Go – Presentation Outline Go. What is it

Go – Presentation Outline

• Go. What is it

• Equipment

• Go Skills

• Go History

• Players – Random Names and Faces

• Computers and Go, Internet

• The Rules of Go

• A Game (a Glimpse)

Go – What is it?

• From Wikipedia
• Go, also known as Weiqi in Mandarin Chinese (Traditional Chinese: 圍棋; Simplified Chinese: 围棋), and Baduk in Korean (Hangul:바둑), is a strategic, deterministic two-player board game originating in ancient China, before 200 BC. The game is now popular throughout East Asia and on the Internet.
• The object of the game is to place stones so they control a larger board territory than one's opponent, while preventing them from being surrounded and captured by the opponent.

Go – Unique features

• Handicap system

• Unmatched players can still play

• Ranking system

• Start as a 30Kyu
• Advance to 1Kyu and then 1Dan
• Strongest player in SA is 7dan
• Professionals have own ranking scale.

The Equipment

Go – Skills Developed and Needed

• Businessman

• Negotiation, Risk/reward

• Soldier

• Defend and attack, Territory and influence

• Artist

• Good shape from bad shape, spatial perception

• Accountant

• Debits and Credits, Account balance

• It helps to be human.

• Computers not very good yet!

Go More than just a game

• Way of life for 30 Million people in the east

• Growing rapidly in the west

• . . . And in Africa !

• Not a gambling game.

• No chance involved

• Many hundreds of professionals in the east.

In other Languages

History of Go (Cho Chikun)

• Many legends

• Emperor Yao (c. 2357 BC)
• For his son
• Emporer Shun (c. 2255 BC)
• For his son
• Wu, during Chieh (c. 1818 BC)
• as a court game.
• Astrologers – Chou (c. 1045 BC)

Go History

• Japan

• May have come from Korea c. 600 by refugees, artists and students.
• Grand Minister Kibi in 735.
• First book in 913
• Golden era mid to late 1800’s
• Over 400 professionals

Go History

• Korea

• Only been played professionally since 1956
• Many players moved to Japan to play
• Now retaining many of skills
• Major power in Go

Go History

• Go in China

• Was not always popular
• Discouraged during the “Cultural Revolution”
• Rebirth in 1970’s
• Still on the increase.

Go History

• Go in the west

• Described in 1600’s in Italy Explosive growth
• Go schools appearing all over the world
• San Francisco
• Argentina
• Russia
• Soweto in South Africa

Some Random Pics (From Gobase.org)

Computers and go

• Matsushita prize

• $5 000 000 in ’80s
• Beat the best Japanese 7 year old
• Still many years away from being claimed
• GNUGo project
• Annual computer tournament

• “SGF” recording system

Go and the Internet

• Go Servers

• KGS,
• IGS,
• Dash Baduk ?

Go and the Internet

Go Rules

• Played on a board with 19x19 Lines

• Smaller boards (13x13) (9x9) may be used by beginners

• Players use black and white stones

• Board starts empty – Black moves first
• Handicap may be given
• Stones are alternately placed on the intersections
• Stones are not moved

• May pass or play

• Two consecutive passes end the game

Rules of Go

• Stones are captured by filling in all surrounding liberties

Go Rules

• It is allowed to play on a point with no liberty if capturing results in liberty.

Go Rules

• The rule of Ko

• If recapturing a stone would recreate the same board position from a previous move, the position is called “Ko”, and the recapturing move is illegal.

Go Rules

• When both players pass the game is over and the score is counted.

Go Rules

• Sum the territory + captures + komi.

• Highest number wins.

Example Game

• Cho Chikun vs Kato Masao –

• 1988

• Game 5 of 22nd Judan Title

• From “Go, a Complete Introduction” by Cho Chikun.