By Chris Garlock, Managing Editor, American Go E-Journal
When Tiberiu “Tibi” Gociu moved from Romania to Belfast in 2005, he didn’t expect to double the number of Go players in Northern Ireland—but that’s exactly what happened. “Together with Ian Davis, we started a club at work, and soon had more players than Galway, Cork, and Dublin combined—about twenty regulars,” Gociu recalls. “It was a great success.”
Now President of the
Irish Go Association (IGA), Gociu has spent nearly two decades building the game’s presence in Ireland through teaching, organizing, and relentless enthusiasm. His Go journey began in Romania in the early 2000s while studying Aikido and Japanese culture. “I learned Go was one of the Japanese arts, along with calligraphy and music,” he says. After struggling to understand two eyes via email lessons, a local player finally placed the stones in his hands—and “it just took off from there.”
Today, Go clubs meet weekly in Dublin, Belfast, Galway, and Cork, with venues ranging from pubs to board game cafés and historic public buildings. While attendance at smaller clubs fluctuates, Dublin and Belfast each draw about a dozen players. “Go is still small here, but we’re growing,” Gociu says.
Ireland’s tournament scene includes the Belfast All-Star Open, the April Ripoff, and the Confucius Cup, which draws up to 60 players and top European dans with its €1,000 first prize, sponsored by University College Dublin’s Confucius Institute.
Teaching remains at the heart of Gociu’s work. “When we meet in pubs, it’s adults only, so I’ve been working to introduce Go in schools,” he says. Through donations from the Korean Go Association, he’s provided equipment to primary and grammar schools and now teaches both teachers and students.
Among Ireland’s rising stars is Lian, a 9-year-old Ukrainian refugee from Cork who recently placed second in the European Under-12 Championship. “He learned Go by himself, and his parents drive him every week to Dublin to play,” says Gociu. “We hope he’ll soon represent Ireland at the World Amateur Go Championship.”
As President, Gociu aims to build “a critical mass of players” large enough to sustain regular monthly or quarterly tournaments. His broader vision includes promoting Go in workplaces as a tool for mental well-being. “I tell colleagues Go helps rewire the brain—using both the creative and logical sides—and can even delay memory loss,” he says with a grin.
But his favorite thing about the game? “Go teaches you to be humble,” Gociu says. “In chess, players often try to prove they’re better. In Go, we find balance—with handicap, with patience, with each other. It’s a conversation, not a contest.”
This interview was conducted during the author’s March 2025 visit to Belfast.
Photos: IGA President Tiberiu “Tibi” Gociu (center) with Belfast club members; Belfast Go Club (which shares space with the local chess club); Tibi and Garlock in front of the club in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.