第1课：认识棋盘 | Lesson 1: The Go Board

What Is a Go Board?

Go (also known as Weiqi in Chinese and Baduk in Korean) is one of the oldest board games in the world, with a history spanning over four thousand years. The Go board may look simple at first glance -- a series of horizontal and vertical lines woven together to form a grid. But on this deceptively simple grid, one of humanity's most profound strategy games unfolds.

The traditional Go board is a 19x19 grid, formed by 19 horizontal lines and 19 vertical lines. These lines intersect to create 361 intersection points. That is right -- in Go, stones are placed on the intersections where lines cross, not inside the squares. This is the most common point of confusion for beginners coming from other board games like chess or checkers.

Intersections vs. Squares

This is one of the most fundamental concepts in Go. Take a careful look at the empty board below:

Every point where two lines cross is a valid position for placing a stone. On this 5x5 board, there are 5x5 = 25 intersections. Each intersection is a legal move (unless restricted by special rules, which we will cover later).

Different Board Sizes

While official tournaments use the 19x19 board, Go can be played on smaller boards as well. Each size has its own characteristics and appeal:

• 5x5 Board (25 intersections): The smallest practical board size. Perfect for absolute beginners learning the rules. A game takes just a few minutes. This is the size Cute Go uses!
• 9x9 Board (81 intersections): The standard beginner board. Many Go schools and online platforms use 9x9 for teaching. A game typically takes 15-20 minutes.
• 13x13 Board (169 intersections): A transitional size. It offers more strategic depth than 9x9 but is not as overwhelming as the full board.
• 19x19 Board (361 intersections): The standard tournament board. Used by professional players and in official competitions. A game may last 1-3 hours.

Why Beginners Should Start Small

Starting with a 19x19 board as a beginner is like asking someone who just learned to swim to cross the English Channel. With 361 intersections, every move presents hundreds of possible choices -- far too overwhelming for someone still learning the basic rules.

Small boards like 5x5 and 9x9 offer several key advantages for new players:

• Faster games: You can play many games in a short time, rapidly building experience and pattern recognition.
• Full-board awareness: On a small board, you can see the entire position clearly and understand the impact of every move.
• Concepts become tangible: Capture, territory, life and death -- all these ideas are much easier to observe on a small board.
• Less frustration: On a large board, beginners often feel lost and do not know where to play. Small boards keep things focused.

Special Positions on the Board

Certain areas of the Go board have special names, and understanding them will help you think about strategy:

• Corner: The four corners of the board. Corners are the easiest places to secure territory because two edges serve as natural "walls."
• Side/Edge: The positions along the four edges. One edge acts as a natural barrier, making it easier to build territory than in the center.
• Center: The middle area of the board. It is the most open space but also the hardest to claim territory in.
• Star Points: On the standard 19x19 board, there are 9 marked dots called star points (hoshi). The central star point is called "tengen." These marks help with orientation and are popular opening moves.

The Coordinate System

To facilitate discussion and record game moves, every intersection on the board has a coordinate. Columns are labeled with letters (A through T, skipping I to avoid confusion with the number 1), and rows are numbered (1 through 19). For example, "D4" refers to the intersection at column D, row 4. The same system applies on smaller boards with a more limited range.

Now that you understand the board, you have taken the first step in learning Go. In the next lesson, we will learn how to place stones on the board.