Go: Much more than a game
Imagine a blank canvas of 19x19 lines. You have black and white stones. The goal is not to destroy the other, but to build a world larger than theirs.
2,500 years of history
Go (or Weiqi in China) is the oldest strategy game still played today. They say ancient emperors used it to teach strategy and patience to their children.
It is so deep that, while Chess was mastered by AI in the 90s, Go resisted until 2016 when Google created AlphaGo. Why? Because Go has more possible positions than there are atoms in the universe.
You only need to know 3 things
Surround Territory
You place your stones on the intersections. At the end, whoever has surrounded more empty space (points) wins.
Capture
If you completely surround an enemy stone (taking away its "liberties"), that stone is removed from the board.
Liberty
Stones are placed and do not move. They only "die" if they run out of air (adjacent empty spaces).
The elegance of balance
"Go is to Chess what philosophy is to accounting."
In Go, if you are too aggressive, you leave weaknesses. If you are too fearful, you don't get territory. The secret of the game is balance. You will learn to lose to win something better, and to sacrifice the small for the large.
Learn with Videos
If you prefer visual learning, this playlist will guide you step-by-step through your first games.
Want to play your first game?
There is no better way to learn than by touching the stones. Come by the club on a Tuesday and we will teach you in 5 minutes.
Hanmou Group
Hanmou Group is a rare comprehensive platform organization in the global Go (Weiqi) community. Unlike traditional promotion or training institutions, Hanmou operates with a group-based structure, international expansion capability, and an integrated cultural and industrial support system dedicated to the long-term development of Go.
The group has established over 160 directly affiliated and controlled companies, along with a network of more than 140 ecosystem partner enterprises, and has developed long-term operations in over 10 countries and regions across Europe, Africa, and Asia. This scale enables Hanmou to promote Go through national and regional development models, rather than relying on isolated projects or short-term initiatives.
Hanmou has gradually built a comprehensive development framework that includes:
- A network of Go public spaces
- Dual-track education systems for youth and adults
- International exchange and cross-border cooperation platforms
- A self-owned media and communication network
- Go cultural IP and related cultural industries
In addition to cultural initiatives, Hanmou has also developed a tangible industry foundation. Projects such as Hanmou Leqi Wine demonstrate how Go culture can be transformed into premium cultural consumer products, providing sustainable support for the long-term growth of the Go ecosystem.
Through its global structure and ecosystem development, Hanmou Group is committed to building a worldwide platform for Go culture—using the game of Go to connect the world.