© 2010 Janice Kim

Learn to Play Go

A Step-By-Step Guide to the Game

Janice Kim 3 dan
Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan

Buy the full book at gobooks.com

The elegant game that has enthralled millions of people around the world for millenia.

Everything you need to get started playing, live or online – and first in a series that takes you step-by-step to stronger Go playing

Rules and Techniques – know before you Go

Historical and cultural notes put the game in context

Designed for speed and ease of learning

Try-it-yourself section in each chapter

Suitable for children, demystifying for adults

Learn Go from scratch or brush up on the fundamentals

Praise for the award-winning Learn to Play Go series:

“By far the clearest introduction yet to be published in English.”
—Game Magazine

“A knockout work of Go teaching. Fun, educational, valuable for kids – recommended.”
—Yu Chang-hyuk 9 dan, Fujitsu World Champion

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Copyright Page

The Korean Go Association’s
Learn to Play Go
is published by
Good Move Press/Samarkand
145 Town Center #685
Corte Madera, CA 94925
www.samarkand.net

Copyright © 1994 Janice Kim
Second edition © 1997 Janice Kim
Third edition © 2010 Janice Kim

All rights reserved. This book or any part or parts hereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Good Move Press.

Original subtitle of print edition: “A Master’s Guide to the Ultimate Game”
ISBN of print edition: 1453632891
EAN-13 of print edition: 9781453632895

Drawings by a lee

Picture of Janice Kim by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Pictures of Jeong Soo-hyun, Go stars, and Go for kids by Hankook Kiwon

Conversion to SmartGo Books by John Mifsud

Note on names: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean names in this book are given family name first. Jeong Soo-hyun’s family name is Jeong.

Contents

Learn to Play Go
A Step-By-Step Guide to the Game

Copyright Page

About the Authors

Introduction

Part 1: Fundamentals

Chapter 1
What is Go

Chapter 2
Capturing

The chapters in gray are included only in the full book.

Chapter 3
Connecting and Cutting

Chapter 4
Where You Can’t Play

Chapter 5
Life and Death

Chapter 6
Ko

Chapter 7
Territory

Chapter 8
A Real Game

Part 2: Basic Techniques

Chapter 9
Capturing Techniques

Chapter 10
Connecting Techniques

Chapter 11
Life and Death Techniques

Chapter 12
Capturing Races

Chapter 13
Ko Fighting

Chapter 14
Ending and Counting

Chapter 15
Sample Openings

Read the entire series!

Buy This Book

About SmartGo Books

About the Authors

Janice Kim

Janice Kim was born in Illinois in 1969. She became the first female student at the Korean Go Academy in 1983 and entered the professional dan ranks in Korea in 1987, the first Westerner ever to do so. She won the Fuji Women’s Championship in 1984, took second place in the World Youth Championship in 1985, and third place in the EBS Cup in 1994. She was promoted to 3 dan in 2003.

After graduating from New York University, Ms. Kim authored the five books of the Learn to Play Go series and founded the online Go company Samarkand. In 2008, in an effort to explore similarities in strategy games, she played in the World Poker Tour’s Woman’s Championship in Las Vegas and placed fourth. She currently resides in the San Francisco bay area with her husband and two children.

Jeong Soo-hyun

Jeong Soo-hyun was born in Korea in 1956. Since entering the professional dan ranks in 1973, he has played in numerous championship leagues, winning the Shin Wang title in 1986. He was promoted to 8 dan in 1994, and 9 dan in 1997.

A well-known teacher, Mr. Jeong has written more than twenty books and is a popular commentator on Korean television. He served a term as President of the Korean Professional Go Association, the youngest person ever to hold this prestigious post. Now a university professor teaching Go, he lives in Seoul with his wife and two children.

Introduction

Imagine that God has a house. It’s rather large, and one of its remarkable aspects is that it contains the best examples of anything you can think of — the best chairs and tables, artworks, books, smells, all in perfectly proportioned rooms of an ideal size. If you were visiting for the evening, you might walk through the front doors and leave your coat in the hall closet to your left. The closet has a top shelf, and if you looked closely, in the far corner tucked away you might find a Go set.

The game of Go appears to have magical characteristics. The kids who usually run a circle around the prized vase sit in silent thought. The parents want the kids to stay up past bedtime for “one last game.” Ancient enemies laugh together. The bank executive and the doorman make arrangements to meet for lunch. People fall in love.

Go appeals to all kinds of people, but they seem to share a characteristic: they don’t like being told what to do, they don’t like being told some dog-shaped cloud is really a bear. No one can say really what Go is, how you should play it, what it ought to mean to you. That can only be a personal discovery, perhaps with the aid of a native guide pointing out the features of the terrain. Learn to play Go. It is simple, but it is not easy. It is worth the time you spend on it. This is to be expected of the best kind of game.

Part 1: Fundamentals

The basic rules of Go are easy. You can become a Go player in one afternoon.

In Part I, you will see what kind of game Go is, and how it is played.

Chapter 1
What is Go

Go is a game that two people play with a Go board and Go stones. The players take turns putting black and white stones on the board to surround area, or territory. Whoever has more territory at the end of the game is the winner.

1. The Board and Stones

This is a picture of a Go board. It has intersections formed by evenly spaced lines.

Diagram 1

There are nineteen horizontal and nineteen vertical lines on the standard board. There are 361 intersections called points formed by the 19 x 19 grid. There are nine darker points called star points, used to locate your position.

The most common standard board is about 16½ by 17¾ inches (42 cm by 45 cm), and is made of light-colored, light-grained wood. Traditionally the lines are drawn with a special black ink and are very slightly raised, but most modern boards have black lines printed or screened on wood or a wood-like playing surface. Boards vary from table versions ¼ to 2½ inches thick, to traditional floor boards with carved wooden legs.

Diagram 2

Here are the names of the areas on the board. The corners, sides, and center are not exact, but refer to the area around a star point. Upper, lower, left, and right are from where the player with the black stones is sitting. If you are holding this book right side up, you are looking at this board from Black’s point of view.

Diagram 3

Instead of a standard 19 x 19 grid, a smaller one may be used, especially when learning Go for the first time. This is a 13 x 13 grid. The most common sizes for a Go grid are 19 x 19, 13 x 13, and 9 x 9, but you could play Go on a grid of any size, even a larger or differently-shaped one. An average game on a 19 x 19 grid might take an hour, or fifteen minutes on a 9 x 9.

Nowadays Go stones usually are made of a kind of ceramic glass. Traditionally clamshell was used for the white stones, and slate for the black, but this is now expensive. Stones are kept in Go bowls with loose-fitting lids, traditionally made of wood. A standard set of stones has 181 black stones are 180 white stones (one for each point on the board) but it’s no problem if you have a few less, you don’t need them all to play since many points on the board will be open at the end of a game.

Go stones are held like this…

not like this.

2. How the Game is Played

1. Two people sit face to face with the board between them.

Notice on most boards, one side is slightly longer than the other. The players should sit on the shorter ends. Traditionally, the older person sits at the front. How do you determine the front of a symmetrical board, you ask? In the old days, the front was the point furthest from the door of the room, as strategically, this is the point of greatest safety from attackers. Nowadays this is more a gesture of politeness.

2. The stronger player takes the white stones.

If the two players’ abilities are similar, they “choose for color.” First, the older player takes a handful of white stones, and the younger player guesses odd or even. You can put one or two black stones down instead of saying “odd” or “even” and take the black stones if you guess correctly. Black has an advantage.

3. The player with the black stones begins.

Take one stone between your index and middle fingers and place it on a point on the board. You can put your stone on any point you like; for the first move on a 19 x 19 grid you can choose any one of the 361 unoccupied intersections (in practice however we usually play our first move in the upper right corner around the star point).

Don’t put the stones on the lines or in the squares. Put them exactly on the points. The squares are meaningless.

Like this…

Diagram 4

not like this.

Diagram 5

Diagram 6

＞＜ ▶︎

The players are referred to as “Black” and “White.” The number on each stone is the order in which it is played. To review this diagram, find the point on your board where Black 1 was played and put the first stone there, then put White 2, and so on. Each stone is played one at a time. You can’t play two stones at once.

In an even game (one between opponents of more or less equal ability) players start with an empty board and Black makes the first move. If there is a gap between the players’ abilities, the weaker player needs a head start to make the game more balanced. A handicap game begins with some black stones already on the board, and White makes the first move.

Diagram 7

＞＜ ▶︎

Here Black has four handicap stones, one in each corner, and White played the first move. Play continues as in an even game.

4. At the end of the game, compare the size of Black’s and White’s territory. Whoever has more territory wins.

Diagram 8

Territory consists of the points surrounded by stones of the same color. The points surrounded by the black stones are Black territory and the points surrounded by the white stones are White territory. In this diagram, whose territory is larger? If you count the number of points, you can determine the size of the territory.

Diagram 9

Each point of territory is marked with dots. By counting the number of dots, we see that Black has twelve points and White has ten points, so Black has two points more. If this game were over, Black would win by two points. However, there may be still more territory made in other areas on the board. At the end of the game, you have to compare the size of all the territories to determine the winner. The player with more territory overall wins.

Try It Yourself

Problem 1

There are _______ star points on the standard board.

Answer 1

9

Problem 2

The standard board has _______ by _______ lines.

Answer 2

19, 19

Problem 3

The stronger player takes the __________ stones.

Answer 3

white

Problem 4

Stones are played on the _________________.

Answer 4

points

Problem 5

_____________ plays first in an even game.

Answer 5

Black

Problem 6

Whoever has the most ______________ is the winner.

Answer 6

territory

Problem 7

Problem 7

How many points does Black have?

Answer 7

10 points

Problem 8

Problem 8

How many points are there in White’s territory?

Answer 8

13 points

Problem 9

Problem 9

Who has more territory?

Answer 9

Black (5 points more)

Problem 10

Problem 10

If this is the end of the game, who wins?

Answer 10

Black (by 4 points)

Chapter 2
Capturing

In the battle for territory, you may capture your opponent’s stones, or your stones may be captured.

1. Liberties

Diagram 1

One black stone is on the board. Notice the lines coming out from it. These lines are the stone’s liberties. This is a translation of Chinese characters which mean “the way of activity” or “the road of life.”

A stone in the middle has four liberties. A stone on the edge has three liberties. A stone in the extreme corner has only two liberties.

2. Capture

What happens when all the liberties of a stone are blocked?

Diagram 2

Four black stones are blocking all the liberties of the white stone. There are no lines coming out from it, so White is surrounded completely. Stones without any liberties are captured. Once stones are captured, they are taken off the board.

Diagram 3

This is the result of capturing the white stone. Stones that you have captured are like prisoners of war. These stones are put in the lid of your bowl. Keep track of your prisoners, as they have value.

Diagram 4

On the edges, three of your stones are needed to capture your opponent’s stone. In the extreme corners, just two stones are needed.

Stones without liberties are like soldiers that have been surrounded completely. They are removed from the board and held prisoner in the lids of the bowls. Except when captured, stones do not move.

3. Atari

Stones with only one liberty are said to be in atari. Stones in atari can be captured on the next move. It is not necessary to say atari when you play a move that threatens to capture your opponent’s stone. In Japanese, atari means a “hit.” It is called dansoo in Korean, meaning “single” or “only one.”

Diagram 5

Three of the white stone’s liberties are blocked. It has only one liberty left, so it is in atari. If Black puts another stone at A, the white stone is captured.

If it is White’s turn, she can run by playing at A. Actually, you can’t move a stone, but you can play another stone, linking the stone in danger to a stone on safer ground.

Diagram 6

＞＜ ▶︎

If White plays at 1, the original stone has not moved, but it is no longer in atari. Black cannot capture it with his next move.

Capturing More than One Stone

No matter how many stones there are, if all their liberties are blocked, the stones are captured.

Diagram 7

Here are two white stones. How can Black capture them?

Diagram 8

＞＜ ▶︎

Black can block all White’s liberties in six moves. (Black and White take turns, so White must have chosen to play five moves elsewhere.)

Diagram 9

This is the result of capturing the two white stones. Black has two prisoners and two points of territory.

Diagram 10

＞＜ ▶︎

Diagram 11

＞＜ ▶︎

Three or more stones that have no liberties are also captured. If you capture stones, you take both prisoners and territory.

Try It Yourself

Problem 1

Problem 1
Black to play

＞＜ ▶︎

Both Black and White are in atari. Where can Black play to capture a stone?

Answer 1

Answer 1

＞＜ ▶︎

Black can capture a white stone at 1. If Black doesn’t play at 1, White can capture a black stone by playing at A.

Problem 2

Problem 2
Black to play

＞＜ ▶︎

What stones are in atari? Where is a good place for Black to play?

Answer 2

Answer 2

＞＜ ▶︎

The marked stones are in atari. Black can capture the white stone at 1.

Problem 3

Problem 3
Black to play

＞＜ ▶︎

Three black stones in the corner are in atari. Do you see any other stones in atari? Black can capture a stone blocking one of the liberties of his three stones. Where?

Answer 3

Answer 3

＞＜ ▶︎

The white stone in the extreme corner blocking Black’s liberty is also in atari. Black can capture it at 1. Since captured stones are removed immediately, Black’s three stones are no longer in atari.

Problem 4

Problem 4
White to play

＞＜ ▶︎

Black has just played 1. What stones are in atari? Where is a good place for White to play?

Answer 4

Answer 4

＞＜ ▶︎

The two black and three white marked stones are in atari. White can capture the two black stones with 1. After capturing, White’s three stones are no longer in atari.

Problem 5

Problem 5
Black to play

＞＜ ▶︎

White 1 puts the two black stones in atari. What can Black do?

Answer 5

Answer 5

＞＜ ▶︎

Black can run by playing 1. Black is no longer in atari.

Problem 6

Problem 6
Black to play

Where do black stones need to be in order to capture the three white stones?

Answer 6

Answer 6

＞＜ ▶︎

To capture, Black needs to block all White’s liberties. You don’t need to block at the points marked A because they are not liberties.

Read the entire series!

Learn to Play Go

Volume I: A Step-By-Step Guide to the Game

Volume II: The Way of the Moving Horse

Volume III: The Dragon Style

Volume IV: Battle Strategies

Volume V: The Palace of Memory