Go is an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent. It originated in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game continuously played today.
Concepts & Symbolism
The Empty Board (The Tao Parallel)
Unlike Chess, where the pieces start on the board and the game is about subtraction (capture), Go begins with an empty board. It is about Construction.
- It mirrors the concept of the Tabula Rasa or the Tao—starting from nothing to create a complex world.
- The black and white stones represent the Yin and Yang—the fundamental duality of existence.
Territory vs. Influence
In Go, there is a constant tension between taking immediate territory (security) and building influence (potential).
- This parallels the I Ching’s focus on momentum and the “auspicious” timing of actions.
- Influence is The Star—long-term guidance and hope.
- Territory is The Emperor—solidified structure and control.
Basic Rules
- Objective: Surround more empty space (territory) than the opponent.
- Placement: Stones are placed on the intersections of the grid.
- Capture: A stone or group is captured if it has no “liberties” (adjacent empty intersections).
- Ko Rule: You cannot repeat a previous board state immediately.
Skill Progression (Kyu & Dan Levels)
Go progression is traditionally measured from 30 Kyu (beginner) down to 1 Kyu, then 1 Dan (amateur master) up to 9 Dan (professional).
- 30k - 15k (The Learner): Understanding Liberty & Capture. Learning to keep groups connected and recognizing basic “life and death” (Two Eyes).
- 15k - 5k (The Tactician): Understanding Shape. Recognizing efficient ways to build walls and surround space. Learning basic Joseki (corner patterns).
- 5k - 1d (The Strategist): Understanding Whole Board Thinking. Balancing the four corners and the center. Grasping the concept of Sente (keeping the initiative).
- 1d - 9d (The Master): Understanding Emergent Complexity. The game becomes a conversation. Master players feel the “flow” of the game, making moves that look small but have massive implications 50 turns later.
TIP
AI (like AlphaGo) revolutionized this game by finding moves humans thought were “wrong” but were actually deeper optimizations of the board’s potential, proving that even after 2,500 years, the game’s depth remains unexhausted.