2019-06-24 newest contents, 2024-05-23 last update,
1996-07-01 first day, Robert
Jasiek
INDEX | GO
| RULES | DEFINITIONS
- KO
- END
- TOURNAMENT
Go (Weiqi, Baduk) Rules
Conventions for
this Page
- Global or foreign language links are [bracketed].
- * = no copyright
Guide to this Page
What to read as a
Player
Look here. If you
know exactly what you are looking for or search advanced information,
go back to the contents above.
Beginner
Welcome to this highly interesting, entertaining, and demanding board
game
of strategy and tactics! First you need Simple
Rules. Then its Commentary
assists
you. That's it! All further rules information is advanced. If you have
heard about different rule sets and really want to know about details,
please start with the Basic
Comparison.
As soon as having learned the rules you might want to know more about
the
game.
Publisher
You spread the game among beginners, hence you apply information
suitable
for them. They need short rules, that can be easily learned without
further
assistance and that are valid for any game position. Such are the Simple
Rules. A Commentary
is available.
The rules are so concise that you might wonder whether something is
missing.
The opposite is true: Various other rule sets are traditionally
designed
complexly. The nature of the game is always the same. Much information
about differences of rule
sets is offered.
This includes details that do not belong to the core of the rules of
play
(like compensation methods or strategy). All this is covered on basic
comparison, general
information,
and - less important - rule
text commentaries,
links.
EGF International Referee
Please go here
immediately.
Scientist
Probably, no guidance is necessary. But three hints shall be given:
Very
much information is hidden in follow-up links. For downloading go to index.
Some browsers allow saving diagrams via context menu.
German
Siehe [hier].
Guide for
the Regular Player
Rulesets and Commentaries
Official Area Scoring Rulesets (Chinese Style)
Area Scoring rulesets allow a simple playout in one
move-sequence because approaching liberties of strategically
dead
strings is free.
If you don't know official Chinese Rules or original Ing Rules yet,
consider yourself lucky. Read the above rulesets instead and you get a
better understanding.
Japanese / Korean Rules
Traditional Territory Scoring rulesets do not allow any simple playout
because approaching liberties of strategically dead strings
would
fill one's territory and therefore be costly. The official rulesets are
inapplicable. Read the applicable model rulesets instead:
- Applicable Traditional
Japanese Rules: They
are still lengthy but maintain 99.9% of the Japanese rules
tradition. This makes them a good model for tournaments said to be
played under Japanese rules.
- Simplified Japanese Rules:
Choose this if you search a rather short ruleset but consider
a definition of "life" essential.
- New Amateur-Japanese Rules
and a commentary: Choose
this if you don't care too much about tradition but want the simplest
Territory Scoring ruleset not using pass stones.
You like difficulties? Read about the official ruleset then:
- The
[official Japanese Rules]
require several commentaries: One, Two,
Three, Four
- There are also the old World Amateur Go Championship Rules
but you should not get interested in them.
- Korean rules are like Japanese rules with some superfluous extras.
Of intermediate difficulty are verbal rules:
Ikeda Scoring
Ikeda Scoring realizes Territory Scoring with just
one playout move-sequence.
General Introductions
Strategy
Tournaments
Basic
Information
Rule Texts
Here you can find complete go rule sets. For tournament rules and
further
variants refer to links.
Short Rules
International
Rules
Agreement
Area Rules
Ikeda Style Rules
Japanese
Style Rules
Go Server Rules
- IGS rules
: Internet Go Server rules of match
and tmatch command
Variants
Rule
Text Commentaries
General Discussion
General Analysis,
Commentaries, Examples
The topics are treated in detail with rule texts, analysis,
interpretation,
comments, and examples.
- Definitions
: fundamental terms, handicap,
move, pass, suicide
- Ko
: introduction, aims, explanation
(incl super ko, Ing), overview, texts, examples,
history, comparison
- End
: introduction, scoring, counting,
phases, classification, examples,...
- Tournament
: organization, referees,
time, rules,...
Information
- The History of Go Rules, Chen Zuyuan (author + copyright). This English summary of Chen's essential research on the history of rules in the Tang
Dynasty is the major breakthrough on go rules history, was translated
by a joint effort of John Fairbairn, the author and others and published on GoGoD's webpage: #1, #2. Chen is the leading Chinese go rules expert
and relies his research on
key original findings. The reader might find understanding the
translation easier if he replaces "string" by "independently living
group" and keeps an open mind about the words "scoring" and "counting".
- literature
Links
My Pages
Other Collections
Tournament Rules
Award
- [MSO]
awarded the "Link of the Week"
to my rules page
[Deutsche Texte]
Es gibt [einfache Regeln]
und einen
[Kommentar].
Diese Regeln sind kurz, leicht verständlich und für
jede Brettstellung
anwendbar. Sie sind daher im Besonderen für Anfänger
und für
Verleger geeignet. Der Charakter des Spiels ist wie bei allen anderen
Regelwerken.
Erheblich schwerer verständlich sind japanische
Regeln. Sie werden
im [Deutschen
Go-Bund] verwendet
und können daher nicht ignoriert werden. Hier ist die
originalgetreueste
[Übersetzung].
Speziell für Anfänger ist eine leichter
verständliche [Einführung]
geschrieben. Die tiefgehenden Kommentare sind nur in Englisch
verfügbar.
If
you understand everything, you must
be misinformed. (Japanese proverb)