How to Play the Japanese Board Game Igo or Go

Choose sides. One player will play using the black pieces, while the opponent will play the white pieces. The black side always starts the game by placing one of his pieces on an intersection of two lines on the board. All of the board intersections are valid points to place a piece, including points along and edges and on the corners. Players will then alternate turns placing their pieces on the board.

Capture an opponent's stone by surrounding the a piece on all right-angle adjacent points of the piece (diagonal points to a piece are not considered adjacent). The open adjacent points on the board for each piece is referred to as its "liberties". When all of the liberties are of a piece are occupied by the opponent's pieces, the piece is captured and is added onto the opponent's final score. When a player places a piece adjacent to his own, the pieces are referred to as a "unit". Units combine the liberties of each piece. Therefore, if one was to capture a two-piece unit, one would have to surround the unit on its combined six liberties, rather than the standard four liberties that one piece creates.

Capture territory on the board by enclosing open space with adjacent pieces (units). A space on the board can be captured by surrounding it entirely, or by using the edge to place pieces in a unit that will section off a piece of the board.

Place your pieces onto the board, alternating turns until one player determines that he or she cannot gain any additional territory or capture more pieces from their opponent, and passes. When both players have passed, the final score is tallied. Add up your final score by counting the amount of spaces (intersections) that you have sectioned off as your territory. This includes space that is between your units and the edges of the board. Then add the pieces you have captured to the amount of territory you have gained to calculate your final score. The player with the higher final score is the winner of the match.