Promoting Go in the UK and beyond

At the British Go Association we are passionate about the game of Go, and we hope you will find the game just as appealing as we do.

• How can I learn about Go?
• How do I play Go?
• Who plays Go?
• Where can I play Go?
• How can I get a Go set?
• How can I learn more about Go?
• How can young people get involved in Go?
• Impressions of Go

Go is also known as igo in Japanese, as weiqi or wei-ch'i in Chinese, and as baduk in Korean. Here are the names in the native scripts:

This section gives advice about how to make the most of Go in Britain and is relevant to beginners and improvers alike.

Go has a long history and is very much a part of oriental culture. It has a history in the UK of nearly 100 years and continues to expand in popularity.

You can read more about the origins and status of Go in our Go Introduction.

This page follows on into an explanation of the rules, or you can read the Introduction and rules together in the Introduction to the game of Go. This is the same as the booklet we give out to enquirers that you may have seen. An older (1999) version of this leaflet is available as a 863 KB PDF download.

If you are already a Chess player you may be interested in a Chess-Go comparison.

If you want someone to come and visit your organisation and give a presentation on Go and how to play, contact the BGA or one of the Go teachers.

Go has simple rules. The rules page has links to several versions of the rules.

Unfortunately the rules can often be badly described and hard to understand, especially on rule sheets sold with some Go sets - but don't let that put you off!

Below are links to three different descriptions of the rules that should be easy to understand. They have minor differences in some areas, such as counting methods, but they all rely on the Go principles of capture and territory, as do all the rulesets in common use around the world.

Here is a cartoon introduction to Go written by Andreas Fecke and translated into English by the BGA. A version of this comic is available as a 1139 KB PDF download.

If you read the part up to page 6 you will be able to play the simple game called Capture Go or Atari Go, where the aim is to see who can capture the other person's stones first. You can play this first to get the hang of capturing, changing the winning target from one or more to larger numbers as your skill progresses. Once you know how to play Capture Go, you can play with the Capture Go Java Applet on our Junior pages.

The territory aspect of Go is described in the rest of the Comic. If you read and understand that you are ready to try out the full game.

You can play against one of the free programs. Suitable for beginners are Igowin and Peter's Go, and Leela Lite is dan level on 9x9.

If you have a FridgeGo set or a 9x9 set with exactly 40 stones of each colour you can use the FridgeGo Rules.

You can read a full description of the rules in our Introduction to the game of Go.

You can skip the introduction by going straight to the how to play page.

If you would like to watch a video tutorial then the "Go Center of Second Life" have set up a two part video for you to watch:

• Part One (8:12 minutes)
• Part Two (9:43 minutes)

We have a list of other web sites which also present the rules of Go in English in our rules section.

If you would prefer to read the rules in another language then we have some foreign Links.

A large proportion of the population in Korea and a smaller proportion, but still many millions, play in Japan and China. Go is less well-known outside East Asia. For example, there are probably a few thousand active players in Britain, but the number of players learning Go is increasing. Now that it is possible to play Go on the internet any time and any place, Go is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. In fact there are over 70 countries where organised Go is played. For a list of these countries you can visit the International Go Federation website or the European Go Federation website for the 35 European ones.

It is not just able bodied people that can play Go. If disability prevents placing the stones, then calling out the co-ordinates of the intersections can be done for an able opponent to place the stones instead. Partially sighted or blind people can play, as described on our Go for the Blind page.

We have a list of some well-known people who have played Go, as diverse as Albert Einstein and Rod Stewart! You may have seen Go played in the movies, in such as "A Beautiful Mind" or "Pi", or on television in programs such as "24" or "Enterprise", or read about it in a novel such as "Shibumi" or "The Girl that played Go". More and more Go is entering western culture as well as oriental.

You can play Go at home, in clubs and in tournaments. Against computer or another person on the internet you can play any time, day or night. Advice is given on our Where to Play page.

How can I get a Go set?

You can make your own or purchase one. If you are member you can buy from the BGA Book Shop, or you can buy from a games shop or mail order supplier such as Pentangle Puzzles and Games. Details of getting sets, and also Go books, is on our Go Books and Sets page.

Once you have read and understood the rules and played a few games, you will realise there is an awful lot to Go and you may need some tips and pointers on how to improve.

Recommended is the page of tips we put together for the UK Go Challenge for schools.

Obviously an existing player can help teach you or give you advice, but you can also study one of the many Go books available. They can be bought from the same places as Go sets as described above.

A book that is a very thorough introduction to the game which can be studied for quite a while is "Teach Yourself Go" by BGA member Charles Matthews. You should be able to get this from your local bookshop.

The BGA books price list indicates which books are beginner, intermediate and advanced to help you select the correct books for your level.

From time to time training sessions are held. This is another good way to learn more.

How can young people get involved in Go?

Many children play Go in the UK and several schools have active Go clubs. Of course, it is best to learn Go when you are young and Go is suitable from about age 4 or 5 upwards, though the Capture Go game should be the limit for very young children.

We have a Junior Section aimed at young Go players, and also a section with information for Youth Go organisers.

Among the events and activities we run for the children, the UK Go Challenge for schools is the top event, along with the British Youth Championships.

Impressions of Go

Various people have different views and impressions of the game of Go. Often the same facet of the game is seen as a plus point by some and as a minus point by others. For example, the rules are easy but being good at the game is hard.

In 2008 Paul Smith analysed the comments left on Go at Board Game Geek for a paper (PDF) that was presented at the 5th International Conference on Baduk (Go) in Korea on November 11th.