Start by playing a full game together · Lesson 04
What is the aim of Go?
Go compares how much area each player holds at the end. Stones need to survive, and surrounded empty points need to stay secure. Capturing can help gain area, but it is not the game’s only aim.
Under this game’s rules, Yiban adds stones confirmed alive at the end to surrounded empty points, then adds White’s komi. Captured stones earn no separate points, and more captures do not necessarily mean a win.
“This territory” or “this space” usually means an enclosed area or one you hope to enclose. Do not count an unsealed area as entirely yours while an opponent can still enter. Scoring systems differ; the counting lesson explains those distinctions.
Surrounding empty points
Original lessons by Yiban ·