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Go NineBoard & Card · Two Player
How to play Go Nine
Go Nine is the ancient game of surrounding territory, played on a compact 9 by 9 board so a game takes only a few minutes. Black and white take turns placing one stone on a line crossing. A stone or connected group with no empty point next to it is captured and removed, so every move is a small fight over who surrounds more.
When both players pass, the game goes to scoring. The bot marks the stones it thinks are dead and you can tap any group to change that. Each side scores its stones plus the empty points only it surrounds, and White receives 7.5 points of komi so there are no ties. Red rings warn you when a group is down to its last liberty, which makes the first games easy to learn.
Play against an Easy, Medium or Hard bot, pick Black or White, give Black a two or four stone head start, or play a friend with pass and play. You get three free undos per bot game, a hint that rings a strong move (after a short video) and, after a loss, a chance to take back the last moves. Wins, streaks and best margins are saved on your device. It runs in the browser with no download and no account.
Controls
Click an intersection to place a stone. Arrows move, Enter or Space places, P pass, U undo, H hint, N new game, Esc menu.
Tap an intersection to place a stone. Use Pass when nothing useful is left; after two passes tap dead stones to mark them.
FAQ
How do I win?
Control more of the board than your opponent. Each side scores its stones plus the empty points only it surrounds; White also gets 7.5 komi (0.5 when Black has a head start).
How are stones captured?
A stone or connected group with no empty point next to it (no liberty) is removed. A red ring shows a group with one liberty left.
What happens when I pass?
When both players pass in a row the game goes to scoring. Dead stones are marked for you and you can tap a group to change it, then confirm the result or keep playing.
Can I take back a move?
Against the bot you have three free undos per game; more come from a short video. Two-player games have unlimited undo.
Is Go Nine free?
Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. It runs on phones, tablets and computers. Tap an intersection to place a stone. Use Pass when nothing useful is left; after two passes tap dead stones to mark them.