Go 囲碁 (Igo)

Setup: Standard board is 19×19 (beginners often use 9×9 or 13×13). Black plays first; komi (typically 6.5 or 7.5 points) is given to White to balance first-move advantage. Handicap games give Black extra stones on star points. Placing stones: Players alternate placing one stone on any empty intersection. Liberties: Each stone or connected group has liberties—empty adjacent points. A group with no liberties is captured and removed. Ko rule: You may not immediately recapture a single stone if that would recreate the previous board position; you must play elsewhere first. Passing: Either player may pass; the game ends when both pass. Scoring: Japanese territory scoring counts empty points surrounded by your stones plus captured prisoners. Chinese area scoring counts stones plus surrounded points. Both yield similar results in most games.

Go originated in China over 2,500 years ago—legend credits Emperor Yao. As 圍棋 (weiqi), it spread to Korea and Japan by the 7th century. In Japan it became central to aristocratic culture; the Heian court prized it as one of the four arts. The Edo period (1603–1868) saw the state support four Go houses—Honinbō, Inoue, Hayashi, and Yasui—with stipends and title competitions. Meiji modernisation (1868) ended the houses but professional play continued. The Nihon Ki-in, founded in 1924, governs Japanese Go today. AlphaGo's 2016 defeat of Lee Sedol marked a turning point; AI now exceeds human strength, yet the game remains a vital cultural practice and competitive sport worldwide.

Play corners first, then edges, then the centre—corners require fewer stones to secure territory. Do not fill your own liberties unnecessarily; a group with two eyes is alive and needs no extra stones. Before attempting a capture, count liberties: the side with fewer will lose the race. Learn basic life-and-death shapes (two eyes, false eyes) early. On 9×9, the first few moves dominate; on 19×19, study opening theory (joseki) but stay flexible.

Go was studied by samurai for strategic thinking; today it is taught in schools and clubs across Japan. The manga and anime Hikaru no Go (1998–2003) sparked a revival among young players. NHK broadcasts professional matches; the Honinbō and Kisei titles are national events. Amateurs progress through kyu (beginner) and dan (advanced) ranks. The International Go Federation governs world play; China, Korea, and Japan dominate professionally, with growing interest in Europe and the Americas.