Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Learn the fuseki
Step 2:
Learn to make groups
Step 3:
Learn to capture
Step 4:
Avoiding the ladder
Step 5:
Avoiding suicide
Step 6:
Using eyes
Step 7:
The ko rule
Step 8:
Ending and scoring the game

2torial #0589:
Learn2 Play Go (continued)

Learn to make groups

In your strategical campaign, a critical method of gaining territory (and, at the same time, protecting your stones) is to create groups. Technically, a group can be a single stone, but the more stones, usually the more effective the group. For two or more stones to be a group, they need to be horizontally or vertically adjacent on the board. In the diagram below, the two clusters of black stones are on adjacent intersections, and are therefore groups. The white stones aren't adjacent, and aren't a group.

When you play a stone on the board, it must have free space (at least one open line intersection) adjacent to it. These intersections are called liberties. In the next diagram, stars mark the liberties around the stones.

Liberties serve you in two ways: They provide space for your stones to expand (or retreat), and they can provide a good defense, since the other player must block off all liberties to capture a group.

So, to recap: The bigger the group, the more liberties there are, the more stones your opposition will need for a capture, and the easier it is for you to expand your groups, forming walls that can block off your territory. (Whew!)

Now we'll learn how to capture.