Go is a two-player abstract strategy game played on the intersections of a 9×9 grid (81 points). Black plays first and players alternate placing one stone on an empty point or passing. A group left with no liberties is captured; suicide moves and immediate ko recaptures are illegal. Two consecutive passes end the game, which is decided by Chinese area scoring: each player counts the stones remaining on the board plus empty regions bordered only by their own stones, and White adds 5.5 komi. The higher total wins.
Play now — it's freeThis version of Go is played on a 9×9 grid of 81 intersections. Stones are placed on the intersections, not inside the squares, and each point has up to four neighbours: up, down, left and right — diagonal points are never adjacent.
Two players compete: one with black stones, one with white. Black always moves first, and play alternates — each turn is either placing one stone on an empty point or passing. Go is a game of perfect information: no hidden cards, no luck — the result is decided by decisions alone.
A stone's liberty is any empty point directly adjacent to it horizontally or vertically. Orthogonally connected stones of the same colour form a single group that shares all of its liberties.
A group stays on the board as long as it has at least one liberty, so opening new liberties for yourself and squeezing your opponent's liberties is the core of both attack and defence.
When every liberty of an enemy group is filled, the entire group is removed from the board immediately and counts as captured. The most common pattern: playing on a group's last remaining liberty.
The number of captured stones is tracked for each player during the game.
Suicide is illegal: you may not play a stone that leaves its own group without liberties, unless the move captures enemy stones at the same time — those are removed first and your new stone keeps its liberties.
The ko rule prevents endless repetition: you may not immediately play a move that recreates the previous board position exactly (such as instantly recapturing a stone that just captured yours). The ban is lifted as soon as either player moves elsewhere or passes.
Passing is always legal: if you cannot find a useful point you may pass instead of playing, and any stone played resets the pass count to zero.
The game ends when both players pass in succession (two consecutive passes). The score is then counted from the position as it stands — the stones actually on the board plus surrounded empty regions. No stones are removed automatically at the end, so make sure your territory is secured before you pass.
Each player scores the number of their stones remaining on the board plus every connected empty region bordered only by their own stones. An empty region touching both colours counts for neither player.
White adds 5.5 points of compensation (komi) for Black's first-move advantage.
The higher total wins. Because the komi is a half point, a drawn game is impossible — there is always a winner.
Start in the corners: territory along two edges needs the fewest stones to secure.
Don't clump your stones together without reason; a stone played away from the enemy is harder to surround and keeps more liberties.
Count liberties before you attack or defend — a group with two or three liberties is an easy target.
Before your final pass, check that your territory is fully enclosed: scoring uses the board exactly as it stands at the second pass.
The 9×9 board has 81 intersections where stones are placed (not inside the squares).
Two players — one Black, one White. Black always moves first, then turns alternate: one stone or a pass each turn.
When a group is deprived of all its liberties (the empty points adjacent horizontally or vertically), it is removed from the board as a capture.
You may not immediately play a move that recreates the previous board position exactly. The ban is lifted once either player moves elsewhere or passes.
No. A stone may not be played if its own group would have no liberties — unless it captures enemy stones, which are removed first.
Compensation of 5.5 points added to White's score for Black's first-move advantage; the half point guarantees no draw.
After two consecutive passes by both players. The winner is then decided by Chinese area scoring on the position as it stands.
Each player totals the stones left on the board plus empty regions bordered only by their own stones; White adds 5.5 komi and the higher total wins.
Yes — you can play Go online free at go.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required.
Yes, the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern browser on Android or iPhone.