Editing Rules of Go (section)

{{short description|Details of the rules for the abstract strategy board game for two players}}
{{for|a general overview of the rules of go|Go (game)}}
{{GoBoardGame}}
The '''rules of Go''' govern the play of the game of [[Go (game)|Go]], a two-player board game. The rules have seen some variation over time and from place to place. This article discusses those sets of rules broadly similar to the ones currently in use in East Asia. Even among these, there is a degree of variation.

Notably, Chinese and Japanese rules differ in a number of aspects. The most significant of these are the scoring method, together with attendant differences in the manner of ending the game.

While differences between sets of rules may have moderate strategic consequences on occasion, they do not change the character of the game. The different sets of rules usually lead to the same game result,<ref>[http://www.britgo.org/intro/intro2 How to play Go], British Go Association</ref> so long as the players make minor adjustments near the end of the game. Differences in the rules are said to cause problems in perhaps one in every 10,000 games in competition.<ref>[http://ranka.intergofed.org/?p=940 Interview with Zhu Baoxun], Ranka Online. "The differences are more significant theoretically than practically. During the last 100 years no professional or amateur tournament has ever been stopped because of the differences of rules. In practice, the differences will cause problems only in very rare situations, maybe once in 10,000 games." — Zhu Baoxun, deputy chief arbiter of the First World Mind Sports Games, October 12, 2008.</ref>

This article first presents a simple set of rules which are, except for wording, identical to those usually referred to as the Tromp–Taylor Rules,<ref>[http://www.britgo.org/rules/compare Comparison of Some Go Rules], British Go Association</ref> themselves close in most essential respects to the Chinese rules. These rules are then discussed at length, in a way that does not assume prior knowledge of Go on the part of the reader. The discussion is for the most part applicable to all sets of rules, with exceptions noted. Later sections of the article address major areas of variation in the rules of Go, and individual sets of rules.