Summarize:

Someone who is well-versed in the game will be a better teacher and example.  You can look for a game either face-to-face or on an online go-server. For face-to-face games, look for a local chapter of the AGA, BGA, or your national Go organization. You will likely find a list of Go clubs on their websites. For online games, some Go servers are listed below. IGS KGS OGS DGS Yahoo MSN Zone Go shrine 361points Break Base In a handicap game, the stronger player takes white, and black places 2-9 handicap stones on the star points before white answers.  For an even game, the colors are determined randomly. Since black has an advantage by playing first, white is compensated by taking komi, an amount of additional points added to white's score at the end of the game. The amount of komi varies, but most tournaments use values between 5 and 8 points. Sometimes a fractional value like 6.5 is used to avoid ties. Western go players most typically play by Japanese rules, where komi is set at 6.5. This should be done by the player with black stones. It traditionally goes in the upper right hand quadrant.  This initial move stakes out which side each player lays claim to. Handicap stones are considered the first move in a handicap game. Remember, the pieces are placed on the intersections of the grid, not the empty spaces on the board. Either player may pass if they see no benefit to making a move. Passing signals a desire to end the game and count the score. If both players pass, the game is over. There are generally two options: claiming the most territory or invading your opponent's territory by capturing their pieces (turning them into "prisoners").  If a player places a stone that removes the last liberty from a connected group of the opponent's stones, then that group is dead and is removed from the board (captured). The exception to the above rule is that you cannot capture a single stone that just captured one of your stones without playing elsewhere first. This is called the rule of ko ("ko" means "eternity" in Japanese); it is needed to prevent games from never ending. Black and white must both decide there is no advantage to laying another stone. The player who has captured the most stones and territory wins.  Captured pieces should be placed on the board in the opponent's territory, decreasing their score. You can use either area counting or territory counting. The two methods agree provided both players have made the same number of non-passing moves.  For territory counting, most common in Japan and for most western go players, each color fills in their opponent's territory with any prisoners of that color captured earlier in the game. Their score is then only the empty intersections in their territory. White then adds their komi. For area counting, each color scores a point for each living stone of that color and each empty intersection within their territory. White then adds their komi. Both methods of scoring usually end up with the same result, but they may sometimes vary by a point.
Find an opponent. Start the game by choosing a color. Place the first stone. Take turns alternating playing stones. Decide on your strategy. End the game when both players pass. Score the game.