A complex strategical game, the object of go is not so much the
   destruction of the opposing player but peaceful coexistence on
   advantageous terms.                 - Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan

   If the Go board is a huge market to be divided up between the two
   players, then the stones are chunks of investment, aimed at capturing a
   greater and greater market share.     - The Economist, April 1994


                 Complete Rules of the Game of GO
                       by Mitchell E. Timin

1. Stones are played alternately on any free intersection.

2. Stones never change position, but they can be captured.

3. Stones of one color that are connected live or die as a group.  A connection
   is only horizontal or vertical to the adjoining intersection (to "die"
   equals "captured").  A group may consist of just one stone.

4. A group is dead when none of its stones adjoins an empty intersection
   (liberty or freedom), horizontally or vertically only.  The captive stones
   are held for use in the scoring at the end.

5. A stone may not be played where a prior configuration of the whole board
   would be reproduced.  You must play at least one move elsewhere. (Ko rule)

6. A stone may not be played where it, or the group of which it would be part,
   would be dead according to rule 4, except if an enemy group is killed by
   such placement.  (Suicide is forbidden)

7. The object of the game is to form unkillable groups that occupy more of the
   board than your opponent's groups.  (Unkillable = Two eyes can be formed;
   Eye = area surrounded by group/s of same color)

8. A player may pass. (IE. not place a stone)  The game ends when both players
   pass consecutively, and are in agreement as to the status of all the groups
   on the board.  (Seki Rule: two groups half surrounding each other produce no
   points for either side)

9. Scoring: Each player receives one point for each empty intersection that is
   completely surrounded by his color.  (i.e., there is no path from the
   intersection to any enemy stone, without crossing a friendly stone.) There
   is an additional point for each captive stone, both those removed earlier,
   and those "dead on the board".  "Dead on the board" means that, at the end
   of the game, the group is not an unkillable group, and is within an enemy
   unkillable group (It is surrounded, but not quite dead).


                   Conventions of the Game of GO
                        by Anthony Thyssen

These are not rules but traditions to the game and may be discarded on
agreement of the players. I have seen one game played on a hexagonal grid with
six neigbours instead of the normal four for each stone. Quite an unusual game.

1. The board is usually  19x19 lines in a rectangular grid though other
   board sizes can be used.  Other common board sizes are
            13x13   --  beginners board
            11x11   --  quarter board (for learning the game)
             9x9    --  Ultra quick battle Game

2. Black goes first.  Usually this is a handicap move, where N black stones
   placed in a specific (traditional) arrangement. The handicap should allow
   players to each win 50% of the time.  Black starting anywhere (no other
   extra handicap stones) is itself a handicap advantage to black.

3. Handicap points are usually corner/edge positions on the 4th line in
   from the edge (counting the edge).

4. As black starting is itself an advantage, white is normally given an
   extra 5 1/2 points (the komi) toward the final tally when the players have
   equal standing.  This convention is normally used in official games, and
   does not depend on the board size.

   Update, after analysis of thousands of games, the komi is now 6.5 points.

5. The number of handcap stones given to black also sets the ranking of the
   players relative to each other (like golf). Two stones to black means that
   black is two ranks lower than the white player. This convention only applies
   to the full 19x19 line board.


                   Other Notes and Information

Ko War

If a ko develops where a large group on the boards survival depends on who can
win (fill in) the ko space (+ below).

   Extreme       . * . . * O . .|
    Example      . . * * . O O O|
                 . O O * O O * *|      Black (*) needs to win the KO
                 . O * + * * * .|      at + for his large group of 8
                 . O O * O O * .|      stones along the edge to live.
                 O . . * . O * *|      (approximately 38 points difference)
                 . . * . . O O O|

But due to the ko rule if white takes the ko at this point black must force
white to make his next move somewhere else on the board so he can re-take the
ko and try to save the group from capture and death. White then must force
black to play else wher so he can re-take the ko again.

To do this both black and white are looking around the board for "ko threats".
And it for this reason that battles are rarely completed around the board as
they provide good places for ko threats later is needed.


Ko Threat

Any move which if you get another free move nearby you will capture a large
ememy group or area (take), link a unsafe or doomed group to a safe group
(connect), or wipe out a territory of space owned by the opponent.

IE: any place where two free moves can equal disaster for the opponent.