Go

Experience Go, the ancient board game of strategy and skill. Compete with friends in this deep and thoughtful game that has stood the test of time.

Basics Gameplay Endgame Other Rules

Placing Stones

Beginning with Black, each player in turn places a stone on an empty intersection, or "point." Once placed, a stone is never moved, although it is removed if the opponent captures it.

If any stones become completely surrounded by opposing pieces, they are captured and removed, as shown in the example of the White stone below.

A stone or group is completely surrounded when it is not adjacent--in any horizontal or vertical direction--to any empty intersections.

Liberty

An empty intersection adjacent to a stone or group is called a "liberty" of that group.

In the above example, White's stone has only one liberty--the point marked X. If Black plays there, White's stone is captured.

In the below example, a solidly connected group of four White stones has only one liberty (X). A Black play there captures the group.

Captured stones, or "prisoners," are kept aside and counted at the end of the game.

A stone may not be placed on a point where it will be completely surrounded, unless it also causes an opponent's stone or group to be surrounded. If a move causes both players' stones or groups to become surrounded simultaneously, the stone or group belonging to the player who made the move survives and the other stone or group is captured.

In the above position, both White and Black can make a capture by playing at the point marked X. If White makes the capture, the position will be as shown in the second diagram. If Black makes the capture, the position will look like the third diagram. (In this third diagram, a White play on the corner point will capture all five black stones, showing that Black's capture was a waste of time.)

More than one group may be captured as the result of a single play. In the example below, a White play at X will capture all three Black stones.