Go · Baduk · Weiqi
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A few short answers to get you started. Go, Baduk, Weiqi, and Igo are all names for the same beautiful game.
Go is an ancient board game for two players who take turns placing black and white stones on a grid. The goal is to control more of the board than your opponent by surrounding empty territory and capturing enemy stones. Its rules are simple, but the strategy is famously deep.
Black plays first, then players alternate placing one stone per turn on any empty intersection. Stones that are surrounded so they have no adjacent empty points are captured and removed. When both players pass, the game ends and whoever controls more of the board wins.
A liberty is an empty point directly next to a stone or group, along the lines of the board. Liberties are how stones stay on the board: a group lives as long as it has at least one liberty. Remove the last liberty and the group is captured.
You capture by filling the last liberty of an opponent's stone or connected group. The moment a group has no empty points next to it, every stone in it is removed from the board. Connected stones share liberties, so they are captured together, all at once.
Atari is the state of a stone or group that has only one liberty left — one move away from being captured. Saying "atari" is like saying "check" in chess. The threatened player can try to escape by adding liberties, or let the stones go.
Baduk is the Korean name for Go. The rules and the board are identical — only the name differs. Korea has one of the strongest Go cultures in the world.
Weiqi is the Chinese name for Go, meaning roughly “the surrounding game.” It originated in China more than 2,500 years ago, making it the oldest board game still played in its original form.
Igo is the Japanese name for Go. Many common Go terms used worldwide — such as atari and komi — come from Japanese.
You win by controlling more of the board than your opponent when the game ends. That means surrounding empty territory and keeping your own groups alive while capturing or neutralizing your opponent's stones.
Komi is a number of points added to white's score to make up for black playing first. GoingBoard uses 7.5 komi by default; the half-point also ensures games can't end in a tie.
The ko rule prevents endless repetition. You may not play a move that recreates the board position from immediately before your opponent's last move, so you must play elsewhere before retaking a ko.
GoingBoard uses area scoring: your score is the empty points you surround plus your stones on the board, and white adds komi. The higher total wins. It's computed automatically when both players pass.
Yes. The 9×9 board is the best place to start: games are short, captures happen often, and you meet every important idea in Go without the complexity of the full 19×19 board.
Yes. GoingBoard is free and needs no account. Choose a board size, pick your color, and start playing against the computer immediately.
Start on Beginner. GoingBoard lets you pick the computer's strength — Beginner, Casual, or Stronger — separately from the board size, so you can stay on Beginner while you learn and step up when you're ready. The built-in computer is a relaxed practice partner, not an expert engine.
Playing the computer means a partner is always available, plays at a steady level, and lets you experiment, take your time, and undo moves. It's the calmest, lowest-pressure way to learn and practice.
GoingBoard is built for instant solo practice against the computer — no account, no matchmaking, no waiting for an opponent. Big servers shine for ranked human games; GoingBoard is the place to learn, experiment, and warm up with hints, undo, and post-game review whenever you want.