The 10 Golden Rules of Go (围棋十决)

The source of these rules would seem to be an enigmatic Go player in China named Wang JiXin (王积薪) who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D). There was no record of his early life, but his name was synonymous with the ‘wandering Weiqi master’.

These ideas are to inform your playing style, they are not rules:

(1)	Don’t be greedy
	A game is won by a 1 point difference, there’s no need to aim for 100. Don’t over extend. Solve your weaknesses before taking additional risks. Keep situations simple when in a winning position.
(2)	Only fools rush in
	When your opponent is mapping out territory (creating a “moyo”), the right moment to invade is often just before the end of the construction. Don’t rush in. In an opponent’s sphere of influence, avoid sharp conflict and don’t move in too deeply. Be prepared to move back out quickly and lightly when reducing.
(3)	Prepare before fighting
	When you attack an opponent’s position, it is necessary to also pay attention to your own position first. If you can strengthen your group by attacking an opponent’s group, it will be a superior strategy. Fighting must not be the main focus of Go but should be held in reserve and carried out with extreme care.
(4)	Sacrifice to gain advantage
	Look at the whole board, disregard useless stones and look to make moves which force your opponent to respond (make moves in “sente”). Consider sacrificing stones to regain sente .
(5)	Choose wisely
	You cannot have everything, choose what gives you the biggest advantage, let go of the less valuable.
(6)	Don’t throw good stones after bad
	If you are in trouble don’t add more stones in the hope that it will work out. Leaving a weak group alone enables the possibility “aji” that they will assist later in the game, lose the local fight now and they will be removed from the board forever useless.
(7)	Think before action
	If you play too quickly and carelessly, you risk committing big errors and missing powerful manoeuvres. Plan out strategies with careful calculations before committing moves.
(8)	Before playing locally, prepare globally
	If you want to launch a fight or destroy a moyo, you first need to prepare.
(9)	Strong walls over weak stones
	When your opponent’s influence is “thick” (well-formed), it is best is to make yourself thick rather than play close to your opponent’s thickness. Keep away from thickness. Quietly look for ways to settle your groups.
(10)	Look for balance and gain influence
	If you are in a delicate situation with several weak groups, it is better to find a compromise than to fight. Look for ways to stave off attacks on the weak groups in order to retain aji for later use.