More about Go
What makes Go so special?
As an intellectual challenge Go is extraordinary. The rules are very simple, yet attempts to program computers to play Go well have met with little success on the big board, though they are becoming unbeatable on small boards.
Apart from beating the computer, Go offers major attractions to anyone who enjoys games of skill:
- There is great scope for intuition and experiment in a game of Go, especially in the opening. Go has its opening strategies and tactics but players can become quite strong knowing no more than a few basic patterns.
- A great advantage of Go is the very effective handicapping system. This enables players of widely differing strengths to play each other on equal terms without distorting the character of the game.
- The object in Go is to make more territory than the other player by surrounding it more efficiently, or by attacking the opponent's stones to greater effect. On such a large board, it's possible to do somewhat badly in one area but still to win the game by doing better on the board as a whole.
- Every game of Go quickly takes on a character of its own - no two games are alike. Since a player needs only to have more territory than the opponent in order to win, there are very few drawn games,though the outcome may hang in the balance until the very end.
Go can be played at any age and by anyone of any level of expertise. Here we see a professional player, Umezawa Yukari, playing a young boy beginner. Go has a unique handicap system that makes it possible to play a fair game whatever the strength difference.
