The Game of Go

An Oriental Board Game of Strategy

Go is a board game which originated in China over 2000 years ago. It is comparable to chess in its complexity, but is actually based upon very simple rules that can be mastered by anyone. It is the national game of Japan, where it is more popular than chess. A system of handicapping enables players of widely differing ability to have a good game. A serious game can take 2 hours but it is possible to play a game in under half an hour.

The game is played between two players on the points of a 19 x 19 grid. The players take turns to place identical black or white pieces anywhere on the board. If a piece or group of pieces becomes totally surrounded by pieces of the opposite colour, the surrounded pieces are captured and removed from the board.

Links about the Game of Go

British Go Association A site containing Go links Play Go over the Internet Home