How to Play Go

Go is an ancient strategy game for two players: Black and White. The goal is simple—control more of the board than your opponent.

• Turns: Players alternate placing one stone on any empty intersection.
• Capturing: A stone (or connected group) is captured and removed when all four surrounding intersections are occupied by the opponent’s stones.
• Passing: When neither player sees a useful move, they may pass. Two passes end the game.

Scoring (Chinese Rules)

Each player earns one point for every stone they have on the board, plus one point for each empty intersection completely surrounded by their stones. White receives a small bonus called komi (usually 7.5 points) to compensate for going second. The higher total wins.

Tips

• Start on a 9×9 board for faster games—19×19 is the full professional size.
• Try to keep your groups alive with liberties rather than chasing captures early.
• Corners are easier to secure than the center—expand from there.