Board Game Arena - User contributions [en]

Gamehelpmandala

2024-04-07T20:26:17Z

BoatsandJoes: Clarified that "hand" is different from Cup and River.

===Overview===

Play coloured sand cards to build and deconstruct Mandalas, whilst determining how many points the sand colours are worth to you.

=== Play Area ===
Each player has a "River" and a "Cup", and there are two "Mandalas" in the middle. Players each take turns playing cards from their hand into the Mandalas.

Once a Mandala contains all 6 colours, it is considered "completed" and players will take turns moving cards from the Mandala into their River/Cup to score points.

===Placement Rules===

Each of the two Mandalas has 3 areas: your Field, your opponent's Field, and the neutral Mountain.

Within a single Mandala, a colour can only be represented in a single area of it - but as many times as you wish, e.g. if there are two greens in your opponent's Field, neither your Field nor the Mountain can have greens, but your opponent can add more greens to their Field later.

However, the separate Mandalas do not affect each other.
===Turn===

On your turn, you have three options:

• '''Build Mountain & Draw''' - Play one card into one Mountain, then draw up to 3 cards if able (hand limit is 8, you cannot draw and discard to meet this limit)

• '''Grow Field & No Draw ''' - Play as many cards of one colour as you wish into one of your Fields. (However, you must retain a single card in your hand; so if your hand consists only of 3 reds, you could only play 2 reds.)

• '''Discard & Redraw''' - Discard as many cards of one colour then draw the same quantity
===Completing a Mandala===

If after your turn a Mandala contains all six colours, it is completed, and a completion stage takes place.

Regardless of who triggered it, whoever has the most cards in their respective Fields begins (if tied, the player who did '''not''' just play the 6th different colour goes first).

Alternating turns, each player picks a colour and takes all of that colour from the Mountain.

If the colour chosen is '''not''' already in your River, place one card of it on your next available river space, and any remaining copies will go face down into your Cup, where they will be worth points.

If the colour chosen is already in your River, all of them go in your Cup.

When the final colour is taken from the mountain, discard the two players' field cards and draw two new cards for the empty Mountain.

If the Completion phase was triggered and a player has NO cards in their field, the above more or less stays the same, except when that player picks a colour, they discard them and do NOT gain river or cup cards. In the strange instance that this is true for both players, it is best to just discard the mountain and not take turns.
===Game End===

The game ends either when the draw deck is exhausted or a player adds a 6th card to their River.

(If the draw deck is exhausted, reshuffle and continue playing until the next time a Mandala Completion phase resolves.)

If a player adds a 6th card to their River, finish the current Mandala Completion phase in its entirety then end.

Either way, any cards in hand and on incomplete Mandalas are discarded from play.

Take all the cards from your cup and lay them below their respective colour on the river, each copy gains points equal to their position on your River ''(e.g. if you have 3 Red cards and Red was in position 1 on River, that's 3 points, but if red was in position 5 that's 15 points - the river card itself does '''not''' score).''

The player with the most points wins!

If tied, the player with the least Cup cards wins!

Gamehelpmandala

2024-04-07T20:23:55Z

BoatsandJoes: Define "River" "Cup" "Field" and "Mountain" before using the terms for the first time.

===Overview===

Play coloured sand cards to build and deconstruct Mandalas, whilst determining how many points the sand colours are worth to you.

=== Play Area ===
Each player has a "River" and a "Cup", and there are two "Mandalas" in the middle. Players take turns playing cards into the Mandalas.

Once a Mandala contains all 6 colours, it is considered "completed" and players will take turns moving cards from the Mandala into their River/Cup to score points.

===Placement Rules===

Each of the two Mandalas has 3 areas: your Field, your opponent's Field, and the neutral Mountain.

Within a single Mandala, a colour can only be represented in a single area of it - but as many times as you wish, e.g. if there are two greens in your opponent's Field, neither your Field nor the Mountain can have greens, but your opponent can add more greens to their Field later.

However, the separate Mandalas do not affect each other.
===Turn===

On your turn, you have three options:

• '''Build Mountain & Draw''' - Play one card into one Mountain, then draw up to 3 cards if able (hand limit is 8, you cannot draw and discard to meet this limit)

• '''Grow Field & No Draw ''' - Play as many cards of one colour as you wish into one of your Fields. (However, you must retain a single card in your hand; so if your hand consists only of 3 reds, you could only play 2 reds.)

• '''Discard & Redraw''' - Discard as many cards of one colour then draw the same quantity
===Completing a Mandala===

If after your turn a Mandala contains all six colours, it is completed, and a completion stage takes place.

Regardless of who triggered it, whoever has the most cards in their respective Fields begins (if tied, the player who did '''not''' just play the 6th different colour goes first).

Alternating turns, each player picks a colour and takes all of that colour from the Mountain.

If the colour chosen is '''not''' already in your River, place one card of it on your next available river space, and any remaining copies will go face down into your Cup, where they will be worth points.

If the colour chosen is already in your River, all of them go in your Cup.

When the final colour is taken from the mountain, discard the two players' field cards and draw two new cards for the empty Mountain.

If the Completion phase was triggered and a player has NO cards in their field, the above more or less stays the same, except when that player picks a colour, they discard them and do NOT gain river or cup cards. In the strange instance that this is true for both players, it is best to just discard the mountain and not take turns.
===Game End===

The game ends either when the draw deck is exhausted or a player adds a 6th card to their River.

(If the draw deck is exhausted, reshuffle and continue playing until the next time a Mandala Completion phase resolves.)

If a player adds a 6th card to their River, finish the current Mandala Completion phase in its entirety then end.

Either way, any cards in hand and on incomplete Mandalas are discarded from play.

Take all the cards from your cup and lay them below their respective colour on the river, each copy gains points equal to their position on your River ''(e.g. if you have 3 Red cards and Red was in position 1 on River, that's 3 points, but if red was in position 5 that's 15 points - the river card itself does '''not''' score).''

The player with the most points wins!

If tied, the player with the least Cup cards wins!

Gamehelpxiangqi

2023-05-07T16:45:18Z

BoatsandJoes:

Xiangqi (pronounced she on chee) pieces sit on intersections. There is a "river" in the middle and two square "palaces".

Piece overview:

* Soldiers AKA pawns move or capture only one space forward at a time (no two space movement or diagonal capture). They may never move backwards. *After crossing the river*, they may also move or capture side to side, but they don't "promote" into other pieces.
* Chariots AKA rooks move and capture identically to Western Chess rooks: any number of spaces orthogonally.
* Horses AKA knights move and capture the same way as Western Chess knights, but they can be *blocked by other pieces* (of either color). The horse moves one space orthogonally and then one space diagonally. If another piece is sitting orthogonally adjacent to the horse, it cannot move in that direction.
* Elephants are defensive pieces that move and capture exactly two spaces diagonally, and are *not allowed to cross the river*. There are only 7 spaces for each side that elephants can actually reach. If there is a piece of either color one space away diagonally, the elephant cannot move in that direction.
* Advisors start in the palace and *cannot leave the palace*. They may only move and capture one space diagonally, so they can each reach only 5 spaces.
* The General AKA king can only move and capture one space *orthogonally* (not diagonally), and *cannot leave the palace*. If you checkmate your opponent's general, you win. If a general is directly facing the enemy general with no pieces in between, they can fly across the board and capture the enemy general (in practice, this means that you cannot make a move that would leave the opponent's general facing your general).
* The Cannon is a rather unique piece that moves like a chariot/rook, but does not capture like one. It can *only* capture pieces in an orthogonal line by jumping over a single piece of either color in between. For example, from the starting position, the cannon can capture the opposing horse. The cannon can jump only one piece, it cannot jump without capturing, and it cannot capture without jumping.

A "stalemate" is a loss for the player with no legal moves. If you think it is impossible for you or your opponent to achieve checkmate, you can click a button at the top of the screen to offer a draw. Some rulesets make repeated checking or chasing a loss for the checking/chasing player: this varies across different websites. There is no "castling" move or "en passant."

Note: in the top right "hamburger menu," you can find options to change the pieces' appearance between "Western" and "Chinese". If using Chinese pieces, be aware that the two sides look a little bit different.

Gamehelpxiangqi

2023-01-23T05:34:30Z

BoatsandJoes: Pronunciation tip

Xiangqi (pronounced shangchi) pieces sit on intersections. The "river" in the middle and the square "palaces" only affect 2 piece types each: other pieces move through normally.

Piece overview (note: in the top right "hamburger menu," you can find options to change the pieces' appearance between "Western" and "Chinese". If using Chinese pieces, be aware that the two sides look a little bit different.):

* Soldiers AKA pawns move or capture only one space forward at a time (no two space movement or diagonal capture). They may never move backwards. *After crossing the river*, they may also move or capture side to side, but they don't "promote" into other pieces.
* Chariots AKA rooks move and capture identically to Western Chess rooks: any number of spaces orthogonally.
* Horses AKA knights move and capture the same way as Western Chess knights, but they can be *blocked by other pieces* (of either color). Think of the horse as moving one space orthogonally and then one space diagonally. If another piece is sitting orthogonally adjacent to the horse, it cannot move in that direction, but the horse's movement goes around pieces that are diagonally adjacent, and pieces that are orthogonally two spaces away.
* Elephants are defensive pieces that move and capture exactly two spaces diagonally, and are *not allowed to cross the river*. There are only 7 spaces for each side that elephants can actually reach. If there is a piece of either color one space away diagonally, the elephant cannot move in that direction.
* Advisors start in the palace and *cannot leave the palace*. They may only move and capture one space diagonally, so they can each reach only 5 spaces.
* The General AKA king can only move and capture one space *orthogonally* (not diagonally), and *cannot leave the palace*. If you checkmate your opponent's general, you win. If a general is directly facing the enemy general with no pieces in between, they can fly across the board and capture the enemy general (in practice, this means that you cannot make a move that would leave the opponent's general facing your general).
* The Cannon is a rather unique piece that moves like a chariot/rook, but does not capture like one. It can *only* capture pieces in an orthogonal line by jumping over a single piece of either color in between. For example, from the starting position, the cannon can capture the opposing horse. The cannon can jump only one piece, it cannot jump without capturing, and it cannot capture without jumping.

A "stalemate" is a loss for the player with no legal moves. If you and your opponent think that you are unable to achieve checkmate, you can click a button at the top of the screen to offer a draw. Some rulesets make repeated checking or chasing a loss for the checking/chasing player: this varies across different websites. There is no "castling" move or "en passant."

Gamehelpxiangqi

2023-01-23T05:29:50Z

BoatsandJoes: Wrote a brief rules overview.

Xiangqi pieces sit on intersections. The "river" in the middle and the square "palaces" only affect 2 piece types each: other pieces move through normally.

Piece overview (note: in the top right "hamburger menu," you can find options to change the pieces' appearance between "Western" and "Chinese". If using Chinese pieces, be aware that the two sides look a little bit different.):

* Soldiers AKA pawns move or capture only one space forward at a time (no two space movement or diagonal capture). They may never move backwards. *After crossing the river*, they may also move or capture side to side, but they don't "promote" into other pieces.
* Chariots AKA rooks move and capture identically to Western Chess rooks: any number of spaces orthogonally.
* Horses AKA knights move and capture the same way as Western Chess knights, but they can be *blocked by other pieces* (of either color). Think of the horse as moving one space orthogonally and then one space diagonally. If another piece is sitting orthogonally adjacent to the horse, it cannot move in that direction, but the horse's movement goes around pieces that are diagonally adjacent, and pieces that are orthogonally two spaces away.
* Elephants are defensive pieces that move and capture exactly two spaces diagonally, and are *not allowed to cross the river*. There are only 7 spaces for each side that elephants can actually reach. If there is a piece of either color one space away diagonally, the elephant cannot move in that direction.
* Advisors start in the palace and *cannot leave the palace*. They may only move and capture one space diagonally, so they can each reach only 5 spaces.
* The General AKA king can only move and capture one space *orthogonally* (not diagonally), and *cannot leave the palace*. If you checkmate your opponent's general, you win. If a general is directly facing the enemy general with no pieces in between, they can fly across the board and capture the enemy general (in practice, this means that you cannot make a move that would leave the opponent's general facing your general).
* The Cannon is a rather unique piece that moves like a chariot/rook, but does not capture like one. It can *only* capture pieces in an orthogonal line by jumping over a single piece of either color in between. For example, from the starting position, the cannon can capture the opposing horse. The cannon can jump only one piece, it cannot jump without capturing, and it cannot capture without jumping.

A "stalemate" is a loss for the player with no legal moves. If you and your opponent think that you are unable to achieve checkmate, you can click a button at the top of the screen to offer a draw. Some rulesets make repeated checking or chasing a loss for the checking/chasing player: this varies across different websites. There is no "castling" move or "en passant."

Tips xiangqi

2023-01-23T04:39:40Z

BoatsandJoes: Minor grammar and style edits.

Think twice before moving, thrice after losing. Do not be discouraged after a loss - reflect and experiment: enjoy the game!

Opening

For the opening, there are a vast amount of possibilities and variations. An old saying is that you should move one of your chariots by your third move, or else it will be too late. Do not attempt to go deep into your opponent's half too early using just one or two pieces; very likely your pieces will be trapped and wasted. Combine the power of your pieces to introduce threats to your opponent. Also analyze whether your opponent is aggressive or defensive, and adapt to their games.

Development

Capturing your opponent's piece may not be the best move. For example, capturing your opponent's soldier on the outermost line (1 or 9) before it has crossed the river using your own horse may not be a wise decision. Your opponent's piece did not pose any significant threat to you, and you are limiting the options of your own attacking piece, especially the horse, which is prone to being 'hobbled'. This buys your opponent time to create powerful moves, so a general tip is not to capture a soldier only for the sake of capturing it. Conversely, do not be afraid of losing pieces - this is a must throughout the game process.

Another tip is to not always run away from your opponent's capture attempt. Escaping your opponent's capture attempt means that you are giving up your own territory to your opponent, which often results in your opponent having good control of the board. A better method to counteract your opponent's attempt of capture is to guard your piece with another piece. For example, if your cannon is under direct threat from your opponent's chariot, you may choose to guard it with your horse, or even your soldier if applicable. Your opponent probably won't exchange a chariot for a cannon. Here are the estimated values of attacking pieces in general (unofficial, for your reference only): Chariot (9), Cannon (4-5), Horse (4-5), Soldier (1 before crossing river). That is, a chariot is worth roughly two cannons or two horses. Exchanging pieces is also a technique to master. Apart from the values of each piece, also consider the positions of the pieces. For example, a soldier before and after crossing the river have significant power differences. Advanced players will even consider giving up pieces in order to get faster control of the board, but this should be calculated very carefully and thoroughly before execution, else you will be giving up your match.

Check

To checkmate, plan your attack well. It is almost impossible to checkmate with only one attacking piece. Therefore, do not try to check using one single attacking piece - there is no actual threat, your opponent can easily dodge or block. Instead, you may have to use three or more pieces to check continuously to win. Another 'mistake' that beginners make is to exchange one of your opponent's defending pieces (elephant or advisor) using an attacking piece, thinking to destroy opponent's defense. However this is unlikely to be effective, since you moved quite a few moves in order to exchange for a piece that seldom moves, meaning that you wasted a few moves. Moreover, your opponent can make use of their attacking pieces for defense. However, it could be a good move if you can capture your opponent's defending pieces without an exchange, although this is not necessary for a win.

In fact, a lot of wins are created by the advisors limiting the possible moves of the General, therefore it is not a must to start your attack only after no opposing defense pieces are left.

Defense

To defend a check, the most easy way is to dodge or block, if the opponent piece is impossible to capture. Nonetheless, it is usually better to avoid being checked in the first place by anticipating where your opponent is going to place his piece to check and guard that point before a check actually happens.

Another way to defend is by aggressive attacking - leaving your opponent no time to attack - but in most cases, remember to keep a few attacking pieces behind since they should be participating in defense too. It is not enough to defend by using just elephants and advisors. Another fact is that although some pieces - such as the Cannon - can move from one end of the board to the other in one move, they are easily blocked too, both by own or opposing pieces. This is another reason to not push all of your attacking pieces forward while not being able to win, leaving your opponent a good chance to counterattack. For example, one Chariot can stay in your own half to defend, while keeping the potential to go out to assist attacking in just one move.

Overall

Xiangqi is a very strategic game involving virtually no luck. The only way to improve is to play more with different players and experiment more. Every move counts, so plan your moves well ahead, and anticipate what responses your opponent is going to give. Try to understand your opponent's intention by their moves, so as to make a correct judgement and eventually win the game.

Gamehelpsenshi

2022-12-20T17:57:17Z

BoatsandJoes: Small clarification for the Test action.

==Overview==
* Each player is a Senshi, a warrior-monk hoping to become the new Master.
* Players collect 4 different types of attribute tiles and create Scoring Piles of each type below their player cards.
* At the end of the game, the player with the shortest Scoring Pile (of any type) is eliminated. The remaining player with the tallest Scoring Pile (of any type) is the winner.

==Game Turns==
Players may do one of 3 actions on their turn:

* Study: Take one stack of attributes from the center of the table, and place it on one of the 3 empty spaces on your card. If none of those spaces is empty, you cannot Study.
* Train: Take the top attribute from any stack (on your card, another player's card, or in the center of the table) into your hand. It is now hidden. You cannot take from the top of a Scoring Pile.
* Test: Move one attribute from your hand to your Scoring Pile of that type. Then, everyone (including you) can move that attribute type from the tops of their stacks to their Scoring Pile. In the case of several of the same attribute at the top of a stack, only the top attribute can be moved to the Scoring Pile.

Taking the last stack from the middle of the table triggers the end of the game. Every player gets one more turn, and then the game ends.

==Scoring==
* The player(s) with the shortest Scoring Pile are eliminated. But if all players are tied for shortest Scoring Pile, no one is eliminated.
* Of the remaining players, the player with the tallest Scoring Pile wins.
* In case of a tie, the tied player with the most tiles in hand wins.
* In case there is still a tie, the tied player who played last in turn order wins.

==Reference==
Rulebook on Arcane Wonders website - https://www.arcanewonders.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Senshi_Rules_Web.pdf

Tips classicgo

2022-06-26T18:21:59Z

BoatsandJoes: Formatting did not show up properly on the main page.

== Fundamentals of Go ==

In his book Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, Toshiro Kageyama says:

''"After you have learned the rules, your first step should be to just play for a while (...) a number of games, say fifty or a hundred. During this period, if you see an enemy stone, try to capture it, try to cut it off. If you see a friendly stone, try to save it from capture, try to connect it. Concentrate on this alone as you build up some practical experience. (...) You cannot expect to do all your studying and gain all your knowledge from books."''

Playing on the 9×9 board is a great way to finish games and learn lessons more quickly.

== Connected stones ==

* A stone is '''''connected''''' to another stone if they are on directly adjacent grid intersections, or if they are close together and the opponent cannot prevent them from becoming connected.
* Playing moves in between opponent's stones to prevent them from connecting is called '''''cutting'''''.
* Evaluating whether stones are connected or can be cut is a skill that is difficult at first, but becomes easier as you play more games.
* Stones that are connected form a '''''group'''''.
* Groups take many more moves to capture than isolated stones; this is why learning to connect your groups and disconnect your opponents' is so helpful.

== Life & Death ==

''Life and death'' is an important concept:
* A group with ''two eyes'' (two or more small territories) is ''alive'', because the opponent can't fill up both eyes at the same time, and therefore the group cannot be captured.
* Most groups with one big territory/"a lot of eyespace" are alive: if the opponent tries to play inside, the group can inevitably form two eyes and capture the invading stones.
* A group that can inevitably connect to another alive group is alive.
* A group is ''dead'' if the opponent can inevitably capture it. Dead groups are cut off from all friendly groups, cannot capture the cutting stones, and do not have enough space to form two eyes.
* A group that is neither alive nor dead is ''unsettled''.

== Basic strategy ==

* If you see a group of yours or your opponent's in immediate danger, move to defend or attack it. This is called an ''urgent move''. You will miss urgent moves as a beginner, but you will get better at seeing them as you play more. Look for stones of either color that can be cut off from their friends, especially if they don't have space to make eyes.
* If there are no ''urgent moves'', play a ''big move'' that stakes out a large territory, or reduces an opponent's large territory.
* On the 19×19 and 13×13 boards, it is efficient to play near each of the corners first, then each of the sides, then the middle. It takes more moves in the center or the sides to surround the same amount of territory (and eyespace) in the corner. On the 9×9 board, however, starting near the middle is a good option, since the middle is close to multiple sides and corners.
* The line on the edge of the board is called "the first line". The line one intersection away from the edge is called "the second line". Most stones at the beginning of the game should be played on the third or fourth lines: the second line surrounds too little territory, and the fifth line is "too high" to help much on the side or corner. For reference, the circular "star points" are on the third line on the 9x9 board, fourth line on the others.
* If you see that a group of stones is unconditionally dead or unconditionally alive, don't waste moves trying to capture or save it: play somewhere else. Life/death evaluation takes practice; you can search online for ''beginner life and death problems go'' to practice this if you want some fun puzzles!
* Don't worry about losing individual stones. You get another one every turn. The most important individual stones are "cutting stones" that are preventing two weak groups from connecting.
* You don't necessarily have to respond locally to your opponent's move. Often it isn't a threat, or there's something more important elsewhere.
* Before playing a move in complicated situations, consider a move that your opponent might play in response, and maybe the move that you will play after. This skill is called ''reading'', and it is useful in many board games! Reading helps you to find the best move in complicated situations. You can practice reading in games, especially 9×9, or with life and death problems. Reading will become easier for you as you practice it, and as you become more familiar with the game of Go.
* If you're not sure what move to make, it's best to just play any move, go back after the game, and figure out a better move for next time. You will learn a lot faster, especially if you are playing on 9×9. Many experienced players are happy to discuss games with newer players when the game is over.
* More specific tactical and strategic tips are available at external sites like [https://senseis.xmp.net/ Sensei's Library]. When searching for Go resources online (since "go" is a common English word), you can either add "game" to your search keywords, or use the game's Korean/Chinese name: Baduk/Weiqi.

Tips tigriseuphrates

2022-06-26T18:11:46Z

BoatsandJoes: Previous formatting didn't display correctly on game page.

Monuments and wars are worth a lot of points; treasure + laying tiles are good at keeping category scores even.

Ways to take control of monuments:
* With a wrong color tile, block it from forming in the first place
* With a correct color tile, complete it yourself and pick the color
* Revolt (usually only viable with many reds in hand)
* If kingdom shape allows, cut off/remove their leader with a catastrophe tile
* War (complicated)
* Build your own monument somewhere you already control

Tips tigriseuphrates

2022-06-26T15:20:40Z

BoatsandJoes: I'm not experienced, but better than a blank page

* Monuments and wars are worth a lot of points; treasure + laying tiles are good at keeping category scores even.
* Ways to take control of monuments:
** With a wrong color tile, block it from forming in the first place
** With a correct color tile, complete it yourself and pick the color
** Revolt (usually only viable with many reds in hand)
** If kingdom shape allows, cut off/remove their leader with a catastrophe tile
** War (complicated)
** Build your own monument somewhere you already control

Tips classicgo

2022-06-26T15:08:19Z

BoatsandJoes: Minor page flow edits

== Fundamentals of Go ==

In his book Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, Toshiro Kageyama says:

''"After you have learned the rules, your first step should be to just play for a while (...) a number of games, say fifty or a hundred. During this period, if you see an enemy stone, try to capture it, try to cut it off. If you see a friendly stone, try to save it from capture, try to connect it. Concentrate on this alone as you build up some practical experience. (...) You cannot expect to do all your studying and gain all your knowledge from books."''

Playing on the 9×9 board is a great way to finish games and learn lessons more quickly.

== Connected stones ==

* A stone is '''''connected''''' to another stone if they are on directly adjacent grid intersections,
** or if they are close together and the opponent cannot prevent them from becoming connected.
* Playing moves in between opponent's stones to prevent them from connecting is called '''''cutting'''''.
* Evaluating whether stones are connected or can be cut is a skill that is difficult at first, but becomes easier as you play more games.
* Stones that are connected form a '''''group'''''.
* Groups take many more moves to capture than isolated stones; this is why learning to connect your groups and disconnect your opponents' is so helpful.

== Life & Death ==

''Life and death'' is an important concept:
* A group with ''two eyes'' (two or more small territories) is ''alive'', because the opponent can't fill up both eyes at the same time, and therefore the group cannot be captured.
* Most groups with one big territory/"a lot of eyespace" are alive: if the opponent tries to play inside, the group can inevitably form two eyes and capture the invading stones.
* A group that can inevitably connect to another alive group is alive.
* A group is ''dead'' if the opponent can inevitably capture it. Dead groups are cut off from all friendly groups, cannot capture the cutting stones, and do not have enough space to form two eyes.
* A group that is neither alive nor dead is ''unsettled''.

== Basic strategy ==

* If you see a group of yours or your opponent's in immediate danger, move to defend or attack it. This is called an ''urgent move''. You will miss urgent moves as a beginner, but you will get better at seeing them as you play more. Look for stones of either color that can be cut off from their friends, especially if they don't have space to make eyes.
* If there are no ''urgent moves'', play a ''big move'' that stakes out a large territory, or reduces an opponent's large territory.
* On the 19×19 and 13×13 boards, it is efficient to play near each of the corners first, then each of the sides, then the middle. It takes more moves in the center or the sides to surround the same amount of territory (and eyespace) in the corner. On the 9×9 board, however, starting near the middle is a good option, since the middle is close to multiple sides and corners.
* The line on the edge of the board is called "the first line". The line one intersection away from the edge is called "the second line". Most stones at the beginning of the game should be played on the third or fourth lines: the second line surrounds too little territory, and the fifth line is "too high" to help much on the side or corner. For reference, the circular "star points" are on the third line on the 9x9 board, fourth line on the others.
* If you see that a group of stones is unconditionally dead or unconditionally alive, don't waste moves trying to capture or save it: play somewhere else. Life/death evaluation takes practice; you can search online for ''beginner life and death problems go'' to practice this if you want some fun puzzles!
* Don't worry about losing individual stones. You get another one every turn. The most important individual stones are "cutting stones" that are preventing two weak groups from connecting.
* You don't necessarily have to respond locally to your opponent's move. Often it isn't a threat, or there's something more important elsewhere.
* Before playing a move in complicated situations, consider a move that your opponent might play in response, and maybe the move that you will play after. This skill is called ''reading'', and it is useful in many board games! Reading helps you to find the best move in complicated situations. You can practice reading in games, especially 9×9, or with life and death problems. Reading will become easier for you as you practice it, and as you become more familiar with the game of Go.
* If you're not sure what move to make, it's best to just play any move, go back after the game, and figure out a better move for next time. You will learn a lot faster, especially if you are playing on 9×9. Many experienced players are happy to discuss games with newer players when the game is over.
* More specific tactical and strategic tips are available at external sites like [https://senseis.xmp.net/ Sensei's Library]. When searching for Go resources online (since "go" is a common English word), you can either add "game" to your search keywords, or use the game's Korean/Chinese name: Baduk/Weiqi.

Gamehelpclassicgo

2022-06-26T14:47:26Z

BoatsandJoes: Link to strategy page is redundant, since on the main site the "strategy" tab is right there. Made a few sentences shorter.

BoardGameArena uses the [https://www.usgo.org/aga-concise-rules-go American Go Association]'s rules for this adaptation.

==Basic rules==
<div class="game-tip" style="float:right; width:260px; border:solid #aaa 1px; background:#fff; padding:1rem; margin-left:1rem;"><center><b>Repeating the same position with the same player turn is illegal</b>
<div style="position:relative; width:210px; height:180px; overflow:hidden; margin:1rem;"><div style="position:absolute; bottom:0px;">
{{goboard9 | starSize=0

| highlightd3=red 5

| c3={{whiteStone}}
| d2={{whiteStone}}
| d4={{whiteStone}}
| e3={{whiteStone}}

| b3={{blackStone}}
| c2={{blackStone}}
| c4={{blackStone}}
}}</div></div>
White has just placed their stone on c3 and captured black's stone on d3. Black cannot play on d3 again (capturing c3) because it would be the same position with the same player turn.
</center></div>

<div class="game-tip" style="float:right; width:260px; border:solid #aaa 1px; background:#fff; padding:1rem; margin-left:1rem;"><center><b>Capture of the opponent takes precedence over self-capture</b>
<div style="position:relative; width:160px; height:160px; overflow:hidden; margin:1rem;"><div style="position:absolute; bottom:0px;">
{{goboard9 | hideNotation= | starSize=0

| highlightc3=green 5

| a1={{whiteStone}}
| a2={{whiteStone}}
| a3={{whiteStone}}
| a4={{whiteStone}}
| a5={{whiteStone}}
| b1={{whiteStone}}
| b5={{whiteStone}}
| c1={{whiteStone}}
| c5={{whiteStone}}
| d1={{whiteStone}}
| d5={{whiteStone}}
| e1={{whiteStone}}
| e2={{whiteStone}}
| e3={{whiteStone}}
| e4={{whiteStone}}
| e5={{whiteStone}}

| b2={{blackStone}}
| b3={{blackStone}}
| b4={{blackStone}}
| c2={{blackStone}}
| c4={{blackStone}}
| d2={{blackStone}}
| d3={{blackStone}}
| d4={{blackStone}}
}}</div></div>
White can place their stone where it is surrounded only because this move captures the black stones.
</center></div>

A summary loosely based on "[http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/element.html The Rules and Elements of Go]" (1977) by James Davies:

#Black moves first.
#Black and White alternate placing one stone of their own colour on an empty intersection on the board.
#A stone or connected group of stones of one colour is captured and removed from the board when stones of the opposite colour occupy all the intersections directly adjacent to it.
#Only cardinally adjacent intersections connected by grid lines matter when considering whether stones are connected, and when considering whether a group of stones is captured. Diagonals and intersections 2+ away do not count.
#Any move that results in the immediate capture of the placed stone is not allowed (self-capture).
#Capture of the opponent takes precedence over self-capture: placing a stone into a position where it would be immediately captured is allowed if the move captures opposing stones.
#No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position. If a stone is played anywhere else on the board, this creates a "different board position" for that player's next turn.
#A player may pass their turn at any time.
#Two consecutive passes end the game. All "dead" stones that inevitably can be captured are removed from the board at this time. If players cannot agree whether a group of stones is dead or not, play will resume to determine the status of the group.
#The player with more area at the end of the game wins. A player's area consists of all grid intersections they have either occupied or surrounded in their colour. Score can also be counted by territory: intersections surrounded + prisoner stones captured.

==Tiebreaker and first move compensation==
If players have equal points at end of game, then white wins by +0.5 points. White is sometimes given additional points as ''komi'' to compensate for going second (see ''Komi and handicaps'' under ''Game options'' below).

==Game options==

===Grid size===

Game board size. Available values are:
<div style="display:flex; flex-flow:row wrap; gap:0.5rem;">
<div>9x9{{goboard9 | squareSize=10 | starSize=3 | hideNotation=}}</div>
<div>13x13{{goboard13 | squareSize=10 | starSize=3 | hideNotation=}}</div>
<div>19x19{{goboard19 | squareSize=10 | starSize=3 | hideNotation=}}</div>
</div>
9x9 is a shorter game and recommended for beginners.

===Method of counting===
<div class="game-tip" style="float:right; width:260px; border:solid #aaa 1px; background:#fff; padding:1rem; margin-left:1rem;"><center><b>Regions left uncounted</b>
<div style="position:relative; width:160px; height:130px; overflow:hidden; margin:1rem;"><div style="position:absolute; bottom:0px;">
{{goboard9 | hideNotation= | starSize=0

| highlightc1=grey 5
| highlightc2=grey 5

| a1={{whiteStone}}
| a2={{whiteStone}}
| a3={{whiteStone}}
| a4={{whiteStone}}
| b4={{whiteStone}}
| c4={{whiteStone}}
| d3={{whiteStone}}
| d2={{whiteStone}}
| d1={{whiteStone}}

| b1={{blackStone}}
| b2={{blackStone}}
| b3={{blackStone}}
| c3={{blackStone}}
| d4={{blackStone}}
| e4={{blackStone}}
| e3={{blackStone}}
| e2={{blackStone}}
| e1={{blackStone}}
}}</div></div>
There are situations (Japanese seki) in which a region of empty points is left at the end of the game which is not entirely surrounded by stones of a single colour, and which neither player would fill because to do so would lead to the capture of their own stones.
</center></div>

Method for counting the score. Options are:

*Japanese (territory scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone captured from an opponent is worth one point)
*Chinese (area scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone of your color remaining on the board at the end of the game is worth one point)

If AGA Rules are on (See "AGA Rules" below), no matter which counting method is used, the difference between the two players' scores, and the game result, is the same (territory scoring gives points when a player captures stones, and area scoring takes away points when a player's stones are captured).

Some people find area/Chinese scoring more intuitive. Territory/Japanese scoring is faster to mentally check during a game, but beginners usually do not need to count score in the middle of a game.

===Komi and handicaps===

Komi are extra points given to White to compensate for Black's first move advantage. An even game for strong players is around 7 komi points on all board sizes.

A game may be played with a handicap to compensate for differences in player strengths. On BGA, the administrator of the table plays White, and the other player plays Black. The stronger player in a handicap game should create the table and play White. With "Handicap: 1 stone," Black moves first, and gives only 0.5 compensation points to White (to break ties). With the other handicap options, Black begins the game with 2 to 9 stones on predefined intersections, White gets only 0.5 compensation points, and White moves first.

Options are:

* Without komi (without compensation)
* Normal komi (4 points for 19x19 and 5 points for 9x9, 13x13)
* Big komi (for strong players: 7 points for 9x9, 13x13, 19x19)
* Handicap: 1 stone
* Handicap: 2 stones
* Handicap: 3 stones
* Handicap: 4 stones
* Handicap: 5 stones
* Handicap: 6 stones
* Handicap: 7 stones
* Handicap: 8 stones
* Handicap: 9 stones

===AGA Rules===

A yes/no option for using the American Go Association rules. AGA rules specify that a player who passes must give the opponent one point, and that White must pass last at the end of the game (passing a third consecutive time if necessary). This ensures that area/Chinese counting and territory/Japanese counting always give exactly the same result. If AGA rules are turned off, playing a stone within your own territory loses one point under territory/Japanese counting, but does not affect the score in area/Chinese counting.

When set to "No", players still pay one point for passing when playing out after the end of the game to determine the life/death status of disputed groups.

Tips classicgo

2021-09-14T19:47:33Z

BoatsandJoes: Additional strategy advice for beginners.

Go strategy is extremely complex and well-studied, so we won't try to cover more than the basics. You can find more at external sites like [https://senseis.xmp.net/ Sensei's Library].

In his book Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, Toshiro Kageyama says "After you have learned the rules, your first step should be to just play for a while (...) a number of games, say fifty or a hundred. During this period, if you see an enemy stone, try to capture it, try to cut it off. If you see a friendly stone, try to save it from capture, try to connect it. Concentrate on this alone as you build up some practical experience. (...) You cannot expect to do all your studying and gain all your knowledge from books." Playing on the 9x9 board is a great way to finish games and learn lessons more quickly.

A stone is ''connected'' to another stone if they are on directly adjacent grid intersections, or if they are close together and the opponent cannot prevent them from becoming connected. Playing moves in between opponent's stones to prevent them from connecting is called ''cutting''. Evaluating whether stones are connected or can be cut is a skill that is difficult at first, but becomes easier as you play more games. Stones that are connected form a ''group''. Groups take many more moves to capture than isolated stones; this is why learning to connect your groups and disconnect your opponents' is so helpful.

''Life and death'' is an important concept:
* A group with ''two eyes'' (two or more small territories) is ''alive'', because the opponent can't fill up both eyes at the same time, and therefore the group cannot be captured.
* Most groups with one big territory/"a lot of eyespace" are alive: if the opponent tries to play inside, the group can inevitably form two eyes and capture the invading stones.
* A group that can inevitably connect to another alive group is alive.
* A group is ''dead'' if the opponent can inevitably capture it. Dead groups are cut off from all friendly groups, cannot capture the cutting stones, and do not have enough space to form two eyes.
* A group that is neither alive nor dead is ''unsettled''.

Basic strategy:
* If you see a group of yours or your opponent's in immediate danger, move to defend or attack it. This is called an ''urgent move''. You will miss urgent moves as a beginner, but you will get better at seeing them as you play more. Look for stones that can be cut off from their friends, especially if they don't have space to make eyes.
* If there are no ''urgent moves'', play a ''big move'' that stakes out a large territory, or reduces an opponent's large territory.
* On the 19x19 and 13x13 boards, it is efficient to play near each of the corners first, then each of the sides, then the middle. It takes more moves in the center or the sides to surround the same amount of territory (and eyespace) in the corner. On the 9x9 board, however, starting near the middle is a good option, since the middle is close to multiple sides and corners.
* The line on the edge of the board is called "the first line". The line one intersection away from the edge is called "the second line". Most stones at the beginning of the game should be played on the third or fourth lines: the second line surrounds too little territory, and the fifth line is "too high" to help much on the side or corner. For reference, the circular "star points" are on the fourth line.
* If you see that a group of stones is unconditionally dead or unconditionally alive, don't waste moves trying to capture or save it: play somewhere else. Life/death evaluation takes practice; you can search online for ''beginner life and death problems'' to practice this if you want some fun puzzles!
* Don't worry about losing individual stones. You get another one every turn. The most important individual stones are "cutting stones" that are preventing two weak groups from connecting.
* You don't necessarily have to respond locally to your opponent's move. Often it isn't a threat, or there's something more important elsewhere.
* Before playing a move in complicated situations, consider a move that your opponent might play in response, and maybe the move that you will play after. This skill is called ''reading'', and it is useful in many board games! Reading helps you to find the best move in complicated situations. You can practice reading in games, especially 9x9, or with life and death problems. Reading will become easier for you as you practice it, and as you become more familiar with the game of Go.
* If you're not sure what move to make, it's best to just play some move, go back after the game, and figure out a better move for next time. You will learn a lot faster, especially if you are playing on 9x9. Many experienced players are happy to discuss games with newer players when the game is over.

Gamehelpclassicgo

2021-09-14T18:42:31Z

BoatsandJoes: Edited rules for clarity, active voice, and gender-neutral pronouns.

BoardGameArena uses the [https://www.usgo.org/aga-concise-rules-go American Go Association]'s rules for this adaptation.

==Basic rules==
A summary loosely based on "[http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/element.html The Rules and Elements of Go]" (1977) by James Davies:

#Black moves first.
#Black and White alternate placing one stone of their own color on an empty intersection on the board.
#A stone or connected group of stones of one color is captured and removed from the board when stones of the opposite color occupy all the intersections directly adjacent to it.
#Only cardinally adjacent intersections connected by grid lines matter when considering whether stones are connected, and when considering whether a group of stones is captured. Diagonals and intersections 2+ away do not count.
#Any move that results in the immediate capture of the placed stone is not allowed (self-capture).
#Capture of the opponent takes precedence over self-capture: placing a stone into a position where it would be immediately captured is allowed if the move captures opposing stones.
#No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position. If a stone is played anywhere else on the board, this creates a "different board position" for that player's next turn.
#A player may pass their turn at any time.
#Two consecutive passes end the game. All "dead" stones that inevitably can be captured are removed from the board at this time. If players cannot agree whether a group of stones is dead or not, play will resume to determine the status of the group.
#The player with more area at the end of the game wins. A player's area consists of all grid intersections they have either occupied or surrounded in their color. Score can also be counted by territory: intersections surrounded + prisoner stones captured.

==Tiebreaker and first move compensation==
If players have equal points at end of game, then white wins by +0.5 points. White is sometimes given additional points as ''komi'' to compensate for going second (see ''Komi and handicaps'' under ''Game options'' below).

==Game options==

===Grid size===

Game board size. Available values are:

* 9x9
* 13x13
* 19x19

13x13 is about twice as big as 9x9, and 19x19 is about twice as big as 13x13. Playing on 9x9 for a while is recommended for beginners before moving up to the bigger sizes, or if you just want a shorter game.

===Method of counting===

Method for counting the score. Options are:

*Japanese (territory scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone captured from an opponent is worth one point)
*Chinese (area scoring: each surrounded intersection is worth one point, and each stone remaining on the board at the end of the game is worth one point)

If AGA Rules are on (See "AGA Rules" below), no matter which counting method is used, the difference between the two players' scores, and the game result, is the same (territory scoring gives points when a player captures stones, and area scoring takes away points when a player's stones are captured).

Some people find area/Chinese scoring more intuitive. Territory/Japanese scoring is faster to mentally check during a game, but beginners usually do not need to count score in the middle of a game.

===Komi and handicaps===

Komi are extra points given to White to compensate for Black's first move advantage. Current Go theory states that an even game for strong players is around 7 komi points on all board sizes.

A game may be played with a handicap to compensate for differences in player strengths. On BGA, the administrator of the table plays White, and the other player plays Black. The stronger player in a handicap game should create the table and play White. With "Handicap: 1 stone," Black moves first, and gives only 0.5 compensation points to White (to break ties). With the other handicap options, Black begins the game with 2 to 9 stones on predefined intersections, White gets only 0.5 compensation points, and White moves first.

Options are:

* Without komi (without compensation)
* Normal komi (4 points for 19x19 and 5 points for 9x9, 13x13)
* Big komi (for strong players: 7 points for 9x9, 13x13, 19x19)
* Handicap: 1 stone
* Handicap: 2 stones
* Handicap: 3 stones
* Handicap: 4 stones
* Handicap: 5 stones
* Handicap: 6 stones
* Handicap: 7 stones
* Handicap: 8 stones
* Handicap: 9 stones

===AGA Rules===

A yes/no option for using the American Go Association rules. AGA rules specify that a player who passes must give the opponent one point, and that White must pass last at the end of the game (passing a third consecutive time if necessary). This ensures that area/Chinese counting and territory/Japanese counting always give exactly the same result. If AGA rules are turned off, playing a stone within your own territory loses one point under territory/Japanese counting, but does not affect the score in area/Chinese counting.

When set to "No", players still pay one point for passing when playing out after the end of the game to determine the life/death status of disputed groups.

Gamehelpclassicgo

2021-09-14T15:54:03Z

BoatsandJoes: /* Basic rules */ Changed order of rules so that both "passing" rules are next to each other.

BoardGameArena uses the [https://www.usgo.org/aga-concise-rules-go American Go Association]'s rules for this adaptation.

==Basic rules==

A summary from "[http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/element.html The Rules and Elements of Go]" (1977) by James Davies:

#The ''square grid'' board is empty at the outset of the game.
#Black makes the first move, after which he and White alternate.
#A move consists of placing one stone of one's own color on an empty intersection on the board.
#A stone or solidly ''via grid lines'' connected group of stones of one color is captured and removed from the board when all the intersections directly adjacent to it are occupied by the enemy. ''Capture of the enemy takes precedence over self-capture.''
#No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position.
#A player may pass his turn at any time.
#Two consecutive passes end the game.
#A player's territory consists of all the ''board'' points he has either occupied or ''monochromely'' surrounded.
#The player with more territory wins.

==Tiebreaker==
If players have equal points at end of game (draws), then white wins +0.5 point, because komi by rules 0.5 (without komi), 4.5, 5.5, 7.5 respectively.

==Handicaps==

A game may be played with a handicap to compensate for differences in player strengths. First player (administrator of table) plays white. Second player takes black, and either moves first, giving only 0.5 point compensation to white (this is known as a "one stone handicap"), or places from 2 to 9 stones on the board before the first white move. Handicap stones are placed on predefined intersection on the board automatically.)

==Game options==

===Grid size===

Game board size. Available values are:

* 9x9
* 13x13
* 19x19

===Method of counting===

Method for counting the score. Options are:

*Japanese (counting by territory and opponent's prisoners)
*Chinese (counting by area only)

Although players' scores may differ under the two methods, the difference in their scores, and the game result, will be the same.

===Komi and handicaps===

Compensation points to white for first black move or handicaps. Options are:

* Without komi (without compensation)
* Normal komi (4 points for 19x19 and 5 points for 9x9, 13x13)
* Big komi (for strong players: 7 points for 9x9, 13x13, 19x19)
* Handicap: 1 stone
* Handicap: 2 stones
* Handicap: 3 stones
* Handicap: 4 stones
* Handicap: 5 stones
* Handicap: 6 stones
* Handicap: 7 stones
* Handicap: 8 stones
* Handicap: 9 stones

===AGA Rules===

A yes/no option for using the American Go Association rules.

When set to "No", paid passes occur only when playing out to the end after next series of passes. This is closer to the Japanese rules due to the absence of paid passes before a stage of designate dead stones (and therefore, you cannot put a stone to your territory without losing one point).