Chapter 1 — Is it worth investing time in learning to play Go?
The main objective of Go is quite simple: to control more territory than your opponent by the end of the game. The intersections on the board should be thought of as land to be acquired. Whoever encloses the borders and empty spaces of the board more efficiently with their stones wins.
Unlike many war games, there is no goal in Go to completely destroy the opponent or wipe them off the map. In this game played on a limited board, both players draw their own territories. Success can be achieved even if you get 51% and your opponent gets 49% of the area. It is a competition based on perfect balance and sharing.
Players often initially focus only on eating (capturing) the opponent's stones. Although capturing stones earns points (usually each captured stone counts as 1 point), the main source of points is huge empty spaces safely surrounded. Sacrificing a few stones to secure a much larger territory is one of the most fundamental Go strategies.