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Turning Problems Into
Opportunities
November 15, 2004
By Paul Celmer
Communication
between males and females is often a mysterious process. Just ask my wife; she
says everything I do is a mystery to her. But more seriously, Pair Go takes the
challenges of wordless communication between males and females and turns this
conundrum into a work of art. The AGA can be proud of the fact that this year's
U.S. Pair Go team, Kristin Burrell and Yuan Zhou, have been playing together for
over 10 years. After watching them and playing Pair Go myself for the first
time, I realize that successful Pair Go players must work together to sense what
their partner is thinking in order to navigate the wild uncharted sea that is a
game of go. Players must also learn patience, and how to handle surprises.
Sometimes it is the stronger player who is
frustrated by their partner's move. But sometimes it is the weaker player who
surprises everyone with a move that their stronger partner did not envision. The
result is that Pair Go is not only surprisingly beautiful, but also quite
enjoyable.
The U.S has a population of well
over 200 million, yet only a small fraction of these are go players. Instead of
looking at these numbers as a problem, we could see them as an opportunity to
increase the number of players. It strikes me that Pair Go, with its special
emphasis and the social and pleasurable aspects of the game, is the perfect tool
for reaching out and increasing the number of players.
Another, related challenge is the imbalance
in the numbers of male and female go players. But after what I have seen here in
Japan this week, I believe in the power of Pair Go to promote go, especially
among female players. On a personal note, as the father of two small daughters,
ages 4 and 5, nothing in all the world would make me happier than to one day
return with them to Japan to play with them in the International Pair Go
Championship.
Celmer, who served at the
AGA's Guest Official at the just-concluded Pair Go Championships in Tokyo,
Japan, is Manager of Chapter Services for the AGA
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