Editing Rules of Go (section)

==== Placing a stone on the board ====
'''Step 1 of a play. The player places a stone of their color on an empty intersection (chosen subject to Rule 8 and, if it is in effect, to Optional Rule 7A).'''

As indicated by the reference to Rules 8 and 7A (respectively the superko rule and prohibition of suicide, to be discussed later), there are some restrictions on the choice of point at which to play.

The following diagrams show a possible sequence of moves at the beginning of the game:
{|border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-valign="top"
|
{{Go board 5x5
| ul|  u|  u|  u| ur
|  l|   |   |   |  r
|  l|   |   |   |  r
|  l|   |   |   |  r
| dl|  d|  d|  d| dr|24}}
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|
{{Go board 5x5
| ul|  u|  u|  u| ur
|  l|   |   | b1|  r
|  l|   |   |   |  r
|  l|   |   |   |  r
| dl|  d|  d|  d| dr|24}}
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|
{{Go board 5x5
|ul|  u|  u|  u| ur
| l|   |   |  b|  r
| l|   | w2|   |  r
| l|   |   |   |  r
|dl|  d|  d|  d| dr|24}}
|-valign="top"
|Start
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|Black plays
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|White plays
|}

The following diagrams show how Black might play later in the same game:
{|border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-valign="top"
|
{{Go board 5x5
| ul|  u|  u|  w| ur
|  l|  b|   |  b|  r
|  l|   |  w|   |  r
|  w|   |   |   |  r
| dl|  d|  d|  b| dr|24}}
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|
{{Go board 5x5
| ul|  u|  u|  w| ur
|  l|  b| b1|  b|  r
|  l|   |  w|   |  r
|  w|   |   |   |  r
| dl|  d|  d|  b| dr|24}}
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-valign="top"
|Before
|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|After
|}

Numbers are often used, as here, to indicate new moves in printed diagrams.

Once a stone has been played, it remains on the board in the same location, until the end of the game or until it is captured (removed from the board as part of Step 2 or Step 3 of a play).