Go 9×9: short games with real fights over liberties

Go 9×9 has joined TAPA GAME's strategy games. You play Black, shown in purple, against the CPU on a compact board. Stones go on intersections rather than inside squares. A group is captured when it has no adjacent empty points, usually called liberties.

Keep your stones connected

An isolated stone has fewer ways to stay alive than a group with several open neighboring points. Before placing a stone near an opponent, count the liberties of both groups. A move that looks like an attack may leave your own stones with only one escape.

The small board brings groups into contact quickly. Corners and edges limit the available space, so check the empty intersections around a group rather than counting the stones in it.

Know how this version ends

Two consecutive passes end the match. The scoring counts stones and empty areas surrounded by one color as they stand on the board. White receives 6.5 komi.

Capture dead groups before passing. This version does not open a separate negotiation screen where players remove dead stones after the match, so leaving an unresolved group in place can change the final score. Suicide and a repeat of an earlier board position are illegal moves.

A compact first match

Tap an intersection, or use the arrow keys and Enter to place a stone. The Pass control is also available with S.

For an opening game, focus on keeping your own groups connected and noticing when a group has one liberty left. Finish the local capture before chasing territory elsewhere. Then inspect the whole board before offering a pass.