This article marks the first in a series intended for novice go players. Go is an exciting board game that still holds a fascination for players today even though its history is said to date back 3,000 to 4,000 years. It will sharpen your intellectual intuition, your sense of logic, and your power of concentration. However, to be frank, the better you get, the more difficult the game will seem.

On the bright side, the game is very easy to learn. Unlike chess, all pieces look the same and have the same value. Another plus is that unlike chess where the best playing program is as good or better than humans, you can start playing go today and beat the best playing go program on the market in about one year.

However, go is not a game that you can figure out by yourself. But no worries, because the foreign go community comes together on Sundays at Ben's Cafe in Takadanobaba (03-3202-2445 or www.benscafe.com). Remko Popma (fifth dan in Japan) or I will be present between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and give free group lessons. Please come early to profit fully. We welcome anybody who can speak English, including Japanese.

The method outlined below is called "The Capturing Game" and it is the fastest method for starting to play go. When you want to teach somebody the game, please use it.

So, what do you need to play a game of go? You need an opponent (or a computer program) and a go set.

Go equipment

The game consists of a board and stones.

Board: The board comes in three sizes: 9x9, 13x13, and 19x19. When you are a beginner to this game, always use the 9x9 board. Play at least 10 to 20 (or even 50) games on this size board. Don't ponder too long over each move; try to play quickly. This way you will learn faster and more.

Then, go to the 13x13 board. Already, strategy will play a more important role. I recommend playing on the 13x13 board for an extra 20 to 50 games.

Once you have enough experience under your belt, proceed to the 19x19 board. Board this size range in price from \4,000 up to easily over \10 million. Real fancy boards are equipped with legs and an excavation at the bottom, to improve resonance when stones are placed (or sometimes, slapped) on the board.

Stones: Stones come in different materials, plastic, glass or shell and slate, and price ranges. A complete set of stones consists of 181 black stones and 180 white stones. In practice a few missing stones do not affect the nature of the game in any way.

Diagram 1: This is a full-size board constituting of 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines, forming 361 intersections. Nine of the intersections are emphasized (also on an actual board) to indicate handicap points, used when there is a difference in strength between the two players. Strategy and tactics match each other in importance.

Diagram 2: This is a 13x13 board, which you can use for the first few months. Already, you will start feeling the importance of placing your stones in an economical way, combining them effectively with other stones. A game played at this size board already has the same degree of complexity as chess.

Diagram 3: We will use this board for the first couple of weeks. It has only nine horizontal and nine vertical lines, but don't underestimate the number of possibilities. At the start of the game, the board is empty. Black plays the first move wherever he pleases. It is possible to play in the corners, for example, at A, or on the edges, for example, at B, or somewhere in the middle, for example, at C.

Diagram 4: Stage 1: The Capturing Game

The purpose of this game is to capture one stone or more. Black could play at 1. This stone has four liberties, at A, B, C, and D. White could use his first move by playing at 2.

Diagram 5: How many liberties do the black stone A and the white stone B have?

Diagram 6: The black stone has three liberties, at A, B, and C. However, the white stone has only two, at D and at E.

How to capture

Diagram 7: The black stone at A is almost surrounded by white stones. It has only one liberty left. If all liberties are taken away, a stone is captured and taken off the board.

Diagram 8: So if Black would play at 1, White could capture the stone with 2...

Diagram 9: ...and this would be the final position.

So, get a go set and an opponent, and try to capture your opponent's stones. The first to capture a stone wins the game.

You can also play on www.kiseido.com or come to Ben's Cafe on Sunday.

Rob van Zeijst is a four-time European go champion and European representative of the Fujitsu World Championship.