[rules] Go enable occuping with wall?

If black lines are connected with tow sides to edge of board, this place is owned by blacks?
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Stones on first line are usually useless since they don’t surround any points. They are commonly placed at the end of the game just to close borders and fill “dame”.

Moreover, if the group isn’t alive, they are all points… for your opponent!!! :grin:

The short answer is - it depends!

In the example the black stones are not completely connected all together. The diagonal “connections” are only potential (maybe highly likely) connections. White could play at the the X marked points and capture two black stones for example.

Of course black would probably try to stop this before white played those the moves.

The way black stones “own” territory is by forming arrangements where they cannot be captured. For example by making two “eyes” or surrounding an area in such a way that black can capture any white invasion.

Have you seen the learn to play section?

And

Let me know if you have any more questions!

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You need to make like pockets with emptyness inside. You can use the edge which don’t need stones on it to do these pockets.
If your opponent play in your pockets, great chance then is that you will capture him.

And then the one with biggest pockets wins.

All could be very mysterious but you can try some tutorial and most Important play!
There are players of all kind of levels here.

With a bit of patience go is very Interesting soon enough.

Have fun!

Note about the rules: A pocket is yours if your opponent will always be captured if he tries to go inside, and if your opponent cannot eat a piece of the stones doing the pocket. (To answer your question). You have to think more in pockets (territories) as just in chains of stones.

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This is really important to understand - a fundamental point.

“How do I know if these form territory?”

Answer: can they be captured? If they cannot, then they form territory (at least 2 points worth)

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I’d feel like this if I said anything, …but can’t resist making a meme. (I like how angry the bird looks at seki in the last panel.)

@meron you can wait to learn what is seki and ko until you get that in one of your games (or in a tutorial)

Another suggestion when you explore what is go is to have a look on how experimented players (dan being the most) play. How they start doing territories, how the game finish. …
In the main site you have a tab: games (avoid to watch the ones with very long time settings) or you can go to a player profile (click a name and then in the popup click his name again) and find his games there. You can replay any game using the arrows to navigate between the moves.

But most Important is to play of course!