The rules of Go vary, with different rules followed in China as compared to Japan and Korea. There are also different rules for international competitions. However, the game can be explained at a basic level with these nine rules, as outlined by James Davies in "The Rules and Elements of Go":

1. The board is empty at the onset of the game (unless players agree to place a handicap).
2. Black makes the first move, after which White and Black alternate.
3. A move consists of placing one stone of one's own color on an empty intersection on the board.
4. A player may pass their turn at any time.
5. A stone or solidly connected group of stones of one color is captured and removed from the board when all the intersections directly adjacent to it are occupied by the enemy. (Capture of the enemy takes precedence over self-capture.)
6. No stone may be played so as to recreate a former board position.
7. Two consecutive passes end the game.
8. A player's area consists of all the points the player has either occupied or surrounded.
9. The player with more area wins.

While it is fairly simple to explain, Go is actually an incredibly complex game, with many more possible moves and positions than chess. Would you like to know anything else about Go?
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