Go (Baduk): Rules and How to Play
Go is a board game for 2 players that takes about 15 minutes. Place stones in turn and surround more territory than your opponent. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need a 9x9 board (13x13 and 19x19 in the settings) and black and white stones.
- Black plays first, white second. Stones go on the crossings, not inside the squares.
- White receives 6.5 points of komi for playing second.
How to play
- Black and white take turns placing one stone each. A stone never moves again.
- The empty points beside a stone are its liberties. Fill the last liberty of an enemy group and you capture it; captured stones count as prisoners.
- You cannot play a stone that would leave your own group with no liberty — unless the same move captures.
- You cannot immediately recapture in a way that repeats the position (ko). Play elsewhere first.
- You may pass instead of playing.
Winning and scoring
- When both players pass in a row, play stops.
- You then agree which stones on the board are dead: press them to mark them, and press Confirm on both sides. If you cannot agree, press Back to play and settle it on the board.
- Add your territory (empty points surrounded by your stones alone) to your prisoners (stones you captured plus your opponent's dead stones), give white 6.5 points of komi, and the larger total wins.
- You may also resign, and the player who resigns loses.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board size | Choose 9x9, 13x13 or 19x19. The computer plays 9x9 only. | 9x9 | Yes |
| Komi | Points added to white for playing second. | 6.5 | Yes |
| Atari marks | Mark groups that have only one liberty left. | On | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap the black stones after each game. | On | Yes |
Terms
- Territory
- Empty points surrounded by one colour alone. Each is worth one point.
- Liberty
- An empty point next to a stone. Fill them all and the stone is captured.
- Atari
- A group with one liberty left. One more move captures it.
- Prisoner
- A captured stone. It is added to your score at the end.
- Ko
- A shape where recapturing would repeat the position. You must play elsewhere first.
- Eye
- A single empty point surrounded by one group. A group with two eyes can never be captured.
- Dead stones
- Stones both players agree cannot survive. They count like prisoners.
- Komi
- Points given to white to balance black's first move. Here it is 6.5.
FAQ
How much is komi?
6.5 points. A party can set it to none.
Can I play anywhere?
On any empty crossing, except a point where your own stone would have no liberty, and except an immediate ko recapture.
How does a game end?
Both players pass in a row. You then agree which stones are dead, press Confirm on both sides, and the score is counted.
What if we cannot agree on dead stones?
Press Back to play. Settle the position on the board, then pass again.
How is seki counted?
Empty points touching both colours belong to neither side.
Can a game be drawn?
Not with 6.5 komi. With komi set to none, an equal count is a draw.
What is the difference between 9x9 and 19x19?
The board size. A 9x9 board finishes in about ten minutes and is the only size you can play against the computer. A 19x19 board is the full-size game and can take hours. 13x13 sits in between; any size is available when playing against another person.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.