Go Problems & Baduk Puzzles: The Skill Tree
The strength of a Go player is built from many separate skills: choosing the right direction in the opening, spotting tesuji, judging life and death, counting the endgame. A weakness in any one of them drags the whole game down. The Skill Tree turns all of these into a single RPG-like system — you solve Go problems (tsumego), level up individual skills, and see exactly where your weak spots are. The puzzles work the same whether you call the game Go, weiqi, or baduk.
How the Skill Tree Works
Pick a skill and you get a quiz — a short series of 5 puzzles. Each skill has several levels: solve a few quizzes successfully to reach the next one, and the Go problems get harder as you climb. To unlock a new row of skills, bring every skill in the previous row to at least level 1.
The tree assumes you already know the theory — each skill links to the related interactive video course and lesson, so alternate solving with the courses whenever a topic feels new.
Energy
Every puzzle costs one energy. Free accounts get 60 energy every 8 hours — enough for a solid daily session. Silver, Gold and Magic memberships raise the limit or remove it entirely. Your current balance is always visible in the Modes & stats panel above the tree.
Solving Modes
Ghost Mode
An advanced mode for reading and visualization: stones vanish right after they are placed, so you have to hold the whole sequence in your head. Concept by Olaf Voß.
- Applies to standard skills like Life and Death, Tesuji, and Semeai.
- When active, the relevant skills are highlighted in red.
- Ghost Mode progress is saved independently.
- Each problem solved in Ghost Mode earns an extra coin.
Unlock All Skills
Gold and Magic members can switch off the row-by-row progression and practice any skill — and any of its levels — in any order.
Timed Mode
Solving against the clock is coming soon — the toggle is already waiting in the panel.
Coins
Solving a problem on the first try earns coins, which you can exchange for bonuses in the Magic Store. Problems far below your account level award no coins.
Tips on Solving Go Problems & Puzzles
- Read out the full sequence before placing the first stone — aim to solve every puzzle on the first try.
- Rotate between skills. There is no need to finish each one right away — you can always come back.
- Prioritize the skills you find hardest. The “Your Progress” column and the My Stats page show where you lag.
- Short regular sessions beat marathons. Solving 3–5 quizzes before a game of Go is a great habit.
- If a topic refuses to click, reset that skill’s progress and run it again.
More Ways to Train
The Skill Tree is one of three puzzle sections on Go Magic. Take a Go test to measure your playing strength, or work through classic tsumego collections by famous masters.
Bugs and Mistakes in the Go Problems
With thousands of Go problems we can’t catch every flaw. If a solution looks wrong, double-check your line first, then report it via “Report Invalid Problem” in the three-dots menu — we review every report.