Rengo

Rengo

Team Go where two or three players per side alternate turns without consulting each other. Partners must infer each other’s strategy purely from the stones played. Creates emergent cooperation and occasional hilarious miscommunication.

Setup

Teams: Two teams of 2 or 3 players each. Standard 19×19 board (or 13×13 for shorter games). Board starts empty.

Turn order: Players alternate in a fixed, repeating sequence. In 2v2: Black-1, White-1, Black-2, White-2, repeat. In 3v3: Black-1, White-1, Black-2, White-2, Black-3, White-3, repeat.

Komi: Standard (6.5 for 19×19).

Rules

All standard Go rules apply, with one addition:

• No consultation: Partners may not discuss strategy, signal, or communicate about the game in any way during play. Each player must independently decide their move.
• Passing: A player may pass on their turn as normal. Both members of a team must pass consecutively for that team to have passed.
• Game end: The game ends when all four (or six) players pass consecutively.

Scoring

Standard scoring applies. The team’s combined territory is their score.

Strategy

Rengo rewards consistent, clear positional play over complex, deep reading. Your partner cannot see your 15-move sequence plan, so moves that make structural sense at a glance are more effective than subtle tactical tricks. The strongest Rengo players are those whose stones “explain themselves” — each move clearly communicates its purpose to a partner who shares Go understanding but not specific plans.

Attribution

Traditional team format. Japanese term (連碁). Public domain. Played at the European Go Congress and many club events.