Objective
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The goal of Go is to control the most territory on the board by the end of the game.
Game Setup
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Board: The game is played on a grid of 19x19 lines, but smaller 9x9 boards are often used for beginners.
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Stones: One player uses black stones, the other uses white stones. Black typically plays first.
Basic Rules
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Placing Stones: Players take turns placing one stone on an empty intersection (point) on the board.
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Capturing Stones: Stones are captured and removed from the board if they are completely surrounded by the opponent's stones on all adjacent points (up, down, left, right). A group of stones connected by horizontal and vertical lines shares the same fate.
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Liberties: Stones must have at least one liberty (empty adjacent point) to remain on the board. If placing a stone would leave it without liberties, it's an illegal move unless it results in capturing opponent stones, in which case it's called "suicide."
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Ko Rule: To prevent infinite loops, a player cannot make a move that returns the game to the previous board position.
End of the Game
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The game ends when both players pass their turns consecutively, indicating they believe there are no more beneficial moves.
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Scoring: Players count their controlled territory (empty points surrounded by their stones) plus captured enemy stones. The player with the higher score wins.
Other Key Concepts
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Territory: Areas of the board surrounded by a player's stones.
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Eyes: Empty points within a player's territory that ensure groups of stones cannot be captured because they have internal liberties.