A game from China

How to Play Capture Go

Surround stones to capture. First to three wins.

Origin ChinaPlayers 1–2Price ¥200 (or ¥2,000 for all)

The rules

Place stones in turn. Surround an enemy stone on all four sides to capture it. First to capture three wins. It strips go down to the pure joy of capturing — the best possible way in.

Where it came from

Go was born in China roughly 4,000 years ago and is among the oldest strategy games in the world. Capture Go is the first thing taught in go schools, and stands as a real contest on its own. Japanese envoys brought go home from Tang China; a board from that era survives in the Shōsōin.

How to win

Spot atari. A stone with one liberty left is in atari — decide at once whether to run or let it go. When chasing, drive your opponent to the edge with a ladder. Corners and edges are easy to surround; the centre is easy to escape.

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