Go
Go is a strategy game from East Asia that has lasted for thousands of years with just a handful of rules. Two players add black and white stones to the crossing points of a grid. Whoever controls more of the board when play stops is the winner.
Christopher Müller made this edition as part of PaperGames, his free and open set of table games. It uses a plain black-and-white style that stays readable at any size. You can play a computer with three strength levels or share one device with a friend.
How to play Go
Black opens, and then the colors alternate. On your turn you set one stone on any empty point. Stones stay put once placed, so every move is a small commitment.
Stones of one color that touch along the lines form a group. The empty points next to a group are its liberties. Fill the final liberty of an enemy group and you remove all of it from the board. A counter below the grid tracks captures for both players.
Instead of placing, you can pass. Two passes in a row end the game. Your score is the stones you have on the board plus the empty points surrounded only by your color. White gets 7.5 bonus points, called komi, for moving second, so a tie is impossible.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place a stone | Tab to the board, arrows to pick a point, Enter | Click an empty point | Tap an empty point |
| Pass | — | Click Pass | Tap Pass |
| New game settings | — | Choose size, color and level, then click New game | Choose the same options and tap New game |
| Undo or resign | — | Click Undo or Resign | Tap Undo or Resign |
Tips
- Claim corners before edges, and edges before the middle. A corner is walled in by the board on two sides, so it costs fewer stones to secure.
- Before chasing a group, compare liberties. If yours has fewer than the group you are hunting, it is your stones that will be taken.
- A group with two separate eyes, meaning two enclosed empty points, can never be captured. Give your weak groups that shape early.
- Never place a stone inside one of your own eyes. It removes your safety and can turn a living group into a dead one.
- This version counts every stone that is still on the board, even hopeless ones. Capture dead enemy stones before you pass so they do not score.
If you like Go, try these
GomokuSame stones, same grid feel, but the aim flips from surrounding territory to lining up five in a row before your opponent does.
ShogiFor a deep two-player classic from the same part of the world, this chess variant lets captured pieces drop back in on your side.
Questions
What board size should I use to learn Go?
The 9x9 board is the best place to start. Games are quick, the computer replies fast, and mistakes show up right away. Try 13x13 and then 19x19 once captures feel natural.
Why can I not play on certain points?
The game blocks suicide moves that leave your own group without liberties unless they capture something. It also rejects any move that repeats an earlier position, which stops endless ko fights.
Does Go save my game if I close the tab?
Yes. The current game is kept in your browser and comes back the next time you open it on the same device.
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