Capture Go

The quickest way into Go. Surround an enemy stone on all sides to capture it — the first capture wins. Beat the AI and chase a longer streak.

How to play

Tap an empty intersection to place a black stone; the white AI answers. Stones never move once placed.

The empty points directly touching a stone are its liberties. Fill the last liberty of an enemy stone or connected group and you capture it — and capturing first wins the game outright.

A stone or group with only one liberty left is in atari, shown with a red ring. A red ring on white is your chance to capture next move; a red ring on your own black stones is a warning that the AI can take them, so add a liberty or run.

You cannot play a stone that would have no liberties unless that same move captures. Win to extend your streak — each win makes the AI play sharper.

Tips & strategy

Liberties are everything in this game, so count them before every move. A lone stone in the open has four, but a stone you push against the edge has only three and one in the corner just two — which is exactly why driving an enemy stone toward the side or corner is the fastest road to a capture.

Connect your own stones into groups rather than scattering them. A solid wall of stones shares its liberties and is extremely hard to surround, while loose single stones each carry their own small breath count and fall one by one. Most losses in Capture Go come from leaving a stone stranded with too few liberties.

Learn to read atari both ways. When the AI's stone shows the red ring it has one liberty left, and filling that point captures it for the win — but check first that your capturing stone will not itself be left in atari. The sharpest tactic is the double threat: a move that puts one enemy group in atari while building your own liberties, so the opponent cannot both defend and attack.

Because first capture ends the game, tempo matters more than territory. Do not wander off making shape on the far side of the board while a skirmish is live; answer threats immediately, and when you create a threat of your own, make sure it is one the opponent cannot ignore.