Go - the Chinese Board Surrounding Game

Most of the people in the West prefer to play board games like chess, checkers and backgammon. With the latter originating in ancient Mesopotamia, and chess invented in India, another Asian game is going to conquer the world soon. This is the Chinese game that goes by the name of “go”.

We don't call China an aristocratic society, but the noble game “go”, still enjoying a lot of popularity in PRC, was once a favourite board game for the elite. The game originated over 2000 years ago. Actually, the name of the game in Chinese is “weiqi” (“igo” in Japanese and “baduk” in Korean”). The game is noted for being rich in strategy despite its relatively simple rules.

The game is played by two players who alternately place black and white stones on the vacant intersections (called "points") of a grid of 19×19 lines (beginners often play on smaller 9×9 and 13×13 boards). The object of the game is to use one's stones to surround a larger portion of the board than the opponent. Once placed on the board, stones cannot be moved, though they can be removed if they are captured. When a game concludes, the controlled points (territory) are counted along with captured stones to determine who has more points. Games may also be won by resignation.

Placing stones close together usually helps them support each other and avoid capture, while placing stones far apart creates influence across more of the board. Part of the strategic difficulty of the game stems from finding a balance between these types of conflicting interests. Players strive to serve both defensive and offensive purposes and choose between tactical urgency and strategic plans. At its basis, the game is one of simple logic, while in advanced play the game involves complex heuristics and tactical analysis. Beginning players first learn the simple mechanics of how stones interact, while intermediate students learn concepts such as initiative ("sente"), influence, and the proper timing of moves.

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