Play Go Online —Free, Fast, andAgainst Real Players
Master the ancient game of strategy on a modern board. Challenge opponents in real time, spectate live games, review your moves afterward, and track your ELO rating — all in your browser, with no download required.
Why Players Choose Go Arena
A focused online Go platform. Jump in from desktop or mobile web and start playing in seconds.
Play In Your Browser
No install required. Start as a guest with a nickname, or sign up free to save your rank across devices.
Quick Match & Invites
Queue Quick Match by rank, board size, and clock, or invite any player from the online list.
Live Spectating
Watch ongoing matches move by move. See who’s playing, board size, and elapsed time before you join.
Go Rank & Record
Each game updates your kyu/dan rank and win–loss record. See ranks next to player names.
Full Board Sizes
Play on 9×9, 13×13, or 19×19 boards with standard komi and area scoring.
Byo-yomi Clocks
Real-time main time and byo-yomi periods keep games moving at the pace you choose.
For Every Level
New To Go?
Start on a 9×9 board with generous time settings. Learn capture, territory, and shape by playing real games — then move up to larger boards when you’re ready.
Improving Your Rank?
Challenge stronger players from the lobby, experiment with different time controls, and use post-game review to step through every move after the match.
Experienced Player?
Set up 19×19 rooms, invite specific opponents, export SGF records, and compete for ELO against players online right now.
What’s Included Today
Real-time multiplayer with low-latency move updates
Pass, resign, and undo requests during live games
Post-game move review and SGF export
Host-controlled room joins — accept or decline challengers
Area scoring with positional superko
Players-online list with ranks and one-click invites
Ready To Play Go Online?
The world’s deepest strategy game is one click away.
Free guest play • Optional account to save your rank • 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 boards
Play Go With People Online
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Players online
Beginner guide · Baduk · Weiqi
How to Play Go
Go is one of the world’s oldest strategy games. Two players place black and white stones on a grid, surround territory, and capture opponent stones. This guide covers everything you need for your first 9×9 game.
What Is Go?
Also called Baduk (Korea) and Weiqi (China), Go is played on a lined board. Stones go on the intersections, not inside the squares. Once placed, a stone stays put unless it is captured.
Two players
Black plays first. Use a 9×9 board to learn, then move up to 13×13 and 19×19.
The goal
Control more territory than your opponent. Surround empty points with your stones and count captures at the end.
Area scoring
Go Arena uses Chinese rules: your score is surrounded empty points plus captured stones. Both players pass to end the game.
Liberties
A liberty is an empty point directly next to a stone or connected group (up, down, left, or right). Stones need at least one liberty to remain on the board.
A single stone in the center has four liberties. Edge stones have fewer; corner stones have only two. When every liberty around a group is filled, that group is captured and removed.
Blue dots = liberties around one black stone
Captures
Fill your opponent’s last liberty to capture their stones. Captured stones count toward your score and are removed immediately.
Surround to capture
Play on the last empty point beside an isolated stone or group. All stones in that group come off the board.
Connect to live
Join your stones into one group and they share liberties. Larger groups are harder to surround.
Capture to save
If your group is in danger, capturing a nearby enemy group can create new liberties for you.
Essential Rules
Ko
You cannot immediately recapture a single stone if that would repeat the previous board position. Play elsewhere first, then you may return.
Suicide
You may not play a stone with no liberties unless it captures enemy stones and thereby gains liberties.
Passing
When there are no useful moves left, pass. Two consecutive passes end the game and scoring begins.
9×9 Tips for Beginners
Start on a 9×9 board — games finish in minutes but still teach real strategy. New players start around 10k and queue in the Advanced Quick Match pool on Go Arena.
Corners first
Corners are easiest to surround with two edges helping you. Then consider sides, then the center.
Stay connected
Loose, scattered stones are easy targets. Link your stones into solid groups with shared liberties.
Don’t overextend
One-space jumps are safe; long leaps leave cutting points. When unsure, play closer to your own stones.
Look for cuts
If two enemy stones are not connected, a stone between them can threaten both. Don’t chase groups that already have two eyes.
Finish the game
When the board looks settled, pass. Review afterward on Go Arena to see where you gained or lost territory.
Play often
Ten quick 9×9 games teach more than reading ten articles. Play often and your rank will reflect real improvement.
Go Deeper
Short guides that take you from rules into real games on Go Arena.
How ranks work here, and where to find the public leaderboard.
Ready for Your First Game?
Jump into a free 9×9 match against a real player. Play as a guest instantly, or sign up free to save your rank.
9×9 recommended for beginners • Area scoring • Byo-yomi clocks available
Go Puzzles
Sharpen your reading with life-and-death puzzles on a real board. Curated tsumego for Go Arena — practice drills available while the classical set grows.
Select a mode
Choose your course
Tap a card to jump onto the board. Wrong moves stay until you reset — correct lines auto-reply for the opponent.
Puzzle board
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Public ranks · Challenge online players
Leaderboard
Top players by ELO. Challenge anyone who is online right now — invites use your current Quick Match board size and clock settings.
Top players
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ELO
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Support Go Arena & Play Ad-Free
Go Arena is built by players, for players. Your support helps fund servers and development so we can continue offering basic gameplay free for everyone.
As a Supporter you receive:
Fully ad-free experience — Clean, uninterrupted Go
Supporter badge — Shown on your profile and in games
Direct impact — Help sustain free core gameplay for the community
Future advanced features (AI tools, premium modes, etc.) will be available as optional paid upgrades.
Choose a Monthly Amount
Frequency
I would like to give
Secure monthly checkout via Stripe · Cancel anytime
Go Arena converts your ELO into a familiar kyu/dan label. Ranked games update your rating when the handicap is small.
Kyu and dan
Beginners start in the kyu range. Stronger players reach dan. The label is a friendly view of your underlying ELO.
Saving your rank
Play as a guest anytime. Create a free account to keep the same rank across devices.
Public leaderboard
See top players and challenge anyone who is online. Status-seeking is part of the fun — and it fills the lobby.
Climb the board
0 Live Games
Spectate live games by joining a room.
PlayersBoard SizeBoard TimerTime Elapsed
Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026
Welcome to Go Arena!
This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes how Go Arena (“we”, “us”, “the service”) collects, uses, protects, and discloses information about anyone who uses goboard.games and related features (collectively, the “Services”).
Please read this Policy closely. By using the Services, you agree to our Terms of Service, including this Policy.
Summary of key points
We encourage you to read this entire Policy, but here are the essentials:
No account required to play. You choose a nickname to play. Optional accounts use email and a password if you want to save your rank across devices.
Limited data. We collect your nickname, a browser reconnect token, gameplay and rating data, aggregate product analytics (see below), basic technical logs, and (if you contact us or create an account) your name, email, and message content.
No ads or data sales. We do not sell your information or use it for targeted advertising.
Functional storage only. We use browser local storage for your nickname, reconnect token, sound preference, puzzle progress, and similar in-browser settings. Puzzle progress stays on your device and is not sent to our servers for guests.
Public gameplay. Nicknames, ratings, and game records may be visible to other players and spectators while you use the Services.
Your choices. You can clear site data in your browser. Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights described below.
1. Definitions
Personal information means information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked with a particular person or device. In this Policy we also use “personal data” to mean the same thing.
Usage data means technical information generated when you use the Services, such as request paths, response timing, error logs, and connection metadata (which may include IP addresses at the hosting layer).
Cookies and similar technologies are small pieces of data stored on your device. Go Arena uses browser local storage for core functionality rather than advertising cookies.
2. Notice at collection
When you use Go Arena, we may collect the following categories of information:
Identifiers and gameplay information
Nickname — chosen when you enter the lobby.
Browser reconnect token — a random ID stored in your browser so we can reconnect you after a refresh.
Gameplay data — moves, passes, resignations, game results, timers, board size, and ELO rating.
Game records — move sequences and results visible during live play, spectating, and post-game review. Full games are kept in server memory for a limited time (about 30 minutes after they end) so you can review moves or download SGF. We do not store complete move-by-move records in our database long term.
Internet and technical activity
Usage data — request paths, timestamps, and diagnostic logs used for security, abuse prevention, and reliability. Our hosting provider may also process connection metadata such as IP addresses.
Preference data — sound on/off, quick-match settings (board size, clock, skill tier, handicap preference), and similar in-browser settings.
Puzzle progress (device-only) — which puzzle IDs you have solved on this browser. This data stays in local storage and is not uploaded to our servers for guests.
Public leaderboard identifiers — nicknames, ratings, records, online status, and stable player ids shown on the public leaderboard so others can challenge you when you are online.
Aggregate product analytics
To improve reliability and usability, the client may send privacy-preserving usage beacons over your live game connection. These beacons include only whitelisted, non-identifying categories, such as:
Device class (for example mobile vs desktop)
Timing buckets (for example how long matchmaking or move acknowledgment took)
Error categories (not error message text)
Reconnect and disconnect counts
Beacons do not include your nickname, email, IP address, move coordinates, board positions, or free-text error messages. The server aggregates these events in memory for operational monitoring and does not store them in our database. Operational metrics may also be available on a protected internal endpoint when configured.
Contact form submissions
Name and email — only if you choose to send us a message through the contact form.
Message content — the text you submit so we can respond to support, bug, privacy, or legal requests.
Optional accounts
You can play without an account. If you choose to create one, we collect:
Email address — used to verify ownership and sign you in on other devices.
Password — stored only as a one-way cryptographic hash; we cannot read your password.
Account linkage — your account is linked to your player nickname, rating, and win/loss record.
Verification emails — short-lived links sent when you sign up or request verification again.
Password reset emails — short-lived links sent only when you request a password reset.
Google sign-in (when enabled) — if you choose “Sign in with Google,” we receive your Google account email and a provider identifier to link or create your optional account. We do not receive your Google password.
We do not require payment information to create an optional account. If you choose a paid Supporter plan, payment is processed by Stripe; we store subscription status and Stripe customer identifiers on your account, not your full card number.
What we do not collect to play
Guest play does not require email, passwords, real names, phone numbers, government IDs, precise geolocation, biometrics, or advertising profiles.
3. How we use information
We use the information described above to:
Provide live play, open rooms, player invites, spectating, and reconnect after disconnects
Maintain ELO ratings and win/loss records tied to your nickname
Remember in-browser preferences and puzzle progress on your device
Show public leaderboard rankings (nickname, rank, ELO, win/loss record, online status, and a stable player id used only to send challenges) and enable challenges to online players
Operate undo requests, rematches, timers, and standard Go rules enforcement
Protect the Services from abuse, cheating, and technical attacks (including rate limits)
Monitor uptime, diagnose bugs, and keep the Services running (including aggregate product analytics described above)
Respond to contact form submissions and privacy or legal requests
Operate optional accounts, email verification, cross-device sign-in, and optional paid Supporter subscriptions when you choose them
Comply with law and respond to lawful requests when required
We do not use your information for targeted advertising, profiling with legal or similarly significant effects, or selling personal information.
4. Retention
We retain aggregate rating and result statistics (ELO, wins, losses, draws) for as long as needed to operate the Services. Browser-stored nickname, reconnect token, sound preference, puzzle progress, and quick-match settings persist until you clear site data for goboard.games (or we invalidate a reconnect token). Finished games are kept in server memory for a limited period after they end, then removed. Aggregate product analytics counters are kept in server memory only for the lifetime of a running server process and are not written to our database.
Optional account data (email, password hash, verification timestamps) is kept while your account exists. Contact form messages are retained only as long as needed to respond and handle the request.
5. Cookies and local storage
Go Arena uses browser local storage for functional purposes only. These values are necessary for the Services to work as designed and are not used for advertising. They currently include:
Nickname — the display name you chose for guest play on this device.
Browser reconnect token — a random ID so we can reconnect you after a refresh. For normal API calls we send this token in request headers or POST bodies — not in query strings. After Google sign-in, a short-lived handoff may briefly appear in the page URL fragment (#payload=…); the app reads it once and immediately clears it from the address bar.
Stable player id — a durable random UUID for your player record on this device, used so the leaderboard can offer challenges to the correct online player.
Sound preference — whether sound effects are on or off.
Quick-match preferences — board size, clock settings, skill tier, and handicap preference for matchmaking.
Puzzle solved list — puzzle IDs you have completed on this browser (used to show progress in the puzzle list).
Guest puzzle progress remains on your device. We do not operate a separate advertising cookie program. If we add non-essential cookies in the future, we will update this Policy and, where required by law, ask for consent before using them.
6. Disclosure to service providers
We use third-party infrastructure to host and operate the Services. These providers process data only on our behalf to run the site, for example:
Render — application hosting
PostgreSQL (via our hosting provider) — ratings, optional account records, and game result storage
Email delivery provider (via SMTP) — sends verification and contact emails on our behalf when configured
Cloudflare Turnstile — bot protection on the contact form when enabled
Google — optional Sign in with Google (OAuth); we receive your verified email and a provider account id, not your Google password
Stripe — optional paid Supporter subscriptions; Stripe processes payment details. We receive subscription status and customer identifiers, not your full card number
We do not sell personal information. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect the safety and rights of users and the service, or to investigate violations of our Terms of Service.
7. Children
The Services are not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has used the Services, please contact us using the information below and we will take appropriate steps.
If you are at least 13 but not of legal age in your jurisdiction, you may use the Services only with the consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian.
8. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict certain processing of your personal information, or to object to certain uses.
You can clear site data for goboard.games in your browser settings to remove your locally stored nickname, reconnect token, sound preference, puzzle progress, and quick-match settings. That does not delete server-side rating data or an optional account.
To request deletion of rating, account, or gameplay data, or to exercise other privacy rights, contact us using the details in Contact us. We may need reasonable information to verify your request and may refuse requests that are abusive, repetitive, or unlawful to fulfill.
9. International users
The Services are operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. Those countries may have data protection laws different from those in your country.
Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers. If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom and have concerns, you may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
10. Third-party links, fonts, and security widgets
The Services may load fonts from Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts (Typekit), and use Cloudflare Turnstile on the contact form for abuse prevention. Those providers may process technical data under their own policies. We do not control third-party sites linked from the Services; review their privacy practices separately.
11. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect information collected through the Services, including HTTPS, rate limiting, hashed passwords, hashed verification tokens, and access controls on operational systems. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your reconnect token is stored in your browser. Anyone with access to your device or browser profile may be able to reconnect as your nickname until you clear site data. Keep your account password private and use a device you trust.
12. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes may also be noted on the main site. Continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised Policy.
13. Contact us
Questions, complaints, or privacy requests about this Policy can be sent via our contact form.
Please read these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) before using the Services.
Welcome to Go Arena!
The website goboard.games and related online Go features (collectively, the “Services”) are operated by Go Arena (“we”, “us”). By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understand these Terms and agree to be bound by them.
Our Privacy Policy describes how we collect, handle, and use information when you use the Services and is incorporated into these Terms.
Summary of key points
You should read these Terms and our Privacy Policy in full, but here are the essentials:
Free core play. Matchmaking, rooms, spectating, learning pages, and puzzles are available without payment.
Guest or optional account. Play with a nickname only, or create an account with email and password to keep your rank across devices.
Optional paid support. You may contribute via Stripe on the Support page. Paying does not buy an advantage in rated games. We may change prices and payment options over time.
Personal use. Use the Services for personal, non-commercial play unless we give you written permission otherwise.
Fair play. Do not cheat, harass others, abuse bugs, or attempt to break the service.
Public records. Nicknames, ratings, leaderboard entries, and live or reviewable game activity may be visible to other users.
As-is service. The Services are provided without warranties, and our liability is limited as described below.
1. The service
Go Arena provides browser-based Go (Baduk/Weiqi) features, including quick match and open rooms, player challenges, live spectating, byo-yomi and other clocks, post-game review and SGF export, ELO ratings, a public leaderboard, practice against a built-in bot, learning pages, a curated puzzle / tsumego practice area, a contact form, and optional paid support. Core play does not require payment or an account.
The Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We may add, remove, pause, or change features, board sizes, time controls, UI, puzzles, or other content at any time without notice.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. If you are at least 13 but not of legal age in your jurisdiction, you may use the Services only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these Terms on your behalf.
By using the Services, you represent that you meet these requirements and that your use complies with all applicable laws where you live.
3. Nicknames, reconnect tokens, and optional accounts
Guest play does not require email or a password. You choose a nickname to play.
Optional accounts let you verify an email and sign in with a password so you can access your rank on other devices.
You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for activity on devices and browsers you control.
Nicknames must follow our format rules and must not be offensive, misleading, or impersonate another person.
We may adjust or assign a variant of your requested nickname if the name is taken or invalid.
A browser reconnect token ties your session to your nickname on a given device.
Do not sell, transfer, or share access to a nickname identity for commercial purposes.
4. Paid support and payments
Core gameplay remains free. Through the Support page (and related account flows), you may optionally make a one-time contribution or start a recurring Supporter plan. Payments are processed by Stripe. We store subscription status and Stripe customer identifiers on your account when applicable; we do not store your full card number.
Starting checkout means you authorize Stripe to charge the amount and interval you select. Recurring plans continue until you cancel through the Stripe customer portal (or another cancellation method we provide). Taxes or fees charged by Stripe or your payment provider may apply.
Paid support is a contribution to help operate the Services. Any recognition or other benefits (for example a Supporter badge) are described on the Support page or in the product UI and are not gameplay advantages in rated matches or preferential matchmaking.
Pricing and payment terms may change. We reserve the right to update amounts, minimums, suggested presets, billing intervals, plan names, available payment methods, included benefits, and related payment terms at any time. Changes appear on the Support page, in checkout, and/or in these Terms. New checkouts use the terms then in effect. For existing recurring subscriptions, updated pricing or benefits apply on renewal where permitted by law and by Stripe’s processes; you may cancel before renewal if you do not accept a change.
Except where required by law or where we expressly offer a refund, payments are non-refundable. We do not guarantee that any particular benefit, price, or payment option will remain available indefinitely.
Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for personal, non-commercial play, practice, learning, and spectating. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, scrape, reverse-engineer, or create derivative works from the Services except as allowed by law or with our prior written consent.
6. Game records and content
When you play through the Services, we generate records of game activity (“game records”), including moves, results, timers, nicknames, and ratings. Game records are visible to opponents and spectators during live play and post-game review. Aggregate statistics (ELO, wins, losses, draws) are stored in our database. You can download SGF exports after a game; we do not guarantee long-term storage of full move records on our servers.
You may download SGF or similar exports of your games for personal use. You retain any rights you have in your own gameplay choices, but you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce, and use game records as needed to operate, improve, and promote the Services.
Puzzle progress for guests is typically stored in your browser. Account-linked progress features, when offered, may sync limited progress data as described in the Privacy Policy. You are responsible for your conduct and for any content you cause to appear through your nickname. We may remove or restrict content or access that violates these Terms or harms the community.
7. Acceptable use and fair play
You agree not to:
Cheat, use bots, engines, or unauthorized assistance during ranked games unless a feature explicitly allows it (practice vs bot and similar modes are exceptions when offered)
Exploit bugs, bypass rate limits, or interfere with servers, sockets, or other users
Harass, threaten, spam, or abuse other players
Use offensive, hateful, or impersonating nicknames
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, data, or systems
Reverse-engineer, overload, or disrupt the Services
Use the Services for any unlawful purpose
Scrape, mine, or commercially exploit the Services, puzzles, or game records without permission
We may investigate suspected violations, restrict access, adjust ratings, or terminate sessions at our discretion.
8. Gameplay rules
Standard Go rules apply on supported board sizes (9×9, 13×13, and 19×19) with the time controls shown in the lobby (including byo-yomi where selected). Features such as pass, resign, scoring, handicap (when both sides allow it), and timers operate as implemented in the client and server.
Practice vs Bot is an unranked 9×9 mode against a built-in opponent. Ratings do not change.
Puzzles are practice tools. Solutions and difficulty presentation are part of our proprietary collection; they are not a substitute for tournament rules adjudication.
Undo requires your opponent’s approval and only applies to the last move. Undo is not available in practice games.
Disconnects may result in loss by timeout after a grace period.
Ratings may change when ranked games end by resignation, scoring, timeout, or similar outcomes.
Rematches, rooms, challenges, and watch/spectate features are offered as-is and may change.
We do not guarantee that ratings, clocks, or results are error-free in every edge case.
9. Suspension and termination
We may restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms, harm other users, or create risk for the service. You may stop using the Services at any time.
Termination may include disconnecting your session, invalidating reconnect tokens, ending access to optional account features, or preventing further use of a nickname where reasonably necessary. Ending access to the free Services does not by itself cancel a Stripe subscription; cancel recurring billing through the billing portal if you no longer want charges.
10. Disclaimer of warranties
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Services are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
We do not warrant uninterrupted play, accurate ratings, bug-free software, continuous availability of any paid benefit, or that the Services will meet your expectations.
11. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Go Arena and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising from your use of or inability to use the Services.
To the extent any liability cannot be excluded, our total liability for any claim relating to the Services will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim or (b) fifty U.S. dollars (USD $50).
12. Indemnity
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Go Arena and its operators from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another person.
13. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the Services after changes are posted means you accept the updated Terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Changes to payment amounts and related billing options are also addressed in Paid support and payments.
14. Contact us
Questions about these Terms can be sent via our contact form.
Send us a message using the form below. We typically respond within a few business days. As a Supporter, your message is marked priority. By submitting the form, you agree that we may use your name, email address, and message to respond to your inquiry, as described in our Privacy Policy.
