The History and Significance of Go

Go is one of the oldest games still played today with over 20 million active players, and a deep, rich history that spans the globe.

In this article we will take a brief look into the history of Go and how it affected the nations it spread through.

Theories of Origin of Go

1. Emperor Yao

Chinese legend passed down states that Yao invented Go to instruct his son, Dan Zhu. Yao was considered to rule from about 2356 – 2255 BCE, which is where the quote “Go is more than 4,000 years old” comes from.

This theory is supported in “Shi Ben” (475-221 BCE).

2. A turtle gave it to us

Legends dating as far back as 650 BCE tell of a great flood. As people were giving sacrifices in an attempt to calm the gods and the river, a turtle came out from the river with a peculiar pattern on its back now known as the Lo Shu square, which was used as a method of divination.

Some historians believe that Go may have evolved from this, seeing as these kinds of patterns can be created by placing black and white stones in grid-like pattern.

3. Origins in literature

The earliest texts referencing Go might be from The Analects of Confucius 17 (551-479 BCE), in which Confucius himself trash-talks Go and another board game that’s similar to Backgammon:

“It is difficult for a man who always has a full stomach to put his mind to some use. Are there not players of [liu]bo and go? Even playing these games is better than being idle.”

Confucian moralists were not so fond of Go at that time.

Another early text known to reference Go is the “Zuo Zhuan” of about 424 BCE. The book references a historical even that happened in around 547 BCE in which Wen Zi trash-talks his great nephew, Ning Xi, saying:

“Alas! … Ning is now dealing with his ruler with less care than if he were playing go. How can he escape disaster? If a go player establishes his groups without making them safe, he will not defeat his opponent. How much worse if he establishes a ruler without making him safe.”

There are many pieces of historic literature that link Go to potential uses of diviniation. One such example was in the “Yi Zhi” (about 60 CE):

The board must be square and represents the laws of the earth. The lines must be straight like the divine virtues. There are black and white stones, divided like yin and yang. Their arrangement on the board is like a model of the heavens.

Another Chinese work (Wang You Qing Le Jie, 12th century CE) also paints Go in such a poetic light:

The number of all things in Nature begins with one. The points on the go board number three hundred and sixty plus one. One is the first of all living numbers. It occupies the polar point of the board around which the four quarters revolve. The other 360 points represent the number of days in a [lunar] year. They are divided into four quarters which represent the four seasons…

Go in China

So it seems Go started in China somewhere between the 4th and 23rd century BCE but could be even older. Back then, it was known as “Yi” (and then “Weiqi” in the 4th century BCE) and was played on a 17×17 board instead of the 19×19 board we see today.

For a time there was an overlap where 19×19 was becoming popular but a lot of people still played on the 17×17 instead.

While written reference to a 17×17 board can be found as early as the 3rd century CE, the oldest surviving game record is played on a 19×19 around the 2nd century CE. Back then it was common to start the game with 2 black and 2 white stones already on the board.

While 19×19 is now the dominant version globally, the 17×17 is still played in Tibet.

In the 3rd century CE, Go started exploding in popularity as China’s interest in high arts increased. Go was eventually known as one of the four cultivated arts (along with calligraphy, painting and playing a stringed instrument known as the Guqin).

Go in Korea

Go eventually spread to Korea at around the 2nd – 5th century CE where it became known as Baduk.

The earliest mention of Go in Korean literature is that of a report of espionage, where a master of Go used a king’s love for Go to befriend him and sabotage his empire.

Starting in the 16th century CE, Korea developed a variant called Sunjang Baduk that became popular until dying off in the mid-20th century.

Go in Japan

Go was brought to Japan some time before the 8th century BCE where it was called Wigo (This later turned into Igo which then became Go when brought to the western world.).

Go quickly became popular as it spread across Japan.

Starting around the 14th century, Japanese clans started employing Go professionals to compete against other clans.

As the people of Japan took interest in Go, it quickly became regarded as a form of high art which explored strategy, tactics, creative thinking, and philosophy.

In the 17th century the Tokugawa Shogunate established four go houses. These houses trained elite players who would dedicate their lives to the art of Go and regularly compete against each other in prestigious ceremonies that were held in castles of the shogunate.

Japan is now known for cultivating Go into the version it’s known as today, and their efforts in spreading it globally.

Go Today

Today, Go is enjoyed by approximately 20 million active players, worldwide. The tradition of professional players remain as countries such as China, Japan, and Korea employe and train professional Go players whom dedicate their lives to mastering the game to compete against each other in a fierce rivalry.