Japanese checkers are also called "Go" and are a logic board game. It is one of the five basic World Mind Games along with xiangqi, chess, bridge and checkers. At first glance, it may seem quite complicated, but once you understand it, you will realize how fascinating it is.
Before learning the rules, you need to learn about the inventory, without which the game of Go is impossible. Traditional kits include goban, chips and bowls.
Goban
A rectangular board called a goban is used as a field for the game. It is drawn with vertical and horizontal lines. Their number can be varied, but it is important to observe the 1x1 ratio. So, a standard board has a 19x19 ruling.
At the same time, its shape is by no means square. Two of the four sides should be larger than the others in a 15x14 ratio. This is due to the fact that at this size, the goban will be in the ideal perspective for the player's angle of view.
Chips
In addition to the board, to play Go you need chips - stones of two contrasting colors. Most often black and white are used. In a complete set, their number is 361. Of these, 180 are white, 181 are black.
Chips can be made of plastic, glass, common, semi-precious and precious stones, ceramics and other materials.
Bowls
Bowls are vessels in which players store their tokens. And in the removed lid there are stones captured from the enemy.
Fundamental rules
Go is played by two people, each of whom receives a set of chips of the same color. To win, you need to protect a larger area with your stones on the goban than the enemy.
One cycle consists of two moves. It starts with black and ends, respectively, with white. If the game goes with a handicap, then the weak opponent has the right to put several chips at once. In this case, his opponent moves first.
It is necessary to put stones on points - places of intersection of lines. Each piece must have a liberty, or a point of freedom - an unoccupied point on the diagonal or vertical. You cannot move them, and only the enemy can remove them if they capture them. This will happen when a stone or a group of stones is surrounded by enemy pieces and does not have at least one point of freedom.
Each player abandons his move when he says “pass”. If both opponents did this, then the game ends. Go also has a rule that players must move if they touch their chips. Any of them will lose when they make a move twice without waiting for a pass or an opponent's move.
The winner is determined by counting the captured chips and board points surrounded only by his stones. Both of them have one point each.
