Wei Hai

Wei Hai

Go (Chinese: 圍棋 wéiqí, Japanese: 囲碁 igo, Korean: 바둑 baduk, Vietnamese: cờ vây, common meaning: "encircling game") is a board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,500 years ago. The game is noted for being rich in strategy despite its relatively simple rules. According to chess master Edward Lasker: "The rules of Go are so elegant, organic, and rigorously logical that if intelligent life forms exist elsewhere in the universe, they almost certainly play Go."

The two players alternately place black and white playing pieces, called "stones", on the vacant intersections (called "points") of a grid of 19×19 lines (beginners often play on smaller 9×9 and 13×13 boards). The object of the game is to use one's stones to surround a larger total area of the board than the opponent. Once placed on the board, stones may not be moved, but stones are removed from the board if captured. When a game concludes, the controlled points (territory) are counted along with captured stones to determine who has more points. Games may also be won by resignation.

Go originated in ancient China. Archaeological evidence shows that the early game was played on a board with a 17×17 grid, but by the time the game had spread to Korea and Japan, in about the 5th and 7th centuries CE respectively, boards with a 19×19 grid had become standard.

As of mid-2008 there were well over 40 million Go players worldwide, the overwhelming majority living in East Asia. As of May 2012, the International Go Federation has a total of 74 member countries and four Association Members covering multiple countries.