Go

Play Go free online. Surround territory and capture stones in the ancient game of Go.

The ancient strategy game of surrounding territory. Play 9×9 Go against a Monte Carlo computer opponent that runs in your browser, or play a friend on a 9×9, 13×13 or 19×19 board. Uses area scoring with 7.5 points of komi for White.

  • Category: Board
  • Difficulty: hard
  • Players: 1 player vs computer
  • Typical game: about 15 minutes
  • Works on: desktop, phones and tablets

How to play Go

Objective: Control more of the board — your stones plus the empty points only you surround — than your opponent.

  1. Black (you) plays first. Players take turns placing a stone on an empty point.
  2. A stone or group with no empty neighbouring points (liberties) is captured and removed.
  3. You may not play a move that leaves your own group with no liberties unless it captures first.
  4. Ko: you cannot immediately retake a single stone that just captured one of yours.
  5. When both players pass in a row, the game ends and the board is scored.
  6. Scoring counts stones on the board, so capture any dead enemy stones inside your area before you pass.

Scoring

Winning scores 300 plus 10 per point of margin (doubled on Hard).

Difficulty levels

Difficulty sets how many random playouts the computer runs: about 250 on Easy, 2,500 on Normal and up to 9,000 on Hard.

Tips

  • Corners are easiest to claim, then edges, then the centre.
  • A group with two separate eyes can never be captured.
  • Don’t pass while the opponent still has stones inside your area.

Controls

Keyboard

  • Tab to a point and press Enter

Mouse

  • Click an empty point; use Pass when you have nothing useful left to play

Touch

  • Tap an empty point; tap Pass to pass

Go achievements

  • First Territory – Beat the computer.
  • Go Master – Beat the computer on Hard.
  • Landslide – Beat the computer by 20 or more points.

Frequently asked questions

Is Go free to play?

Yes. Go is completely free on GamesPlayLand, with no download, no sign-up and no purchases.

How do you play Go?

Control more of the board — your stones plus the empty points only you surround — than your opponent. Black (you) plays first. Players take turns placing a stone on an empty point. A stone or group with no empty neighbouring points (liberties) is captured and removed.

Can I play Go on my phone?

Yes. Go works in mobile browsers on phones and tablets. Tap an empty point; tap Pass to pass.

Can I play Go against the computer?

Yes. You play against a computer opponent that runs entirely in your browser, and the difficulty setting changes how strong it is.

Does Go save my high score?

Yes. Your personal best, statistics and achievements for Go are saved in your browser automatically.

More games like Go

  • Backgammon – Race your fifteen checkers home and bear them off before the computer.
  • Checkers – Classic 8×8 checkers against the computer or a friend.
  • Chess – Full chess against a local computer opponent or a friend.
  • Chinese Checkers – Hop your marbles across the star into the opposite point first.
  • Connect Four – Drop discs and line up four in a row before the computer does.
  • Dominoes – Match the ends of the line and be first to play all your tiles.