Basic Rules
Players take turns placing stones on intersections (not squares)
Black moves first, then players alternate
Stones must be placed on empty intersections
Once placed, stones don't move unless captured
Liberties & Capture
A stone's liberties are the empty points directly adjacent to it (up, down, left, right)
When a stone or group has no liberties, it is captured and removed from the board
Captured stones count as points for the opposing player
You cannot make a suicide move - placing a stone that would have no liberties unless it captures
Ko Rule
You cannot immediately recapture the same single stone you just captured
This prevents infinite loops of capture and recapture
Superko rule: You cannot recreate any previous board position
Life & Death
A group needs at least two separate empty spaces (eyes) to live
Groups with only one eye can be captured
Seki: Mutual life situations where neither player can attack without self-harm
Ending the Game
Players may pass their turn if they believe no beneficial moves remain
Game ends when both players pass consecutively
Players then agree on which stones are dead and remove them
Scoring
Japanese: Territory + prisoners + komi
Chinese: Territory + stones on board + komi
AGA: Territory + prisoners + stones on board + komi
Komi: Typically 6.5 or 7.5 points to compensate white
The player with the most points wins