Go and the Media

Go as a Spectator Sport

A key element of Go is that it is very popular not only for participants but also as a spectator sport. Traditionally the games between top players attract great attention. From emperor and shogun to the man in the street the Go master receives great respect. Every newspaper supports its own Go title match in return for the exclusive right to cover the event. A fine example of the status of Go is the book "The Master of Go" by Yasunari Kawabata, Go journalist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In addition to the publication of games in the written press, Go is a spectator sport. In China there are 15 television networks covering Go. The TV audience for Go rates the first place at CCTV. Thirty Beijing press organisations focus on Go all the time. In Korea three TV stations broadcast Go the whole day. On average, 350,000 people per day watch Go games. Japan�s national TV Station (NHK) organises a yearlong tournament which is shown every Sunday for two hours with a very high number of viewers. In addition, among the commercial TV stations that cover Go, there is a special Go channel.

The New Media

The possibility of playing Go on the Internet has changed the world of Go. The Internet connects Go players around the world, which is especially essential in those parts of the world not densely populated by Go fans. A survey estimates that over 100,000 players outside Asia use the Internet to play Go. In Korea over 3 million people are experienced in Internet Go games. The Internet furthermore creates huge possibilities for promoting and teaching Go.

The first website of the IGF was officially opened in August 2002, courtesy of the Japanese Go Association and the IGF members were linked through it. Our new website was opened in January 2006, thanks to the European Go Federation, and is used for posting information and creating a network among members. In reporting on our events and activities, the IGF works together with several partners that possess state-of-the-art internet and communication technology.

An essential element of Go, as well as other Mind Sports, is that our sport can actually be played on the Internet. There are Go Servers, many of which are now available, that allow real time games or play by turn games with anyone anywhere in the world. One Go Server has a total number of registered players of over 1,200,000.