Go

How to play Go?

Go, known as Weiqi in China, Igo in Japan, and Baduk in Korea, is one of the world’s oldest strategy games, with a history spanning more than 2,500 years. Players take turns placing stones on empty intersections; the goal is to use your stones to enclose as large a portion of the board as possible and to trap your opponent’s stones so they have no moves left. Go on the Oyun Treni website is played on a 9x9 board—the easiest size to learn—and you can play against the computer at three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard), on the same device, or online with a friend.

1. Black (you) and white (the computer or your friend) take turns placing one stone each at the intersections of the board; Black makes the first move. Once placed, a stone cannot be moved.
2. The empty spaces next to a stone or a group of connected stones are its "breaths." If a group runs out of breaths, it is captured and removed from the board.
3. You cannot play a move that would leave your own piece without a breath (the suicide rule); however, this rule does not apply if the move captures an opponent’s piece.
4. Ko rule: You cannot use a single move to restore the board to a previously existing state; this prevents the game from entering an infinite loop.
5. If you don't want to make a move, you can say "Pass." If two players pass in a row, the game ends.
6. Score: The number of empty intersections on the board that are surrounded only by your stones. A 5.5-point komi is added to White’s score. Don’t forget to capture dead stones before the game ends; the player with the higher score wins.

Go strategy tips

• Don't move your pieces one by one; move them in connected groups. When pieces are connected, their "breath" combines, making them harder to capture.
• Start by playing near the corners and edges: it takes far fewer pieces to enclose territory at the corners of the board than in the center.
• When you put your opponent's pieces in "check" (in one move), don't try to capture them right away; first, think about blocking their escape routes.
• Don't leave any dead stones on the board before the game ends: capture any opponent's stones that can be captured, and make sure your own groups have two separate "eyes."

Go history

Go is a board game that originated in China and is believed to have been played for over 2,500 years. It is known as Weiqi in China, Igo in Japan, and Baduk in Korea, and has been part of a tradition of intellectual and educational development in East Asia for centuries.

The rules are very simple, but the possibilities it offers are vast. The standard board is 19x19; the 9x9 board is the most popular size for learning the rules and basic strategy.

Other names: Weiqi, Wei-chi, Igo, Baduk, Encirclement Game