over.
5. Decide what your strategy will be. There are usually two options: claiming the largest territory or invading your opponent's territory by capturing his / her pieces ("capturing" them).
   • If a player places a stone that removes the last free intersection from a chained group of stones belonging to the opponent, that group is dead and removed from the game board (captured).
   • [[Image: Go ko figure.webp | right | 210px | White has just captured the black stone at the marked point and now the white stone is in atari. When black conquers that white stone, an infinite loop is created. So black has to make a move elsewhere. The exception to the previous rule is that you cannot capture any stone that has just captured one of your stones without first making another move. This is called the ko rule ("ko" means "eternity" in Japanese); this rule is necessary to ensure that a game does not end up in a loop.
6. End the game when both players pass. Black and white must both realize that there is no advantage to be gained from the next move.
   • The player who has captured the most stones and territories wins. Captured pieces must be placed on the game board in the opponent's territory to reduce their score.
7. Count the number of points. You can either count areas or territories. The two methods are the same, provided that both players have made the same number of moves (without passing).
   • When counting territories, one point is counted for every living stone of a certain color and every empty intersection within the territory. White then adds the komi to that.
   • When counting territories, the opponent's territory is filled with captured stones. The opponent's score is then the total of the remaining empty space. White then adds the komi to that.

Tips

• According to an old saying, it is recommended to "lose your first fifty games as fast as you can". This is excellent advice with the note that you pay due attention to the why of your loss. Learn from your mistakes!
• Stay calm even if the outlook for profit is deteriorating rapidly. A match where it is all about can end up in the other player's favor.Not necessarily because some area is lost, but because of loss of concentration and fear of losing. Keep holding on. If something goes wrong, do everything you can to keep that loss as small as possible. If no different, then lose with your head held high. The chance that a single set can turn the tide in a match is very small, especially against experienced players.
• Play practice games against stronger players. These are matches where the more experienced player makes certain common moves so that you learn how to react to them in the best way.
• Search the library for a good book about the rules of Go, or online if necessary. Yahoo also offers the option to play Go online. However, this is not recommended, as the server uses the Chess ranking system instead of the traditional Japanese system most commonly used.

Warnings

• Although the rules of Go are often considered simple and natural, there are different sets of rules. Some popular sets are Chinese, Japanese, New Zealand, AGA, and ING. Further complications arise because some game servers indicate that they adhere to a certain set of rules, but do not implement them properly. Yahoo, for example, is notorious for allowing a player who disagrees with the score to change the game to no pass Go. Fortunately, the game situations where this really makes a difference are limited to artificially created situations and are not common, or not recognized as such, in regular Go games.
• Online games are often fast, so watch the time.
• Be attentive to the other player, whether in real life or over the Internet.