Your First Go Games on a Small Board

Knowing the rules of Go and knowing what to do with them are two different things. The first few games often feel aimless: stones end up scattered, groups get captured without warning, and it's hard to tell who is winning. That's normal. This guide gives you a few simple habits that make your first games on a small board (9×9) much more satisfying.

Why start on 9×9

On a 9×9 board every move matters, fights happen quickly, and a game lasts ten to fifteen minutes. You'll see many complete games — including the ending and the count — in the time one full-size game would take. The ideas you learn here (liberties, connection, eyes, territory) carry over directly to 13×13 and 19×19.

1. Start near the centre or the third line

On a small board, good first moves are the centre point or a point three lines in from the edges. Stones on the first or second line surround very little space, and stones too far from each other are easy to split. Don't worry about finding the "best" opening — just avoid the edge early on.

Good first moves on 9×9 (triangles): the centre or a third-line point. Moves on the first or second line (crosses) surround very little.

2. Count liberties before every move

Most beginner losses come from a group running out of liberties without the player noticing. Before you play, look at your weakest group and count its liberties. If it has two or fewer, deal with it first. Before you attack, count the liberties of the enemy group too — if yours has fewer, you'll lose the race.

This black group has only two liberties left (E3 and F4). One more white move puts it in atari — deal with it now, before you play anywhere else.

3. Stay connected

Connected stones share liberties and are hard to capture. Separated stones have to be defended one by one. When your opponent places a stone between two of your groups, connecting is often the right answer. A strong, connected position lets you attack later without worrying about your own weaknesses.

Stones touching only diagonally are not connected. The circled points are cutting points.

If White cuts at E4, Black must connect at 1 (D5) at once, or the stones become two separate weak groups.

4. Don't make too many weak groups

It's tempting to answer every new enemy stone with a stone of your own right next to it. Soon the board is full of small groups in trouble. Try this instead: after each move, ask "do I have a group that could die?" If yes, strengthen it. If no, you're free to attack or claim more space.

5. Learn to spot the ladder

A ladder is a capturing sequence where you keep putting a stone in atari, it keeps extending with one new liberty, and the chase zigzags across the board until it hits the edge and is captured. Before you run with a stone in atari, trace the zigzag to the edge with your eyes. If nothing of yours is in the way, running only makes the loss bigger — give the stone up and play elsewhere.

A ladder. White's stone on E5 runs with 2, 4, 6…, but every Black move (1, 3, 5…) puts it straight back in atari. At the edge the group has one liberty left, and Black captures all eight stones at the triangle. A single white stone in the ladder's path would have broken it.

6. Capturing is not the goal

The winner is whoever controls more of the board, not whoever captured more stones. Capturing helps when it saves your weak group or breaks your opponent's territory, but chasing single stones around the board often costs more than it gains. When in doubt, choose the move that secures space.

7. Finish the borders, then pass

Near the end, the space between your territory and your opponent's gets filled one stone at a time. These small border moves still matter — a single point can decide a 9×9 game. When every border is closed and no move gains anything, pass. When both players pass, the game ends and is counted. On MindLounge, capture any dead enemy stones inside your area before you pass — the board is counted as it stands.

How to tell who's winning

Beginners often can't tell who is ahead until the count at the end. A quick estimate during the game helps you decide whether to play safely or take risks:

Count the points each side has clearly surrounded, even roughly.
Ignore groups that are still fighting — count them only once they're settled.
Remember that White gets komi. On a small board, Black needs a clear lead in territory to win.

If you're ahead, strengthen weak groups and close borders. If you're behind, that's the time to invade or start a fight — a safe game won't change the result.

A simple practice routine

Play five games against the bot on 9×9 without worrying about the result.
After each game, find the moment one of your groups was captured and count its liberties one move earlier.
For the next five games, focus on one habit: count liberties before every move.

Once games stop feeling random, read Life and Death in Go — it explains why some groups can never be captured.

Play Go against the bot

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