What is the game of Go?
Go is a fascinating board game that originated in China more than 4,000 years ago. Also known as baduk, wei ch’i, weiqi, and igo, it is played today by millions of people, including thousands in the United States. In Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan, it is far more popular than chess is in the West, and professional players compete for large cash prizes. Its popularity in this country continues to grow, more than fifty years after the founding of the American Go Association.
It is said that the rules of go can be learned in minutes, but that it can take a lifetime to master the game. Click here for our Top Ten Reasons to Play Go. Click here to learn the rules, download computer opponents, and/or play an actual game online for free with a real person right now!
The rules couldn’t be simpler. Two players alternate in placing black and white stones on a large (19×19 line) ruled board, with the aim of surrounding territory. Stones never move, and are only removed from the board if they are completely surrounded. The game rewards patience and balance over aggression and greed; the balance of influence and territory may shift many times in the course of a game, and a strong player must be prepared to be flexible but resolute.
Like the Eastern martial arts, Go can teach concentration, balance, and discipline. Each person’s style of play reflects their personality, and can serve as a medium for self-reflection
Go combines beauty and intellectual challenge. “Good shape” is one of the highest compliments one can pay to a move in the game of go. In Asia, it is often played on a traditional, carved wooden board, with black and white stones made from slate and clamshell, but good affordable equipment is also available. In either case, the patterns formed by the black and white stones are visually striking and can exercise an almost hypnotic attraction as one “sees” more and more in the constantly evolving positions.
The game appeals to many kinds of minds — to musicians and artists, to mathematicians and computer programmers, to entrepreneurs and options traders. Children learn the game readily and can reach high levels of mastery.
Because go lends itself to a uniquely reliable system of handicaps, players of widely disparate strengths can enjoy relatively even contests. The game can be a casual pastime for the idle hour — or a way of life. Michael Redmond, the only Western player to have won status as a top-grade professional player in Asia, when asked why he had devoted his life to go, replied, “Because I love the game.”
The above info is from: http://www.usgo.org/resources/whatisgo.html
The rule of Go
Introduction:
There are a limited number of rules in the game of Go. These pages will explain them to you, show an example of a Go game and provide you with computer software so you can get started immediately.
The navigation buttons and language switch is located in the top-right hand corner of the page.
For the rules, please see: http://gobase.org/studying/rules/?id=0&ln=uk
Online Go game:
Internet Go Servers
Thousand of enthusiasts from all over the world are playing go on the Internet right now! You can join them by selecting one of the “servers” listed below, and installing the appropriate “client” software on your computer. Get a game, watch others play, find a teacher, kibitz, chat — it’s a great way to get acquainted with go, or fit in a quick game anytime, anywhere you can get on the Internet.
Most servers enable online play in real time; there are also turn-based servers, where you and your opponent take turns logging in and playing the next move over a period of days. Postal go for the digital age. Each server is a virtual community, with its own distinct character. Try them all and stick with the one that suits you.
For the complete list of online Go game sites, please see: http://www.usgo.org/resources/servers.html