RGG FAQ Part 1 Section 1
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1.1: What is this game?
The game which is the subject of this newsgroup is known under several names: Go, Goe, Igo, Weiqi, Weichi, Baduk... to name a few.
For the purpose of this FAQ, the name Go will be used.
Apart from the fact that it is the name which is used the most in the 'western' world, it is also the shortest and easiest to spell ;).
Go is a game of tactics and strategy which is played by two players. Players take turns at placing their markers ('stones') on an initially empty board ('goban'), following simple rules. The objective of the game is to place your stones so that they control the largest part of the goban. Although the stones, once placed, do not move, groups of stones 'move'; groups are attacked, defend themselves, are killed, connect, encircle and dominate. Several fights may combine into larger fights, but in the end a win by one point is worth as much as a win by thirty.
A game of go can last anywhere from a quarter of an hour (fast 'blitz') to several days (large championship matches). Playing in clubs or on the net, a game typically lasts roughly one hour.
Beginning to play Go tends to have an addictive effect on people: the more you play, the more you want to play and the more aware you become that there is still a lot left to learn.