Go
Ancient abstract strategy game of territory capture.
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Torii, Kiyonaga, 1752-1815, artist · Public domain
In the two-player abstract strategy board game Go, the objective is to enclose a larger total area than one's adversary.[1] According to a 2016 survey conducted by the International Go Federation across its 75 member nations, more than 46 million people globally are familiar with how to play Go.[1]
Making and release
Beginners often play on smaller 9×9 or 13×13 boards.[2] The British Go Association account states that Go was not played in Europe until 1880, when a German named Oskar Korschelt wrote a book about the game.[3] The first regular European Championship was held in 1957.[3] Stones, once set down, cannot be relocated; however, any stones that are captured are instantly taken off the board.[4]
A typical Go board features a 19×19 line grid, which provides 361 intersection points.[2] By the 5th century CE, when Go arrived in Korea, and by the 7th century CE, when it reached Japan, the 19×19 board had already become the norm.[5]
What the cited sources add
The British Go Association account notes that in its original homeland, Go is known as Wei Qi, which means 'surrounding game'.[3] The China.org.cn account records that the Encyclopedia Britannica states the game originated from China in 2306 B.C.[6] According to legend, Emperor Yao invented Go to help enlighten his son Dan Zhu.[6] The China.org.cn account reports that Secretary General of the China Go Association, Hua Yigang, explained the game has predominantly been played by intellectuals because it is so complicated.[6]
The same source states that an ancient scientist once calculated that the board positions in a single game can be a number that is 768 digits long.[6] The British Go Association account mentions that during the Cultural Revolution the game suffered through being regarded as an intellectual pursuit.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Go (game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Brief History of Go", American Go Association; Shotwell, "The Game of Go: Speculations on its Origins and Symbolism in Ancient China", American Go Association, 2008; "The Legends of the Sage Kings and Divination", GoBase.org; "A Brief History of Go British Go Association", www.britgo.org; "The Ancient Chinese Game of Go", www.china.org.cn; The International Go Federation, "Go Population Survey", intergofed.org, February 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Go (game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Matthews 2004, p. 1 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "A Brief History of Go British Go Association", www.britgo.org. facts only, no text reused. britgo.org
- Wikipedia, "Go (game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Iwamoto 1977, p. 22 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Go (game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cho Chikun 1997, p. 18 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "The Ancient Chinese Game of Go", www.china.org.cn. facts only, no text reused. china.org.cn
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Go (game) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Go (game) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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