Surround territory and capture stones in the world's oldest board game. Start on a small 9x9 board, then move up to 13x13 or the full 19x19.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.
A 9x9 game takes about ten minutes and teaches every rule of the full board.
Captures, illegal suicide and ko are handled, so you can focus on strategy.
Mark dead stones and get an instant area count with your chosen komi.
Go is played on the intersections of a grid. Stones never move once placed, but a stone or connected group is captured when all of its liberties, the adjacent empty points, are filled by the opponent. You may not play a move that leaves your own group with no liberties unless it captures something, and you may not repeat an earlier board position, which prevents endless ko recaptures.
The game ends when both players pass in a row. Groups that could not avoid capture are marked dead and removed. This page uses area scoring: each side counts its stones on the board plus the empty points it surrounds. White receives komi to make up for moving second, and the higher total wins.
A lone stone in the middle has four; on the edge three; in the corner two.
A group with two separate eyes can never be captured.
7.5 points is the most common compensation for White today.
A ko is a shape where players could capture back and forth forever. This board forbids any move that recreates an earlier position, so you must play elsewhere first.
Press Pass. When both players pass in a row the game moves to scoring, where you tap dead groups and then accept the score.
It is a beginner-level opponent that captures, escapes atari and avoids obvious self-atari. It is ideal for learning, not for strong players.
9x9 is perfect for learning. 13x13 adds strategy, and 19x19 is the full traditional game.
Area scoring (stones plus territory), as in Chinese and AGA rules, with adjustable komi.
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