GO

A deep strategy game of territorial conquest

SET UP

• Played on a 19x19 square board with a grid of intersecting lines, called a Goban. (most common size: 19×19, but smaller boards like 9×9 or 13×13 are also used).

• Two players: one uses black stones, the other white stones.

• Stones are placed on the intersections (not inside squares).

• Black moves first.

Number of Players

• 2

Objective

• Control more territory on the board than your opponent by the end of the game.

• Territory = empty intersections surrounded by your stones.

• Capturing opponent’s stones also contributes to your score.

Rules

• Players take turns placing one stone on an empty intersection.

• Stones do not move once placed.

• Stones are captured and removed if they have no empty adjacent intersections (called liberties).

• You cannot make a move that would immediately recreate a previous board position (Ko rule).

• The game ends when both players pass consecutively (usually when no profitable moves remain).

• Score = controlled territory + captured stones.

Capturing in Go is all about removing your opponent’s stones when they lose all their liberties (empty adjacent intersections).

1. What Are Liberties?

• Every stone on the board has liberties—empty points directly next to it (up, down, left, right).

• A single stone has up to 4 liberties if placed in the center of the board.

2. How Stones Lose Liberties

• When you place stones around an opponent’s stone, you reduce its liberties.

• If all liberties are filled by your stones, that stone (or group) is captured.

3. Capturing a Group

• Stones that are connected horizontally or vertically share liberties.

• To capture a group, you must fill all liberties of the entire group.

4. Removing Captured Stones

• Once a group has zero liberties, remove all those stones from the board.

• Each captured stone counts toward your score.

Player Variations

• N/A

History

• Originated in China over 4,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest board games still played.

• Spread to Japan and Korea, where it became highly refined and competitive.

• Known for its simple rules but deep strategy—often considered more complex than chess.

• Professional Go competitions and AI breakthroughs (like AlphaGo) have made it globally famous.

Game Theory / Game Dynamics

• This game is so deep I can barely explain the simple complexity of it. It is one for the ages for a reason.

• This game will blow your mind. Just when you think you have an advantage of capturing small islands, your opponent can make a move that thinks in capturing continents. And just when you think you got a handle on it, a move is made that conquers worlds.

I hope you enjoy playing games,
as much as I have making them.