Top Ten Reasons to Play Go
1. Go is the simplest of all games.
The object of go -- to surround and capture -- is also the
only rule. There are no arbitrary conventions, special
exceptions or other burdensome technicalities.
2. Go is the most complex of all
games.
Nearly all known games have been "solved" for the computer
-- that is, the strongest computer programs can defeat the
best human players. Even chess now falls into this
category. However, the strongest go programs, after decades
of effort, are routinely trounced by Asian
schoolchildren.
Why is go so hard for computers? Because go is much, much more complicated than chess. There are many more possible games of go -- as much as 10 with more than 700 zeroes! -- than there are sub-atomic particles in the known universe. Click here to find out why computer programmers call go "the fruit fly of artificial intelligence."
3. Go is the most popular game in the world
today.
Although largely unknown in the West, go is wildly popular
in Asia, where there are more than 100 million active
players. Major tournament winners are international
celebrities. With daily newspaper coverage, popular weekly
and monthly go magazines 24-hour "all-go-all-the-time"
cable stations, go is an incomparably intense part of Asian
culture, and its popularity is growing quickly in the
West.
4. Go is the oldest game still played in its
original form.
Go probably originated in China or Tibet, no one really
knows. 2500 years ago, Confucius advised his readers to
avoid frivolous pastimes and learn the virtues of this
already ancient and venerable game. In Japan, the strongest
players have been viewed as national heroes for centuries.
In China, the birthplace of go, it was suppressed during
the Communist era, but came back stronger than ever in the
1980's. Koreans were playing at least 1200 years ago, even
before the Japanese, but began taking their play more
seriously in the 1950's. Today the world's strongest
players come from Korea. With hundreds of millions of fans
in these three countries and growing popularity in the
West, it may be the most popular game in the world
today.
When you play go, you are doing something that billions
of people have done for thousands of years. Many centuries
ago, people were doing the exact same thing, in the exact
same way.
5. Every game has a winner.
Some games, notably chess, can be difficult to win. Chess
matches can go on for months as draws, stalemates, and
zugzwangs pile up. Go results are based on a final
score, and White wins ties (because Black has the advantage
of playing first) so there's a winner every time.
6. All players are equal.
Because the game begins with an empty board, it is easy to
level the playing field between two players of different
strengths. The weaker player simply makes several plays in
succession to begin the game. Thus any two players, no
matter how far apart in playing strength, can have a
mutually challenging game.
Even among equal players, the one to go first gains no advantage because he/she must pay a komi (compensation) to the other player for the advantage of going first.
7. You always know where you fit in.
Most games require players to be equally skilled in order
to enjoy a fair contest. The go handicapping system,
similar to the system used in golf, allows any two players
in the world to compare strengths and compete on even
terms.. The world of go is the ultimate meritocracy -- your
place in it depends strictly on your ability.
8. It's easy to learn from mistakes.
"A stone laid is a stone played." It's easy to study and
improve, because each move remains on the board for the
rest of the game (unless captured and removed by the
opponent). Each game is a record of itself, and the player
can reflect on the consequences of early mistakes that are
still staring him/her in the face. Thus, as in life,
players have to live with their mistakes. But unlike life,
the player can learn what went wrong and try again in
another game.
9. Ancient rituals impart important values.
As in the martial arts and other ancient Asian disciplines,
many traditions have been passed down among go players that
allow us to express respect for the opponent, humility, and
other important virtues. Time-honored traditions govern
every aspect of the game.
10. Go is about building, not destroying.
Many popular games involve setting up positions at the
beginning, then attacking the enemy. Go begins with an
empty board. The object is to create strong, flexible
structures, not run around chasing the other guy's pieces.
"Life and death" issues may arise, but many games end
without the capture of a single stone.
If you are looking for a realm in which you can enjoy the
development of skill and competition with others, there are
many other reasons to choose go -- discover them for
yourself!