Introduction to Go
Discover an ancient game, simple to learn but infinite in its strategy!
What is Go?
Go is a very ancient board game from Asia. It is one of the oldest games in the world! It was born more than 2,500 years ago in China, where it is called "Weiqi" (pronounced WAY-CHEE).
Today it is played by millions of people worldwide, especially in Japan (where it is called "Go" or "Igo"), in Korea (where it is called "Baduk"), and in China.
It is also very popular in Europe and America!
How to play?
Go is played on a board (called "goban") with a grid of lines. Players use stones: black ones and white ones.
- ⚫ Black player places a black stone on the goban, on an intersection of their choice
- ⚪ White player places a white stone on another intersection
- 🔄 Players alternate, playing one stone at a time
Liberties and Capture
Each stone or group of stones has liberties: the directly adjacent empty spaces. When all liberties of a group are occupied by the opponent, the stones are captured and removed from the goban.
- 🫥 When a stone is completely surrounded by opponent stones, it is removed
- 🫥 To eliminate a group of stones, all adjacent intersections must be occupied
What is the goal?
The aim of the game is to conquer more territory than your opponent. Territory is the empty space surrounded by your stones.
You don't have to capture all the opponent's stones! You have to build "fences" with your stones to enclose space and make it yours. At the end of the game, whoever has more territory wins!
Calculating the score
At the end of the game, points are counted. There are two main systems:
- 🇨🇳 Area Scoring (Chinese rules): stones on the board plus surrounded empty spaces (territory) are counted. The total score is the sum of stones and territory.
- 🇯🇵 Territory Scoring (Japanese rules): only surrounded empty spaces (territory) plus stones captured from the opponent (prisoners) are counted. Stones on the board do not count.
- ⚖️ Komi. To compensate for the advantage Black gets by playing first, White receives a bonus called komi: 7.5 points in Area scoring or 6.5 points in Territory scoring. The half-point prevents draws.
Why is it a special game?
- 🎈 Rules are simple! You can learn the basics in a few minutes
- 🌈 It's always different! Every game is unique, it never repeats
- 🧩 It's strategic! It makes you think creatively and logically
- 🎉 It's fun! You can play with friends, family or online
A game for everyone
Go is a game you can keep learning for a lifetime! There are champions who have played for decades and still discover new strategies.
It is also a very educational game: it improves concentration, patience, memory and helps develop strategic thinking. And you can play with people of all ages, from children to grandparents!