Export your learner materials as an interactive game, a webpage, or FAQ style cheatsheet.
Unsaved Work Found!
It looks like you have unsaved work from a previous session. Would you like to restore it?
Total Categories: 6
Go is a relatively new game, originating in the 18th century.
Answer: False
Go is considered the oldest board game continuously played to the present day, originating in China over 2,500 years ago, not in the 18th century.
The 19x19 grid size for Go boards was established in the 15th century CE.
Answer: False
The 19x19 grid became standard by the time Go reached Korea (5th century CE) and Japan (7th century CE), evolving from earlier 17x17 boards, not in the 15th century.
The Chinese name 'weiqi' translates to 'strategic capture game'.
Answer: False
The Chinese name 'weiqi' literally translates to 'encirclement board game' or 'board game of surrounding,' not 'strategic capture game'.
Go began spreading to the West in the early 20th century.
Answer: True
Go began spreading to the West in the late 19th century, with its popularity increasing in the early 20th century through publications and organizations.
Emperor Yao is traditionally credited with inventing Go to discipline his son.
Answer: True
According to legend, Emperor Yao of China is traditionally credited with inventing Go, supposedly to influence his son Danzhu's behavior and discipline.
According to historical belief, where and approximately when did the game of Go originate?
Answer: China, over 2,500 years ago
Go is believed to have originated in China over 2,500 years ago, making it the oldest board game continuously played to the present day.
What was the original grid size of the Go board before the 19x19 became standard?
Answer: 17x17
Go was originally played on a 17x17 grid. The 19x19 grid became the standard size by the time the game reached Korea and Japan.
What does the Chinese name 'weiqi' for the game Go literally translate to?
Answer: Encirclement Board Game
The Chinese name 'weiqi' literally translates to 'encirclement board game' or 'board game of surrounding'.
When did Go begin to gain popularity in the West?
Answer: Late 19th century and early 20th century
Go began spreading to the West in the late 19th century, with its popularity increasing significantly in the early 20th century through various publications and organizations.
How did the 'Four Go houses' influence the game in Japan?
Answer: They led to significant advancements in play level and introduced the dan/kyu system.
The Four Go houses, established in 17th century Japan, were state-sponsored schools that significantly advanced the level of Go play and introduced the dan/kyu ranking system.
The playing pieces in Go are referred to as 'discs'.
Answer: False
The playing pieces in Go are called 'stones,' not discs. Players alternate turns placing these stones on the intersections of the board.
A standard Go board has a 19x19 grid.
Answer: True
The standard Go board is indeed a 19x19 grid of lines, resulting in 361 intersections where stones are placed.
Go has fewer possible board positions than chess.
Answer: False
Go has vastly more possible board positions than chess. Estimates place Go's legal positions at around 2.1 x 10^170, far exceeding chess's complexity.
Traditional Go stones are made from materials like slate and clamshell.
Answer: True
Traditional Go stones are indeed made from materials such as slate for black stones and clamshell for white stones.
The game of Go is classified as a finite, zero-sum, perfect-information, deterministic strategy game.
Answer: True
In game theory, Go is accurately described as a finite, zero-sum, perfect-information, deterministic strategy game, similar to chess.
The number of legal board positions in Go is significantly less than in chess.
Answer: False
The number of legal board positions in Go is vastly greater than in chess, estimated to be around 2.1 x 10^170.
A standard Go set contains 181 black stones and 180 white stones.
Answer: True
A standard Go set typically includes 181 black stones and 180 white stones, accounting for the 361 points on a 19x19 board, with Black receiving the extra stone due to playing first.
Black Go stones are traditionally made slightly larger than white stones to appear equal in size.
Answer: True
Black stones are traditionally made slightly larger than white stones to compensate for the optical illusion caused by color contrast, ensuring they appear equal in size on the board.
Yunzi stones are a type of modern plastic Go stone.
Answer: False
Yunzi stones are traditional stones originating from Yunnan Province, China, made from a sintered mixture of mineral compounds, not modern plastic.
What is the primary objective for players in the game of Go?
Answer: To surround more territory on the board than the opponent.
The fundamental objective in Go is for players to surround more territory on the board with their stones than their opponent. Capturing stones is a means to this end or a consequence of play, but not the primary objective itself.
What term describes the playing pieces used in the game of Go?
Answer: Stones
The playing pieces in Go are called 'stones.' Players alternate turns placing these stones on the vacant intersections of the board.
What are the standard dimensions of a Go board?
Answer: 19x19 grid
The standard Go board features a 19x19 grid of lines, totaling 361 intersections where stones are placed.
How does the number of legal board positions in Go compare to chess?
Answer: Go has vastly more positions than chess.
Go possesses a vastly larger number of legal board positions compared to chess, estimated to be around 2.1 x 10^170, far exceeding the complexity of chess.
Which of the following is a primary goal for players during a Go game?
Answer: To ensure own groups are safe from capture ('alive').
A primary goal for players is to ensure their own groups of stones remain 'alive,' meaning they are safe from capture. This is fundamental to securing territory and winning the game.
Which traditional materials are mentioned for Go stones?
Answer: Slate and clamshell
Traditional Go stones are made from materials such as slate for black stones and clamshell for white stones.
The game of Go is classified in game theory as a:
Answer: Finite, zero-sum, perfect-information, deterministic strategy game
In game theory, Go is classified as a finite, zero-sum, perfect-information, deterministic strategy game, similar to chess and checkers.
The primary objective in the game of Go is to capture the opponent's stones.
Answer: False
The fundamental objective in Go is for players to surround more territory on the board with their stones than their opponent. While capturing stones is a part of the game, it is not the primary objective.
Stones in Go are captured when they are completely surrounded by opponent stones, leaving no adjacent empty points (liberties).
Answer: True
This statement accurately describes the capture mechanic in Go. Stones or groups of stones are captured when they have no remaining liberties (adjacent empty intersections) and are completely surrounded by the opponent's stones.
A primary goal for players in Go is to ensure their own groups are vulnerable to capture.
Answer: False
A primary goal is to ensure one's own groups are safe and 'alive' (not vulnerable to capture), not vulnerable. Players aim to secure territory and attack opponent's weak groups.
An 'eye' in Go is a point occupied by a stone.
Answer: False
An 'eye' in Go is an empty intersection or a group of empty intersections completely surrounded by a player's stones. It is crucial for the life of a stone group.
Seki, or 'mutual life', occurs when opposing groups coexist without capturing each other due to shared liberties.
Answer: True
Seki describes a situation where adjacent groups of opposing colors cannot play on certain shared liberties without allowing the opponent to capture their group, leading to a stable coexistence without capture.
The ko rule prevents the game from ending in a draw by forcing players to alternate moves.
Answer: False
The ko rule prevents the game from repeating the exact same board position indefinitely by forbidding a player from making a move that would immediately recreate the board position from their opponent's previous turn. It does not directly prevent draws or force alternation in all cases.
The suicide rule allows players to place a stone that immediately has no liberties, even if it doesn't capture.
Answer: False
Generally, the suicide rule prohibits placing a stone that would have no liberties unless that move simultaneously captures an opponent's group, thereby creating liberties for the newly placed stone.
Canadian byoyomi is a time control system where players have multiple time periods after their main time runs out.
Answer: False
Canadian byoyomi requires players to make a set number of moves within a specific time period after their main time runs out. Standard byoyomi uses multiple countdown time periods.
A 'ladder' is a capturing tactic that involves forcing an opponent's stones into a zigzag pattern.
Answer: True
A ladder is a capturing tactic where one player forces the opponent's stones into a zigzag pattern of moves by repeatedly threatening capture (atari), ultimately leading to their capture if they cannot escape.
A 'net' (geta) is a capturing technique that loosely surrounds stones, preventing escape in all directions.
Answer: True
A net (geta) is a capturing technique that loosely surrounds an opponent's stones, effectively preventing their escape in all directions.
A 'snapback' involves capturing an opponent's stone and then immediately allowing one of your own stones to be captured to trap a larger group.
Answer: False
A snapback occurs when a player allows one of their stones to be captured, then immediately plays on the vacated intersection to capture a larger group of the opponent's stones. The description is reversed.
Ko fights are rare occurrences in Go and have little impact on the game's outcome.
Answer: False
Ko fights, arising from the ko rule, can be critical in deciding the life or death of large groups and can significantly impact the game's outcome, making them important rather than rare with little impact.
Atari signifies a stone or group that is one move away from being captured.
Answer: True
Atari is the term used in Go when a stone or group of stones has only one liberty remaining, indicating it is one move away from being captured.
A ladder breaker is a move that helps an opponent complete a ladder capture.
Answer: False
A ladder breaker is a move or stone placement that disrupts an opponent's ladder capture sequence, thereby saving stones that would otherwise be captured. It hinders, rather than helps, the opponent's capture.
False eyes are points that guarantee the life of a stone group.
Answer: False
False eyes are points that appear to be eyes but can be filled by the opponent without resulting in self-capture. A group relying on a false eye for its second eye is not unconditionally alive and can be captured.
The ko rule requires the player whose stone was just captured to immediately recapture the opponent's stone.
Answer: False
The ko rule prevents the immediate recapture that would recreate the previous board position. Instead, the player must play elsewhere before potentially recapturing in the ko position.
How are stones captured in Go?
Answer: When they are completely surrounded by opponent's stones, leaving no liberties.
Stones or groups of stones are captured in Go when they are completely surrounded by the opponent's stones on all orthogonally adjacent points, meaning they have no remaining liberties (empty adjacent intersections).
What situation does 'seki' describe in Go?
Answer: A situation where two opposing groups coexist without being able to capture each other.
Seki, or 'mutual life,' describes a stable situation where adjacent groups of opposing colors cannot capture each other due to shared liberties, leading to their coexistence on the board.
What is the purpose of the 'ko rule' in Go?
Answer: To prevent the game from repeating the exact same board position indefinitely.
The ko rule is essential for preventing infinite repetition of the board state by forbidding a player from making a move that would immediately recreate the position from their opponent's previous turn.
Under the 'suicide rule' in Go, when is it permissible to place a stone that initially has no liberties?
Answer: When the move simultaneously captures an opponent's group.
The suicide rule generally prohibits placing a stone that would have no liberties, unless that move simultaneously captures an opponent's group, thereby creating liberties for the newly placed stone.
What is the main difference between standard byoyomi and Canadian byoyomi?
Answer: Standard byoyomi uses countdown periods, Canadian byoyomi uses fixed move counts per period.
Standard byoyomi involves multiple countdown time periods after the main time is depleted. Canadian byoyomi requires a specific number of moves within a set time period after the main time is depleted.
What is a 'net' (geta) in Go capturing tactics?
Answer: A technique that loosely surrounds stones to prevent escape.
A net (geta) is a capturing technique that loosely surrounds an opponent's stones, preventing their escape in all directions. It is an effective method for capturing.
What does 'atari' mean in Go?
Answer: A situation where a stone or group has only one liberty left.
Atari signifies that a stone or group of stones has only one liberty remaining, meaning it is one move away from being captured.
What is a 'ladder breaker' in Go?
Answer: A move that disrupts an opponent's ladder capture sequence.
A ladder breaker is a move or stone placement that disrupts an opponent's ladder capture sequence, thereby saving stones that would otherwise be captured.
Sente is a strategic concept in Go referring to a move that does not require an immediate response.
Answer: False
Sente refers to a move that forces the opponent to respond, thereby maintaining the initiative. A move that does not require an immediate response and cedes the initiative is called 'gote'.
Joseki are established sequences of moves typically played in the center of the board during the opening.
Answer: False
Joseki are established, locally balanced sequences of moves typically played in the corners of the board during the opening stages, not in the center.
Tsumego problems are designed to practice endgame counting techniques.
Answer: False
Tsumego problems, or life and death problems, are designed to train tactical reading and judgment regarding the survival or capture of stone groups, not endgame counting.
Reading ahead in Go involves only considering the immediate next move.
Answer: False
Reading ahead in Go involves anticipating multiple moves and counter-moves, often many steps into the future, which is critical for strong tactical play.
Influence in Go strategy refers to stones that are directly adjacent to opponent stones.
Answer: False
Influence in Go strategy refers to the potential power a player's stones have to affect distant parts of the board, often by creating strong formations or threatening captures, not just direct adjacency.
Gote refers to a move that forces the opponent to respond, retaining the initiative.
Answer: False
Gote refers to a move that does not require an immediate response and cedes the initiative. The term for a move that forces a response and retains initiative is 'sente'.
Kiai in Go represents a player's fighting spirit or determination.
Answer: True
Kiai in Go refers to a player's fighting spirit, determination, or the intensity of a critical moment in the game.
Fuseki refers to specific, established sequences of moves played in the corners.
Answer: False
Fuseki refers to the overall opening strategy for the entire board. Specific, established sequences of moves played in the corners are called 'joseki'.
Thickness in Go strategy relates to formations that are easily captured.
Answer: False
Thickness in Go strategy refers to strong, stable stone formations that exert influence over a wide area, making them difficult to attack or capture, rather than formations that are easily captured.
Aji refers to the latent potential or lingering possibilities within a board position.
Answer: True
Aji refers to the latent potential or lingering possibilities within a board position, often related to weaknesses or strengths that can be exploited later in the game.
What does 'sente' signify in Go strategy?
Answer: A move that requires the opponent to respond, maintaining the initiative.
Sente refers to a move that forces the opponent to respond, allowing the player who played sente to maintain the initiative and control the flow of the game.
What are 'joseki'?
Answer: Established, balanced move sequences played in the corners.
Joseki are established, locally balanced sequences of moves typically played in the corners of the board during the opening stages of the game, aiming for a satisfactory result for both players.
What is the main purpose of 'tsumego' problems?
Answer: To train tactical reading and life-and-death judgment.
Tsumego problems are designed to train a player's ability to 'read ahead' by challenging them to find the vital move sequences related to the life and death of stone groups.
What does 'aji' refer to in Go?
Answer: The latent potential or lingering possibilities in a board position.
Aji refers to the latent potential or lingering possibilities within a board position, often related to weaknesses or strengths that can be exploited later in the game.
How does the concept of 'balance' apply to Go strategy?
Answer: Balancing local territory gains with global influence.
Go strategy emphasizes balance between securing territory locally and exerting influence globally, as well as balancing playing close to the edge versus playing further out.
What is the primary function of 'thickness' in Go strategy?
Answer: To exert influence over a wider area of the board.
Thickness in Go strategy refers to strong, stable stone formations that exert influence over a wide area of the board, providing strategic advantage rather than immediate territory.
What is the meaning of 'gote' in Go?
Answer: A move that ends a sequence and cedes the initiative.
Gote refers to a move that does not require an immediate response from the opponent and typically ends a sequence of play, thereby ceding the initiative.
What is the significance of 'kiai' in Go playing?
Answer: It denotes a player's fighting spirit and determination.
Kiai refers to a player's fighting spirit or determination, often displayed through aggressive play and resilience in the face of adversity during a game.
What is the difference between 'fuseki' and 'joseki'?
Answer: Fuseki is the overall board opening, joseki are specific corner sequences.
Fuseki refers to the overall opening strategy for the entire board, while joseki are specific, established, and locally balanced sequences of moves typically played in the corners.
The winner of a Go game is determined solely by the number of stones captured.
Answer: False
The winner is determined by comparing surrounded territory and captured stones (prisoners), adjusted by komi. Simply capturing stones is not the sole determinant of victory.
Komi is a penalty given to the player who plays second to compensate for the first-move advantage.
Answer: False
Komi is not a penalty; it is a compensation given to the player who plays second (White) to offset Black's advantage of playing the first move. It is added to White's score.
Area scoring and territory scoring are two different methods used to determine the winner in Go.
Answer: True
Area scoring and territory scoring are indeed the two primary methods used to determine the winner in Go, although they generally yield the same result.
Area scoring counts surrounded territory plus captured stones.
Answer: False
Area scoring counts a player's stones on the board plus the territory they surround. Territory scoring counts the territory surrounded plus captured stones (prisoners).
Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining the winner of a Go game?
Answer: The number of empty intersections on the board.
The winner is determined by counting surrounded territory and captured stones, adjusted by komi. The total number of empty intersections on the board itself is not a direct scoring factor.
What is 'komi' in Go?
Answer: Compensation points given to the White player.
Komi refers to the compensation points awarded to the White player at the end of the game to offset Black's advantage of playing the first move. It is intended to ensure fairness.
How does 'area scoring' differ from 'territory scoring' in Go?
Answer: Area scoring counts stones on the board plus territory; territory scoring counts territory plus captured stones.
Area scoring counts a player's stones on the board plus the territory they surround. Territory scoring counts the territory surrounded plus captured stones (prisoners).
What is the purpose of 'komi' in Go?
Answer: To compensate White for Black playing first.
Komi is compensation given to White for Black's first-move advantage, intended to ensure fairness in the game.
What is the typical value range for 'komi' in modern Go?
Answer: 5.5 to 7.5 points
In modern Go, the value of komi typically ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 points, depending on the specific ruleset being used, to compensate White for Black's first-move advantage.
The majority of Go players worldwide are located in Europe.
Answer: False
While Go is played globally, the majority of players are located in East Asia, not Europe. A 2016 survey indicated over 46 million players worldwide.
In ancient China, Go was considered one of the four essential arts for cultured scholars.
Answer: True
Go, along with calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin, was traditionally considered one of the Four Arts essential for the cultivation of ancient Chinese scholar-gentlemen.
The Go ranking system uses 'dan' grades that decrease as skill increases.
Answer: False
The Go ranking system uses 'dan' grades that increase as skill increases (e.g., 1st dan is stronger than 9th dan). 'Kyu' grades decrease as skill increases (e.g., 1st kyu is stronger than 5th kyu).
The complexity of Go made it an easy target for early artificial intelligence research.
Answer: False
The immense complexity of Go made it a significant challenge for early AI research. It was only with advancements like deep learning that AI could master the game.
AlphaGo's victories against human professionals proved that AI could not master complex strategy games like Go.
Answer: False
AlphaGo's victories demonstrated the opposite: that AI, through deep learning and advanced algorithms, could indeed master complex strategy games like Go at a superhuman level.
The manga series "Hikaru no Go" is credited with increasing the game's popularity, especially among younger players.
Answer: True
The manga and anime series 'Hikaru no Go' is widely credited with significantly popularizing the game, particularly among younger audiences in Japan and internationally.
The Four Arts in Chinese tradition included Go, painting, music, and poetry.
Answer: False
The traditional Four Arts for Chinese scholars were Go (Weiqi), calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin (a stringed instrument). Poetry was often associated but not typically listed as one of the core four.
The game of Go is often described as representing 'man vs. fate'.
Answer: False
While backgammon represents 'man vs. fate' (chance), Go is often described as embodying 'man vs. self' due to its emphasis on self-improvement and strategic depth, and chess represents 'man vs. man'.
In ancient Chinese culture, Go was considered one of the:
Answer: Four Essential Arts for Scholars
Go was traditionally considered one of the Four Arts essential for the cultivation and refinement of ancient Chinese scholar-gentlemen, alongside calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin.
In the Go ranking system, how does a 1st kyu compare to a 5th kyu?
Answer: 1st kyu is stronger than 5th kyu.
In the Go ranking system, kyu grades decrease as skill increases. Therefore, 1st kyu is considered stronger than 5th kyu.
What technological advancement was crucial for AI to master the game of Go?
Answer: Deep learning and advanced tree search algorithms.
The mastery of Go by AI, exemplified by AlphaGo, was made possible by advancements in deep learning and sophisticated tree search algorithms, which allowed AI to handle the game's immense complexity.
How did AlphaGo's success impact the field of Artificial Intelligence?
Answer: It demonstrated AI's potential in complex strategy domains previously thought impossible.
AlphaGo's success was a landmark achievement, demonstrating AI's capability to master complex strategy games like Go, which had long been considered beyond the reach of artificial intelligence, thereby significantly advancing the field.
What is the significance of the 'Four Arts' in ancient Chinese scholarly tradition?
Answer: They represented essential skills for scholar-gentlemen.
The Four Arts—Go, calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin—were considered essential skills for the cultivation and refinement of the ancient Chinese scholar-gentleman.
Which of the following is NOT one of the Four Arts traditionally associated with Chinese scholars?
Answer: Chess (Xiangqi)
The traditional Four Arts for Chinese scholars were Go (Weiqi), calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin. Chess (Xiangqi) is a different game and not part of this specific traditional grouping.