Go

On-line Help Manual

How to Play Go

Introduction

Object of the Game

Go Board

Game Rules

Tips

Getting Started

Starting a New Game

Making Moves

Invalid Moves

Stopping a Game

Move List

Winning a Game

Reviewing a Game

Saving a Game

Exiting a Game

Opening a Saved Game

Settings

Game Settings

Sound Settings

Display Settings & Toolbar

About Purple Software & Contact Details

How to Play Go

Introduction

Go is one of the oldest games in the world and is thought to have originated some 4000 years ago in the Orient (in China or the Himalayas).  According to legend, the future of Tibet was once decided over a game of Go, rather than on the battlefield.  It was in Japan, however, where Go truly flourished and took root in society.

Historically most Go masters (or Meijins) have been Japanese, where Go is the national game and champions become national heroes.  More than 50 million people play Go regularly in the Far East alone, and many more follow tournaments with keen interest.  The interest in Go is not exclusive to the Far East and today, Go is played all over the world.  Players are rated according to their strength in a system similar to Judo.  There are 29 different levels, ranging from 20 Kyu (“lowest” official rating) to the highest class, 9 Dan.

Object of the Game

The game comes to an end when the players agree that neither party can increase their respective territory or the number of prisoners, i.e. when both players pass.  The objective of Go is to score more points than your opponent.  The players are awarded one point for each vacant point inside their own territory, and this total is then increased by the amount of stones that they have captured.

Go Board

Go is played on a 19 x 19 grid that forms 361 intersections on which to place the stones.  One player is black and the opponent is white.

The Go board

Game Rules

Starting with an empty board, black begins by placing a stone on any intersection.  The players then alternate to place stones on strategic areas of the board, with the aim to enclose as much territory as possible.  Once placed, stones cannot be moved.  Should a stone be surrounded by the opponent’s pieces, the captured stone will then be permanently removed from the board as a prisoner.

Capture of Stones

Stones are captured and removed when enemy stones occupy all adjacent points.  Two or more stones of the same colour are connected into a single unit by placing them on adjoining intersections.  Note that this connection is made only along the vertical and horizontal lines.  The Go application will automatically remove captured stones from the board.

Liberties

The vacant points immediately adjacent to a stone, or a group of connected stones, are called liberties or breathing spaces.  An isolated stone or group of stones is captured when enemy stones occupy all of its liberties.

Illegal suicide

A stone may not be placed at a point that is completely encircled by the opponent’s stones, unless in doing so the move captures all or some of the surrounding enemy stones.  No stone may remain on the board when it is completely surrounded.

Eyes

An unoccupied point surrounded by stones of the same colour is called an eye.  A stone cannot be placed in an eye until all the outside liberties of this group have been occupied.   Since the opponent may occupy an eye only when it is the last liberty of the group, it follows that a group of stones containing two separate eyes is impregnable.

Repetitive Situations

For example, a stone is threatened on three sides and is in Atari.  The opponent is able to capture the stone, but in the next move you could be able to recapture the stone thus making the board identical to before the capture.  The Ko rule prevents this from happening: After a player has captured an enemy stone, the opponent has to make a move elsewhere on the board before recapture is allowed.

Handicap Stones

In order to give a weaker player the chance of winning over a stronger opponent the handicap system was introduced.  This allows 2-9 stones to be initially placed in pre-defined symmetrical positions.  If handicap stones are placed then White starts the game.

Passing

A player may elect to pass if there is no advantage making a move.  When both players pass, the game ends.

Winning Go

The game comes to an end when the players agree that neither party can increase their respective territory or the number of prisoners, i.e. when both players pass.  The players are awarded one point for each vacant point inside their own territory, and one point for every stone they have captured.  The player with the highest total of points wins.  The program will perform this calculation automatically for you.

Glossary

Armies: 	Stones of the same colour that are connected to each other.

Atari: 	When only one liberty remains a stone or group of stones are in jeopardy of being captured.

Eye:	An unoccupied point, surrounded by stones of the same colour.

Handicap:  	A number of pre-placed stones to allow a beginner player to play against a stronger player.

Illegal Suicide: Rule that disallows you from placing a stone on a point that would cause that stone’s immediate capture.

Ko: 	Rule that prevents repetitive situations.

Komi: 	An addition to the white player’s score to balance out the advantage the black player gains from making the first move.

Liberties: 	Vacant adjacent points of an army.

Stones: 	The players pieces.

Tips

The game of Go can appear to be overwhelming to the beginner.  Below are a few tips along with web links for some of the most popular Go sites on the Internet.

•	In general, a much larger percentage of points are gained by controlling territory rather than by capturing opponent’s stones.  Smaller battles should be ignored in favour of conquering territory elsewhere on the board.

•	It is much easier to gain territory in the corners of the board and at the sides, rather than the centre.  Try to claim territory in the corners three or four lines from each edge of the board. If you try to gain ground in the in the centre of the board early on, it is extremely difficult to protect and you may find that your initial moves have been wasted.

Go Web Links

Listed below are a few links to recommended websites and newsgroups specialising in Go and other relevant topics.  Note: Purple Software is not in any way responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

American Go Association (www.usgo.org)

British Go Association (www.britgo.org/index.html)

European Go Federation (www.european-go.org)

International Go Federation (www.world-go.org)

Mind Sports Olympiad (www.msoworld.com)

Newsgroup (news:rec.games.go)

Nihon Ki-in (www.nihonkiin.or.jp/index-e.htm)

Getting Started

When you first run Go, you are presented with the Go board and opening screen.

Starting a New Game

To start a new game, select the New option from the File menu. Alternatively, you can click on the New button on the far left of the Toolbar or, when there is no game in progress, you can also click with the mouse anywhere on the game area.

The New Game dialog opens:

Here you select the players (human against either human or computer), the colours of the pieces (Black or White) and the difficulty level for the computer (level 1 is the most basic).  Whoever plays with the black pieces has the first move.

If you click on the Options button in the New Game dialog, the New Game Options dialog appears.

Here you can change the board size, set a handicap and choose a Komi value.  Beginners may prefer to play on a smaller board as the game is then easier and quicker.  See the Game Rules section above for more details.

Making Moves

The game starts with an empty board.  The aim of the game is to acquire territory by covering unoccupied areas of the board with pieces or stones, thus scoring more points than your opponent.  Black goes first and then the players take turns to place a stone on any unoccupied point on the grid.  Once placed, a stone cannot be moved, even though it may be captured and removed from the board. Game Rules

To place a stone on the grid, simply click on the intersection where you wish your piece to be placed.  Depending upon your game settings, your score may or may not be displayed on your pieces during the course of the game.  See Game Settings section below for more details.  If a stone is surrounded by the opponent’s pieces, the captured stone will then be removed permanently from the board.

If, however, you select an invalid location (for example, you click on a stone that is already in position on the board), an Invalid move message appears and you will be unable to place your stone in that position.

If there is no advantage in making a move, a player may elect to pass on a turn.  To do this, select the Pass option from the Game menu or click on the Pass button on the Toolbar.  When the computer passes, a Pass message is displayed.

If you wish the computer to suggest a move, select the Hint option from the Game menu or click on the Hint button on the far right of the Toolbar. To play the hint, click on the intersection suggested by the computer.  The computer may also suggest that you pass, in which case a Computer suggests pass message will be displayed.

With more advanced levels, the computer may take some time to make its move.  To force the computer to stop thinking and make the best move it has found so far, select the Move Now option from the Game menu or click on the Move Now button on the Toolbar. Please note that whilst the computer is considering its move, the Move Now button is no longer greyed out and appears in colour on the Toolbar.

Invalid Moves

If you select an invalid location (for example, if you click on a stone that is already in position on the board), an Invalid move message appears and you will have to make another selection.

Stopping a Game

If you wish to stop a game, select the Stop Game option in the Game menu or click on the Stop Game button on the Toolbar. A dialog is displayed asking you whether you want to force the game to end.  If you click Yes, another dialog appears asking you whether you want to mark the score yourself.

If you click Yes, you will be asked to select the End Marking Score option from the Game menu when you finish the marking.

If you decide not to mark the score yourself, a dialog is displayed, giving the number of points for each player and announcing which player has won and by how many points.

Move List

A scrollable Move List displays a list of all the moves made in the current game on the left-hand side of the screen.  Each move is identified by a number, a black or white piece and a grid reference that refers to the Go board.  If you or your opponent have made any passes, these will also be listed.

Winning a Game

The game comes to an end when neither party can increase their respective territory (i.e. both players have to pass).

If you decide not to mark the score yourself, a dialog is displayed, giving the number of points for each player and announcing which player has won and by how many points.  At the end of a game the scoring is displayed on the board.

Reviewing a Game

The Video buttons in the Toolbar allow you to review the current game.   Click the Take Back button to undo a single move (or series of moves) and the Replay button to redo a single move (or series of moves). The Go to Start button takes you back to the start of the game and the Go to End button takes you to the end of the current game.

Alternatively, you can use the Take Back, Replay, Go to Start and Go to End options in the Game menu (or their respective keyboard shortcuts).

Saving a Game

To save a game so that you can continue playing it later, select the Save option from the File menu. Alternatively, you can click on the Save button on the far left of the Toolbar. The Save As dialog opens.

Simply enter a filename so that you can identify the game when you come to load it again at a later date. It is, however, also possible to change the directory where the games are stored and overwrite any existing saved games.

To save an existing game under a different name while a game is in progress, use the Save As option on the File menu.  Note also that you will be asked if you want to save your game whenever you exit a game or start a new game while another game is in progress.

Exiting a Game

To exit a game, select the Exit option from the File menu or click on the Close button (marked with an X) in the top right hand corner of the program.

Opening a Saved Game

To re-open a saved game, select the Load option from the File menu or click on the Load button on the Toolbar. Select the game you wish to resume playing in the Open dialog.

Settings

Game Settings

The Game Settings dialog allows you to choose whether to display move numbers on all the pieces, just on the last move made or not to display any move numbers at all.

Sound Settings

In the Sound Settings dialog you can choose a Background Music option and switch the Sound Effects on or off.  Highlight your chosen background music and click OK. For sound effects, tick the Game SFX box. You can also change the sound levels, by moving the volume bars to the left to reduce the volume level or to the right to increase it.  On installation of the games, you have the option of whether you wish to install the music or whether you would like it to run directly from the CD.

Display Settings & Toolbar

Toolbar

To display the toolbar at the top of the screen, select the Toolbar option from the View menu.

A tool tip displays the name of the toolbar button when you roll using the mouse pointer over a button.  From left to right, the toolbar buttons are as follows:

•	New  - to start a new game

•	Load - to load a saved game

•	Save  - to save a game

•	Go to Start - to go to the start of the current game

•	Take Back - to undo a move

•	Replay - to replay a move

•	Go to End - to go to the end of the current game

•	Pass – to pass on a turn

•	Force move – to force the computer to make its move

•	Stop Game – to end the game

•	Hint - to ask the computer to suggest a move

Status Bar

To display the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen, select the Status Bar option from the View menu.  This displays information about the current game, such as the chosen difficulty level, the number of prisoners, and the selected Komi and Handicap values, at the bottom of the game window.

Screen Size

To change the screen size, select the Screen Size option from the View menu and choose a window size from the pre-determined settings.

About Purple Software & Contact Details

Purple Software is the world's leading developer of entertainment and lifestyle applications based on artificial intelligence that amuse, stimulate and challenge the mind. For more information or support, contact us by:

Phone:	+44 (0) 1494 750 300	( Hours: 09.00 – 17.30 GMT )

Fax:	+44 (0) 1494 750 301

Email:	info@purplesoft.com 	( General enquiries )

support@purplesoft.com	( Technical support )

Web:	www.purplesoftware.com

Address:	Purple Software Limited

Purple House

Corporation Street

High Wycombe, Bucks

HP13 6TQ

United Kingdom