Start Playing Go Right Now!
Follow these simple steps and you'll be playing in minutes!
First,
Then, "Lose 100 games as quickly as possible!"
An ancient Chinese proverb.
Play a Computer: Download Igowin, a freeware small-board (9X9) version of Many Face of Go and try a few games.
Play a Person: When you feel ready, try a game online at Pandanet, The KGS Go Server (KGS Tutorial), or any of several other go servers. Thousands of people are playing online right now, and if you've followed these steps, you're stronger than some of them already!
Finally, we would like to offer these three brief pieces of guidance to the developing player:
Play Someone in Person: Many players have gotten strong playing online, never meeting an opponent face-to-face; but almost everyone enjoys the game even more in the "real world." The AGA maintains a list of chapters and clubs in the US; we hope there's one near you. If not, you can run a free classified ad in The American Go E-Journal, read each week by more than 13,000 players in the US and around the world. Putting up signs at the local college may also pay off.
Study: If you want to get really strong, you will have to study. Fortunately there are literally hundreds of books to help you. The AGA's complete list of go books in English can be daunting; ask your friends what they read, or you can join the go discussion group Life In 19x19 and ask, you'll get plenty of recommendations.
Finding Equipment: You can get a decent playing set for the cost of a computer game, or you can spend more for special high-quality slate and shell stones and boards made from beautiful wood. But good equipment is hard to find in the US. Many game stores carry poor imitations, if they have anything at all. Visit the AGA's list US distributors of Asian equipment to find the best boards, stones and bowls, and in some cases special discounts for AGA members.
We wish you good luck and good games!