Go FAQ

35 questions players ask · Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Full rulebook

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Equipment and Goal The Play Liberties and Capture Ko (Repetition)Ending the Game Scoring Komi and Handicap Life, Death, and Eyes (Strategic Notes)

Equipment and Goal

What happens if you run out of stones during a game of Go?
Why does Black start with 181 stones on a 19x19 board?
Are stones played on the lines or in the squares?
What are the black dots on a Go board?

The Play

Who plays first, and can you pass instead of placing a stone?
Do you give your opponent a stone when you pass?

Liberties and Capture

Is suicide (placing a stone with no liberties) legal?
If my stone has no liberties but captures enemy stones, is it still suicide?
Can a stone on the edge or corner be captured, and how many liberties does it need to lose?
Can I play a stone inside an area my opponent has surrounded?
Can I play on a point where stones were just captured?
What happens to groups with no empty neighbour points?

Ko (Repetition)

What exactly does the ko rule forbid?
Can several ko fights repeat forever, and does the rule stop it?

Ending the Game

When does a Go game end?
What if players disagree about whether a group is dead after both pass?
Do I have to capture dead stones before the game ends?
When should I pass?
Must an open ko be resolved before the game can end?
Under AGA rules, must White make the last pass?

Scoring

What is dame, and must I fill it before passing?
How do Japanese and Chinese scoring differ?
Do Chinese and Japanese scoring always give the same winner?
Does playing inside my own territory cost a point?
Do prisoners count under Chinese scoring?
Do dead stones removed at the end count as prisoners?
What counts as territory?
How is seki scored?

Komi and Handicap

Does the odd number of points on a 19x19 board make the game unfair?
What komi is standard?
Should komi change with board size?
How is komi handled in a handicap game?

Life, Death, and Eyes (Strategic Notes)

Does a group with two eyes always live?
What is seki?
Is a group without two eyes dead at the end?