“Go is the most beautiful game ever invented.”
— Shin Jin-seo
More Than a Game
Go, an ancient game of strategy and tactics originating in China, has a rich history spanning over 4,000 years and is considered the oldest game in the world.
Background image: Manualul Dunhuang Go – the oldest surviving Go (Weiqi) manual – 9th century. Discovered among the manuscripts in the Mogao Caves, which were sealed around 1006 CE.
A Whole World
46 million players
With over 46 million players worldwide and 75 national sports federations, it is one of the most popular and respected games of logic and intellect, enjoying particular prominence in Asia. In countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, the game of Go has become an integral part of the culture and educational system.
AROUND THE WORLD
Go
In the rest of the world, Go has gained popularity more recently, especially in recent decades, through international tournaments and the impact of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AlphaGo).
Active communities exist in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, where enthusiasts gather in clubs and competitions, preserving the tradition and strategic spirit of the game.
The Game
Strategic Mastery
The Go board, with 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines, represents the territory that two players—one with black stones and the other with white stones—compete to control. All stones have equal value. The game begins with an empty board, and players take turns placing one stone at a time, aiming to control as much territory as possible through various strategies and tactics. The winner is the one who manages to control the largest area of territory.
A Sport of the Mind
Intuition, Ingenuity, Creativity
As an intellectual activity, Go is extremely challenging: although the rules are simple, attempts to program computers to play Go were largely unsuccessful until recently. Even the most advanced programs can make basic mistakes. Each game has a distinct, even unique, character, making it impossible for two games to be identical. Intuition, creativity, ingenuity, the development of a solid strategy, and the ability to make quick decisions are just a few of the qualities that practicing Go cultivates and strengthens. At the same time, the game fosters a correct and optimal approach to problem-solving and strategy formulation.
A landmark of the modern era is AlphaGo, developed by Google DeepMind, which demonstrated that artificial intelligence can reach top-level play in Go and generate unexpected strategies. Today, AI analysis has become a standard training tool, accelerating learning without replacing human judgment and decision-making.