Go: The Chess of Ancient China

Go is a Chinese board game invented around 300 B.C.. It is popular in China, Japan, and many other Asian countries, and is regarded as highly as chess is in the west.. Like chess, it is simple to learn but takes a lifetime to master. Go also holds a special distinction that chess does not: is the only ancient game with such detailed strategy that no computer can match the skill of a human player!

The board is traditionally divided into a grid of 19 horizontal and vertical lines. Smaller boards may be used for beginning players or those interested in a less involved game. The board is generally made of wood.

Points
A stone may only be placed on an intersection or point where lines meet on the board. A stone may not be placed on a point where another player’s stone has already been placed.

Liberties
When a stone is placed, all empty points adjacent to it in any direction are referred to as its liberties. More stones may be placed in any of the liberties, either by the player to create a chain, or by the opponent, to try and capture stones. When there are no liberties adjacent to a stone, that stone is captured, and leaves play. A player cannot put a stone in a position where it would have no liberties, as it would be removed immediately.

Chains
A chain is any combination of one player’s stones which are connected continuously by adjacent points on the grid. If a chain becomes surrounded by enemy stones, all the stones in that chain are eliminated and the empty points become enemy territory. This territory can’t be reclaimed unless the entire enemy chain is captured.

Basic Strategy and Scoring

Serious players study ‘life and death’ situations to sharpen their strategic thinking. In ‘life and death’ plays, the player being attacked has only one move that will lead to the survival of a chain, stone, or territory, or only one move that will disrupt the opponent’s plans. This is similar to the study of tense situations in chess, and can even the odds against strong players.

A Worthy Challenge: Finding a Go Opponent

Go Assocations

Starting a Local Go Group

Computer Go

Multiplayer
Go software with an online, multiplayer option has the potential to eliminate the problem of where to find other players. It must be said that there is a strong social component to Go which may be lost this way. It is the nature of the game that respect for an opponent’s skill grows as he or she becomes familiar.

The quality of computer Go varies, and there are few Go computer games available compared to other board games. You can find more recent Go games on many popular download sites. Independent websites offering discontinued software give another option. Many Go games were on the market in the 1980s which can still be found today.