Play 13x13 Go Online: Free, vs Computer or a Friend
The board above is set to 13x13. Choose Easy, Medium, or Hard and press Play, or open the Online tab and send a friend the link it gives you. It is free, no account, nothing to install, and your single-player game is saved in your own browser if you have to stop halfway through.
What the 13x13 board is for
Thirteen lines each way gives 169 points, roughly twice a 9x9 board and a little under half a full-size one. That is the whole appeal: it is the first board with enough room for a real opening, but small enough that a game still ends in about 45 minutes rather than eating an afternoon. Expect around 100 to 130 moves.
On 9x9 the fighting starts almost immediately and the whole board is one battlefield. On 13x13 there is space for two or three separate areas, so for the first time you have to decide where to play rather than just how to answer. That decision, which part of the board is worth the most right now, is the core skill in Go, and 13x13 is where most players first meet it.
Who should play on 13x13
Players who have a few 9x9 games behind them and keep thinking "I had a plan and the game ended first". If you can count a finished game and you no longer lose groups without noticing, you will get more out of this board than out of another 9x9.
It is also the practical choice for a game with a friend when neither of you wants to commit two hours. And it is a sensible size against the computer: there is enough room for the opponent's choices to matter, without the long, quiet stretches a 19x19 game has.
How to play on this board
Corners first, then sides, then the centre. That ordering, which barely applies on 9x9, starts working here. A 13x13 board has five star points, four at the 4-4 positions and one in the middle, and the 4-4 points make good opening moves: they claim a corner loosely while leaving room to expand along either side.
The mistake to watch for is treating 13x13 like a big 9x9 and attacking too early. Take the empty corners first. Once all four are settled, look for the largest open area and extend into it rather than adding another stone to a group that is already alive. When your opponent walls off a corner, you usually have time to take a side in return instead of invading straight away.The Go opening covers corner moves, approaches, and extensions properly. The rules of Go is the place to start if any of the above is new, and the interactive tutorial teaches the same rules on a live board in about ten minutes.
Questions about 13x13 Go
How long does a 13x13 game take?
About 45 minutes against the computer, and a bit longer against a person. A game runs roughly 100 to 130 moves, which is double a 9x9 game and about half a full-size one.
Is 13x13 a real Go board size?
Yes. Full-size boards often have a 13x13 grid printed on the reverse, and online servers list it alongside 9x9 and 19x19. It uses the same rules as every other size, including the 7.5 komi used here.
When should I move up from 9x9 to 13x13?
Once you can finish a 9x9 game without losing a group by accident and you can count the result yourself. If 9x9 games feel like they end before your plan gets going, that is the signal.
Other board sizes
Want something shorter? Play 9x9, the board to learn on. Ready for the real thing? Play 19x19, the full tournament board.9x9 vs 13x13 vs 19x19 compares all three side by side.