Instant Go Basics

by Bruce Wilcox

This Instant Go material was extracted and expanded from our published Instant Go articles written by Bruce Wilcox. Wilcox, an artificial-intelligence (AI) programmer, has brought to the game of go an unusual vision and an elegant simplicity in strategic thinking that gave birth to computer go. A bestselling book on the history of go, published in 1986 in Japan, devoted one chapter largely to Wilcox’s landmark programs. Applying Instant Go techniques to his own play, Wilcox ranks among the top rated amateur players in the U.S. He lectures on his go theory in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. This material is designed to help a novice play a better game of go immediately.

Wilcox's unique approach derives its origins from his earlier lectures and publications on Instant Go. As one reader from WA told Wilcox, "You are one of the few Go writers ever to explain the game in terms of very basic principles. I can now read other books and understand them, rather than memorizing them."