Game of Go / Baduk / Weiqi

First Steps After Learning the Rules of Go

This section is about what to do after learning the rules of Go: how to improve, where to play, etc.

Follow the online "The Interactive Way To Go" tutorial.

Join at least one Go community - it is good to be among other Go enthusiasts.

• Find out if you can join some local Go club in the area you live in - if you are in a big city you are most likely in luck.
• Join some online Go forum - I like LifeIn19x19 and Reddit/Baduk.
• Join some online Go server.

Play several tens of games with another beginner - before reading Go books.

• Just concentrate on capturing stones: whoever captures the first stone wins - this is called "Capture Go (or Atari Go)".
• Teach the rules to a friend, or a family member, or a coworker - and play a lot of "capture Go".

Read the "Lessons in the fundamentals of Go" book.

• It provides a lot of very useful information about Go: fundamental tactical and strategical concepts, how to study, and many interesting things about the professional Go world.
• I wrote a detailed review of this book in the articles section.
• You'll find yourself wanting to read this book again at again at various points in your Go career - so don't be disappointed if many things don't make sense at the first lecture.

Follow my "how to improve" list.

Check the list of books I recommend - some of which I consider "must reads".

...and last but not least, you may want to check a more up-to-date list of resources for beginners.